it's still big, rogue and wild (and cold)

Large

It’s still big and unappealing for surfers. Rogue sets are breaking in the 2-3 times head-high range. While smaller than yesterday, it’s still wild to ride.

The icy west offshore winds are not helping either…hard to get out of bed today.

Maybe tomorrow, but it will be surfable/enjoyable mostly Thursday and Friday.

My family and I are raising money for our leading charity, Surfaid via the SurfAid Bondi Cup on May 26. If you donate $50 or more, I’ll put you in a draw to win a $1500 artwork (125cm x 91cm) from our gallery. Seeing we’ve got around 40 donations so far, the chances of scoring this artwork are incredibly high! DONATE (and you may win).

While I’m rattling the tin can, our Bondi Boardriders trailer was stolen with all the essential gear to run the club. The Bondi community is chipping in to raise funds to replace the equipment. Can you throw some pocket change in here? It’s a not-for-profit community surf club run by volunteers…they could do with your help.

Onya, :: uge

P.S. I’m setting sail now, so posts may be erratic or non-existent. It depends on whether or not the mobile towers in the islands are working; often, the batteries get stolen (true story).

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Ben Buckler - BOOM! Around 7:30am

Mental Monday

Everybody loves these mental days when the waves are gigantic and wild. I get asked how big – gosh, I saw sets in the 12ft+ range. The entire bay sometimes closed out as water ran up and hit the ramps. Icebergs was inundated whilst spray at Ben Buckler was at least 4 storeys. Is it […]
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Wilbur pocket driving whilst Mr. GoPro shuts down the section (argh)

Fresh Batch

Last night we were gifted a brand new, clean south swell. It’s fun-sized, head high and occasionally;y bigger. The NNW winds are offshore and keeping it neat — plenty of waves, lots of close outs and the odd nugget. Winds should remain north and clean at south-facing beaches like Bondaka. I say this every day […]
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75 years of Defender

Defender 75

On our recent Easter break to country NSW, the family got to test out the robust Defender, a dreamy off-roader in a unique Grassmere green with matching rims, paying homage to its 75-year origins. Naturally, as we’re all beach freaks, the Defender spent more time on the sand than on the bitumen – searching for […]
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Send it!

Ubiquitous

The waves are plentiful, and the sunshine delightful. It was the first morning you needed to rug up – (around 12 degrees at sunrise). The water, however, remains ridiculously warm, and some are still surfing in boardies! The best (and biggest) waves are at beaches that face east. Bondi still attracted some swell in the […]
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Man hacks in the north - waves good today!

PRIME

No, I am not selling Prime drinks on the black market like the kids – it’s a PRIME day – primo – cracker – epic!@# Why? It’s perfectly west offshore and a bit chilly, but the conditions are clean, and the skies have cleared. The ENE swell is peaking, and I saw waves in the […]
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Let's dance, mid Bondi

Get Wet

Oh boy, we’ve got a 10-out-10, top-notch, fully-sik cracker of a day outside. It’s going to hit 27 degrees while the winds remain light. There’s even a little wave on offer! GO NOW. GET WET while it’s a glamorous beach day. Why? as it’s gonna rain all weekend. And I mean rain hard. 30 mm […]
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Ah the serenity! Bondi at 6:30am

Doable

It has turned into a comfortable Autumn’s day out there. There’s a breeze from the NE with a mix of East and South swells. Bondi was reasonably small, with waist-to-shoulder high waves and a manageable crowd. A cloudy start to a gloriously clear sky. How good! Waves will continue tomorrow – we’ve had a good […]
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Low tide drainers, south Bondi

Drainers

The beach is full of dramatic rips, sweeps and shallow banks. Exacerbated by the lower morning tides, there’s plenty of hollowness and straightness. Nothing too exciting, 2-3 foot (mainly 2) but the super-groms and mini-john-johns were pumped. Sun finally came out, and the winds were non-existent. Clean az. I’m a big fan of Indonesia and […]
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Autumn light, dripping into the beach, in between buildings. Bondi

Light Patches

I’ve had a few weeks off the cameras and indulged in rural quality time with the family. Today I photographed Bondi, and even in that short time away, the light has changed somewhat. The autumn sun’s position is right around the back of Ben Buckler now, seeping side onto the beach…I like that angle. The […]
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Wilbur Ryall, blowing up on the right

Gromfest

The swell has switched from south to more ENE – making smaller waves at Bondaka. A couple of rip bowls in the south kept the micro groms entertained as the tide went high (7:30 am). Not many waves are wasted when Bondi’s youngsters mob a peak, 1 foot, half-a-foot, two foot – they thrive. The […]
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Bondi 6:30am today, Mr. NBN/Magnums

Bondi Colours

I was up early, fossicking in the dark, stalking sunrise colours. It paid off as the clouds over Benny B got lit! I had the 16-bit 100-megapixel medium format beast blazing as the morning progressed through the different lighting stages. On the beach, waves were breaking around the waist to shoulder high. It looked pretty […]
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Noah's Rainbow! Bondi 7:30am this morning

Band of Colour

My pet robot says, “A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon caused by reflection, refraction, and dispersion of light in water droplets, resulting in a spectrum of colours appearing in the sky.” As the showers paused, we scored a double-banger rainbow this morning. It was a short-lived gap in the constant rain – I got lucky. […]
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