Brrr.
A very chilly start to the day, with a late sunrise as we approach the winter solstice of June 22 (the shortest day of the year). The skies were clear, and the solar welcome. I love how Sydney people still swim, no matter what. The waves are dwindling, and tomorrow they will even get smaller. […]
Mixed Tape *
Today was an awkward morning for my morning rituals of Bondi documentation – it was very dark, and then lots of drizzle. The precipitation forced me to retreat several times, so I only captured a wide shot of Bondi as the sunrise presented pinks. The rest of the pics included today are randomly plucked off […]
Machines
It’s oh so damn straight at Bondi; I can’t help but think the current beach of machines rearranging the sand has got to be a good thing, right? It can’t get any worse…so the dozer was tearing up South Bondi this morning, pushing sand into the water. Fingers crossed, it forms in 4-5 superbanks for winter swells. […]
Back to work
Today it’s looking pretty good! There are waves around shoulder to head high, and barely anyone around (odd). Winds are light, and surfaces are optimal. The cold weather and late sunrises de-motivated many. Not enough time to surf before work as many finally return to the office. (WFH party is over). It will be sunny all […]
Bondi Bowls
I’m back in Bondi and acclimatising to the cold. Brisk. Hard to believe it will top 23 degrees today after such a chilly start. Bondi had a little left, bowling on the rip. It was empty too, which is rare for here, so the groms took it on. Today is your last day to support […]
Pulau
The indigenous inhabitants of this region – the Mentawai people – are known for their intricate tattoo art. Tattooing holds immense cultural significance for the Mentawai people, representing various aspects of their identity, such as age, social status, postcode and spiritual beliefs. They live in harmony with the lush rainforests of each island – mainly […]
Bon Voyage
As our trip comes close to an end, we make our way back to the central part of the island chain, where crossing overnight to Padang is easier. There are endless breaks along the way, so we drop anchor at many, hopefully timing it with the right tides, winds and crowds. It’s been days of […]
1hr with Italo
I know, I know, it’s been a while. Welcome to the Aquabumps offshore edition, where we broadcast from the wave-rich Mecca of Mentawai – a very remote part of the world that I visit annually. Yesterday was a classic; whilst farming a nuggety left, filling our wave quotas, a blue catamaran sped into the line-up. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
