Watch: May the Fourth be with you, at pumping Burleigh

Ben Matson picture
Ben Matson (thermalben)
Reels

Ain't autumn grand? Lingering, pulsey trade swells, light offshore winds, bright sunny skies and scalloped banks.

All of the elements came together on the Gold Coast on Tuesday - and indeed, most of Southeast Queensland and Northern New South Wales - to produce some classic sand bottom barrels. Craig Halstead was on the spot at Burleigh to capture the action.

Comments

Bob Sacamano's picture
Bob Sacamano's picture
Bob Sacamano Wednesday, 5 May 2021 at 12:38pm

Backlight emerald green barrels at Burleigh always look nice

joshea78's picture
joshea78's picture
joshea78 Wednesday, 5 May 2021 at 12:40pm

F*&king scorching licks

Queef Jerky's picture
Queef Jerky's picture
Queef Jerky Wednesday, 5 May 2021 at 1:12pm

slaying the harmonics like boss

JackStance's picture
JackStance's picture
JackStance Wednesday, 5 May 2021 at 2:11pm

Is it a cover of one Poison's instrumental tunes?

Roker's picture
Roker's picture
Roker Friday, 7 May 2021 at 11:55am

'The Final Countdown'? Europe?

dawnperiscope's picture
dawnperiscope's picture
dawnperiscope Wednesday, 5 May 2021 at 1:21pm

And may de turd be behind you!

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Wednesday, 5 May 2021 at 8:54pm

Took me awhile- duh!

Finally got that Dawn ha ha!

Sprout's picture
Sprout's picture
Sprout Wednesday, 5 May 2021 at 1:36pm

3-4ft

Stok's picture
Stok's picture
Stok Thursday, 6 May 2021 at 10:06am

3-5ft

AndyM's picture
AndyM's picture
AndyM Wednesday, 5 May 2021 at 1:40pm

No way Sprout, it's heaps, heaps bigger than that ;)

Ben Harding's picture
Ben Harding's picture
Ben Harding Thursday, 6 May 2021 at 4:08pm

For an old fella you sure sound alot like that 15 year old you work with Andy. Better sort that hate speech out above on Sprouts comment. Gotta let em know what's up man.

AndyM's picture
AndyM's picture
AndyM Thursday, 6 May 2021 at 5:26pm

Piss off ya drongo.

Go surf some waves.
I mean, if yesterday had 6 foot sets today must have had 7 1/2 foot sets.

Ben Harding's picture
Ben Harding's picture
Ben Harding Thursday, 6 May 2021 at 6:32pm

Weak as piss, give it but cant take it.

It was Tuesday, not yesterday. I see the memory loss is settling in nicely.

Catch ya later!

Gowsa's picture
Gowsa's picture
Gowsa Wednesday, 5 May 2021 at 3:12pm

They dont seem to drop in at Burleigh like they do at Super Bank
Or is this just editing?

Ted from the moon's picture
Ted from the moon's picture
Ted from the moon Thursday, 6 May 2021 at 8:27am

Oh yes they do. Lots of selfish pricks in the water the last 3 days and every other day it's half reasonable.

burleigh's picture
burleigh's picture
burleigh Wednesday, 5 May 2021 at 4:01pm

and here come the crowds.

mattlock's picture
mattlock's picture
mattlock Wednesday, 5 May 2021 at 8:29pm

The music sounded like a parody of Spinal Tap.

savanova's picture
savanova's picture
savanova Thursday, 6 May 2021 at 8:32am

Parody of a parody, bit like the WSL at Narrabeen

Stok's picture
Stok's picture
Stok Thursday, 6 May 2021 at 10:13am

Two things:

Firstly - this looks fairly quiet? Question for photogs, how long do you spend editing to only keep the shots which somehow hide the crowds?

Secondly - As a Victorian, we always crap on about how it's less crowded here and we can put up with the cold because of that. But far out...you can really see just how many waves there are in the swells you get up there. Sure we get less people in the water, but it's not uncommon to only get 4 wave sets rolling through every 10+ mins!

birdfood's picture
birdfood's picture
birdfood Friday, 7 May 2021 at 5:22pm

I've only just starting timing the sets in the last 12-18 months and we do sometimes get swells like this, but no where near as big! Had a lonesome session sitting wide on a point and waiting 15 minutes for shoulder high waves, another where I think it was 20-30 minute wait for a chest high set of 4 waves, otherwise knee high at best.

kaiser's picture
kaiser's picture
kaiser Thursday, 6 May 2021 at 9:01pm

Mate I don’t need to be the only one to tell you... in a city with 600,000 people who are ALL within 30 min of the beach, plus circa 3 mil another 30 min away, during a swell that (at least in the early stages - this stage) favoured the points, nowhere was uncrowded. And nowhere was immune from the worst of humanity, which is horribly exposed when the waves turn on. And it’s always the case. To think there’s a secret, less crowded pointbreak in this seething mass is folly.

You might score an uncrowded beach one day or another, but it barely makes up for having to deal with all the dickheads on the daily

On the bright side though, ice cream headaches are only experienced out of the water when you hit the açai too hard. Honestly don’t know how you guys do it...

clif's picture
clif's picture
clif Thursday, 6 May 2021 at 11:46pm

As an ex-Gold Coast surfer I couldn't be happier having left that shit fight behind. Now it is very very cold but only ever a couple of us out somewhere on a barrelling reef/slab, pointbreak, beachie, and the like (not Aus). It may be inconsistent but that is fine. No tourist surfers to speak of. Make the move.

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Friday, 7 May 2021 at 12:28am

I'm ex Goldie too Clif. Kinda same for but not. Bitterly cold here in winter, 5mm rubber 5 months of the year, usally empty or very few out. Can get unbelievably perfect as well. Also, close to incredible powder snow if that's your thing (which it is mine).

But, those clear, warm water sand barrels, sun on your back and scabby nipples. I really miss the Goldy sometimes.

(and pies)

clif's picture
clif's picture
clif Friday, 7 May 2021 at 5:07am

6mm in winter to 4/3mm only at height of summer. So i get what you mean about sun on the back hahahaha

carvin60's picture
carvin60's picture
carvin60 Monday, 17 May 2021 at 6:45am

Anywhere north of the 49th parallel eh? Just bought a new ripcurl 3/2 flashbomb heatseeker for my SUMMER suit!haha

Crab Nebula's picture
Crab Nebula's picture
Crab Nebula Friday, 7 May 2021 at 9:21am

Spot on.

birdfood's picture
birdfood's picture
birdfood Friday, 7 May 2021 at 8:01am

Best season of the year and 3 months too short

Plasticspastic's picture
Plasticspastic's picture
Plasticspastic Friday, 7 May 2021 at 10:00am

yeah the goldy is a funny place. the points are wedged, and people are carnts in the water.... but every so often you get one.. .. which brings you back. I vowed never to surf Burleigh again (living in that postcode) and just surf the beachies, but then had a magic day out there just after easter.. .. and now back into it.. sure I will turn bitter soon again. the video exposure does't impact the regulars... but may sway some people who are happy to travel a little.....

burzum's picture
burzum's picture
burzum Friday, 7 May 2021 at 11:03am

Uncrowded beachies for 6 days straight. Not too bad here on the Goldie... I'd love to live somewhere with reefs and slabs, but a mans gotta work.

Plasticspastic's picture
Plasticspastic's picture
Plasticspastic Friday, 7 May 2021 at 12:28pm

yeah has been epic..... big enough to keep the crowds down.. but not too big to be unpaddlable..

hamishbro's picture
hamishbro's picture
hamishbro Friday, 7 May 2021 at 6:24pm

Epic choice of soundtrack, goes with the epic conditions and hollow take offs.