The intermission is over: Here comes Winston - photos
With wave heights expected to get bigger from here on, it's going to be really interesting to see how many locations hold the size.
With wave heights expected to get bigger from here on, it's going to be really interesting to see how many locations hold the size.
Pumping surf, nimble surfers, brisk offshore.
The dawn patrol offered slim pickings with tiny waves across most beaches, but within an hour or two a new southerly swell began to filter into exposed Sydney beaches. By noon it was four feet, by mid-afternoon it was six feet and still climbing.
With the swell's forerunners displaying periods in the 20 second range, there was never any doubt that we'd be looking at some seriously large waves - and many outer reefs came to light this morning, producing some of the biggest surf seen in New South Wales this year.
Well, OK - one bloke is paddling into a death slab, of which shortly afterwards he was annihilated - but for the most part, many Sydney beaches are dishing up empty barrels of luminance this morning. And on a public holiday no less! Go forth and seek out some barrels in this glorious weather.
"Any boss who fires their staff for not showing up today is a bum." So said Swellnet reporter, Pete Mitchell, this morning in a lovely ode to Australia's favoutite schooner sculler, Bob Hawke.
Ol' Pete is on the money, the surf in Sydney is firing and only gonna get better as the day progresses. So stop looking at the internet, get your work done and find an excuse to split early.
All photos by Swellnet's resident bum and boss, Ben Matson.