Everything was in place.

A free afternoon to chase waves, a kick in new swell and all day offshores. The first glimpse of the ocean coming down the hill revealed pumping 3-5ft waves on a quiet South Australian beach.

It soon dawned that it was all an illusion. Bank to bank closeouts and the three people out along the whole beach told the story.

Still, these photos paint the opposite illusion of an epic afternoon of surf..