Peaky mix of swells for most coasts, with variable conditions
South-east Queensland and Northern NSW Surf Forecast by Ben Matson (issued Friday 27th March)
Best Days: Entire period: plenty of building E'ly swell throughout SE Qld and Far Northern NSW (biggest Sun/Mon): A little smaller south from Yamba (excluding an additional E/SE swell this weekend) but potentially wind affected south from Yamba at times on Sat and also Mon. Later next week/weekend looks interesting for exposed beaches with a small long period E'ly groundswell.
Recap: Small residual E’ly swells padded out SE Qld beaches for the last few days, as a series of S’ly swells eased, and then built across Northern NSW. Thursday managed 3ft+ sets at south facing beaches, rebuilding to 3-4ft+ today. Winds were an issue south of Yamba yesterday as a trough freshened southerlies, and the Sunshine Coast saw moderate S/SE tending E/SE winds, but locations between managed reasonable conditions. Today has however seen a brief period of early light winds become fresh S’ly across most regions, so only sheltered points have had favourable conditions.
Fun peaks at D'Bah this morning
Small beachies on the Sunny Coast
Just a few tiny peelers at Noosa
This weekend (Mar 28 - 29)
A trough developed in the northern Tasman Sea on Thursday, and a high pressure system to the south is tightening a SE fetch through the central Tasman Sea.
This will generate some good E/SE swell for Northern NSW on Saturday and early Sunday, biggest across the Mid North Coast (3-4ft) and gradually decreasing size north from about Yamba - probably around the 2-3ft mark across Far Northern NSW and not a lot in SE Qld. There’ll also be some easing S’ly swell in the mix (3ft sets southfacnig beaches south of Byron).
Elsewhere, a strengthening ridge through the northern Tasman Sea and Coral Sea will building mid-range E’ly swells for SE Qld, from 2ft+ early Saturday up to 3-4ft into Sunday afternoon (models have fractionally eased broader winds strengths, so I’m keeping a lid on height expectations). This size range is for the exposed beaches so we’ll see smaller surf running down the points.
Surface conditions don’t look too bad this weekend though early Saturday is still at risk of seeing lingering S/SE winds across some exposed regions. However, we’ll see the coastal ridge ease in strength through the weekend and winds should become variable by Sunday. Note: variable doesn't necessarily mean offshore, so many locations will retain a wobble though the lineup, but it’ll be OK.
Next week (Mar 30 onwards)
Sunday’s building trade swell throughout SE Qld will reach a peak on Monday, up to 3-4ft+ at exposed beaches, smaller on the points. Early winds will be light but NE sea breezes are expected by lunchtime, holding through the afternoon. Easing size is expected from Tuesday (still 3ft+ early), and we’ll have workable options with generally light winds.
We’ll see a little less size from the trade swell as you head south from about Ballina or Yamba early next week, and the E/SE swell from the trough (Sat, early Sun) will be largely gone by this time. A bigger problem on Monday will be freshening northerly winds (likely NW early) but this will clear from Tuesday to become variable for the rest of the week under a broad, weak troughy pattern.
Otherwise the Tasman Sea looks a little dormant for most of next week with no significant weather systems expected to generate any notable surf. Some small S’ly swells may glance south swell magnets south of Byron throughout next week but no major size is expected.
It will however be worth keeping an eye on our far eastern swell window. Over the last few days a modest depression generated a small swell that will arrive around Wednesday, keeping exposed beaches flush with inconsistent 2ft surf into Thursday, but over the coming weekend a much stronger system will see core winds of up to 40-45kts, and this will supply a longer period swell arriving sometime around Friday with peak periods around 16 seconds.
The enormous travel distance will result in extremely infrequent sets, but they could be up into the 3-4ft+ range at times at some exposed coasts, holding through next weekend. Well worth monitoring over the coming days (as well as tracking surf conditions across New Zealand’s north-east and east coasts early-mid next week, for a heads up).
Stay safe, have a good weekend, see you Monday!
Comments
"Don't hang in the carpark" , so if you drive stay away full stop, if you drive you don't live at the beach, sorry.
Easy going locals might not be so easy going over the ensuing weeks.
Good ol self righteous locals. Unless you live at an isolated beach with little to no surfers then you shouldn’t be surfing full stop. Including us locals who like to congregate in the carpark with our coffees for a chitchat. Being a local is no excuse to avoid social distancing even if it’s in the water.
Bang on. Eat a bag of dicks El Sid! Eres un cabrone.
The fcking lack of social distancing by locals in the carpark and on the beach at present is fcking appalling. I think they all truly believe they are immune to this and hence don't need to abide by the social distancing. I have to say in most cases it's the under 20-25's doing the gatherings.
Whilst on the subject of social distancing, just me and one other dickhead out where I was after lunch. As I'm paddling out from the shore he decides to catch a wave and fcking bails his board right in front of me. it was either cop his board in my head (duckdiving) or bail my board myself. Of course his board hits the nose of my board and bends it and delaminates it. He grabs his board, turns around, waves to me and says "Sorry mate!!!" and paddles off. Fcking arsehole!!!
Ooooooooooh.... Big threats.... But just what exactly is a local. A one yr membership? Or 12yrs..... or a 50000yr backstory to the country..... My intuition says el-sid is a 'blowin'. Off you trot now.....
Why continue to provide a surf report and cam footage while saying don't travel to the beach to surf?
People who live at the beach can just go and look so they don't need a surf report.
Edit: yes. I am a paid subscriber. I choose to live 10 mins from my old local.
Snow forecasters in the northern hemisphere have stopped their reports because people keep travelling to resorts and the back country to uphill ski. This has caused mayhem.
Time to wrap up the reports/cams/forecasts. swellnet. We’ve all taken a big financial hit for the common good. You guys should do the right thing too.
We're continuing to provide a service that our subscribers pay for.
You may be surprised to find that not everyone who looks at a surfcam or reads a surf report or forecast actually plans on going to the beach. For many people who are unable to get to the coast for whatever reason, it's a (digital) way of staying in tune with the ocean every day.
I'm part of that audience and supportive of the service continuing.
Agreed thermalben.I live 100 k’s from the coast & get into the surf infrequently these days. I see my subscription as a way of keeping in touch with the ocean I love. Every morning swellnet is the first website I visit while I have my coffee.The only sad thing is that being a South Aussie I usually check the Middleton Report/Surf Cam first!!!! ( old habits die hard).
Interesting you mention that. I'm frequently checking the SA cams from here in Northern NSW, if nothing else than to remind me of how shitty it often is (sorry lads!). But, there's a twinge of nostalgia every time I see lines at Triggs.
Ben, you should be adjusting your content for the worst of your audience not the best.
This virus is so contagious it only takes a one or two travelling surfers to create a Covid ID hotspot on the coast.
I just walked past a group of three Melbourne surfers, all with coffees, getting out of the same car at the beach. That's who you need to think about when deciding on whether to keep the reports going. If people who have stopped surfing, miss a forecast (that they were never going to surf anyway) so be it. It's not exactly a big sacrifice.
The thing about Swellnet keeping subscribers informed about surf conditions is, you don't have to deal with the consequences of your actions. It's the people in small coastal towns that end up paying the price. Is it really worth the subscription $$$ when some poor cancer patient or pensioner dies because surfers travelled for waves. That's the reality of the situation. 1000 deaths in Italy overnight. That's our future.
Genuine question: have you asked the BOM to turn off the public feeds for the Cape Sorell wave buoy and the Aireys Inlet weather station?
Only a small percentage of surfers subscribe to Swellnet, but almost everyone checks live weather data before they head down.
Well the Surf Coast beaches are now closed for everyone except Surf coast Residents. The sign basically says "go the fuck home" just a little more politely.
"Genuine question: have you asked the BOM to turn off the public feeds for the Cape Sorell wave buoy and the Aireys Inlet weather station? "
Answer No. The BOM provides essential services to keep people safe. Cape Sorell buoy would be checked by fishermen and seafarers so they can plan safe journeys. BOM needs to issue weather warnings to protect people's property, lives and livestock. Surf Cams, surf reports and forecasts are not essential.
Go have a look at what is happening in Colorado / Utah / Wyoming etc. Snow reports and Avalanche warnings have been pulled. People are being fined for skiing in way more remote areas than our beaches. The clear an unequivocal message is don't come and don't ski. Fullstop. Surf reports are sending out mixed messages. You have my email address. Let me know if you want a story about travelling to surf. Happy to write one from the perspective of a vulnerable coastal town.
"People are being fined for skiing in way more remote areas than our beaches."
I think that's the issue VL - if people are getting fined it's because the government has made the call and it's the governments job to make the call to close the beaches. Until then, regardless of what swellnet does, people are going to go to the beach. Especially with the 'get one last surf in' mentality
"it's the governments job to make the call to close the beaches."
The problem is, governments have been way behind the medical experts on this issue. This is especially the case with national governments, so much so, in many cases local and state governments have taken the lead on restrictions.
If the people and private sector wait for our truly incompetent federal government for guidance, many thousands of people will unnecessarily die.
Honest question, how hard is it to change the forecast titles to - "Forecast for March 25th-27th" instead of "Great waves and conditions for the weekend"?
You're not a subscriber, so what does it matter?
Well, like the other non-subscribers out there here's what I do.
I check the weather. If it looks offshore I check the swell on willyweather.
If there appears to be swell, I then jump on swellnet to see the headline of the forecast and check the comments for some clarification.
I then jump on the app, which for some reason gives me an extra day's worth of forecast and confirm that it is likely to be "Great at exposed locations" on the weekend and make plans to go to an exposed location on the weekend.
Call me a free loader but don't hate the player especially since you set the rules of the game - and yes there are a few of us out there.
I'm not worried about when it's 2ft and easterly. But in the next few months when it's 6-8 foot and NW and your forecast calls the coming days all time, I'm worried about people's lives. You could actually save people's lives by simply changing the way your website works.... gobsmacking that you're not willing to. Here's a note from a comment on Stab's facebook page:
I'm coming from the future (Spain). At first people will go surf (this weekend) because no biggie yet. Then surfers will start getting fined while part of the community cheers the ticket and part still think its Okey to go surfing. In a couple days after that, the news will get you bombarded with images of people dying in hospitals, losing their jobs, and doctors and nurses crying for help because they have to let people die. When you get to that point next weekend where thousands are dying and going bankrupt, surfing will be one of the last things in your mind.
We have changed the headlines to a neutral tone. You acknowledged that in a prior comment so why the about face from you now?
Jury's out on that. "Peaky swell, windy weekend"? Fair enough I'm not frothing on that.
Let's see what you come up with around easter...
Two comments north of this one you accused us of writing: "Great waves and conditions for the weekend" when the heading is nothing of the sort.
So you're totally fabricating matters to construct a drama.
You reckon that's good thing right about now?
I understand everyone's stressed mate but you need to go outside and get some fresh air, plant some tomatoes or something.
Mate, sorry it wasn't a direct quote.
"Great waves across exposed spots from Friday" - By Craig Posted on Wednesday, 25 March 2020
So I don't really thing I'm totally fabricating anything, but cheers for being patronising.
Agree with this big time. Kinda hypocritical if you ask me.
I’m staying out of the water, knowing my luck I will get a fin chop etc and consider putting extra strain on health services at the moment is selfish.
Do you really want to be in a hospital at the moment?
I believe we should be avoiding all potential high risk activities, don’t go mountain biking up at Nerang, don’t solo rock climb the Glasshouse & don’t climb ladders in the back yard!
Miss the footy..
Good man dazzler. Commonsense is strong with you.
One suggestion for SN to maintain community goodwill/social licence in times where people are taking massive financial hits and losing livelihoods is to maintain the service but take it from behind the paywall and make it free.
That way subscribers still get the service and those who have been put out of work and or can't access the beach can also access it.
I notice a lot of media is taking corona virus coverage out from behind paywalls so there is precedent for this move.
Otherwise, it does have a bit of a bad smell about it when people are being asked to self isolate and refrain from travelling to the beach.
freeride 76, That's quite possibly the stupidest idea floated on these forums. You want Swellnet to take a financial hit so they can tell more people where the good waves are. I don't think you've thought this through mate.
Sorry Vic, you've misunderstood me.
I don't want SN to take a financial hit.
Subscribers pay by Direct Debit, yeah?
they keep that going.
Just open up the content to the public for a month/3 months whatever.
That seems fair if your business is making profit off broadcasting a public space that the government is trying to limit access too.
Ben has already indicated he is going to maintain the service, it seems fair, with the caveats in place, to democratise that service for the short term.
The alternative, shutting down the service, would make more sense from the public health perspective but would harm SN financially.
Ben , youve been mentioning troughs & ridges a bit lately . What are they?
Chow.
A trough is a broad area of low pressure. A ridge is a broad area of high pressure.
Jeez slippery slope here boys blaming swellnet for any up tic in COVID cases. Where’s the onus on the individual? I reckon for most spots/ banks around here two’s company, three’s a crowd should be a bit of a rule of thumb.
I mean if you’re turning up to snapper, dbah, Lennox etc and thinking it’s a good idea to join the masses that’s on you and you’re likely acting with a great deal of self interest and floating against the advice of the government.
I like what they’re saying in NZ - ‘behave like you’ve got it’ (with respect to avoiding others).
It is likely this wonderful site we all frequent won’t be exempt from tough times through this period. All the best to Ben and your team.
I live 9min drive from the sand. I chose not to live 'at' the beach for primarily financial reasons, but an unexpected plus side to to my location seems to be that I often surf more than people 'at' the beach. I drive down a steep hill that meets the coast road, I go either left or right depending on he conditions/dawn report. Most surfers I know that walk for surf are very home beach centric. I more often than not surf with less than 5 people and mostly spread out. When I call into the residential beaches post surf for a coffee and to pick up a loaf of bread from the baker I see groups of 15 plus sitting on peaks right out front. Most of these local businesses are now offering 'outside collections' and I'll continue to support them while I can. The 'locals' get out of the surf walk across the road together and stand outside and drink their coffees together. In these weird times I'm trying my damndest not to judge anybody.
So many businesses are being forced to close (I did my last shift yesterday, I'm now 'stood down' without pay until (pending) June 14th) that the ones who can still trade and especially virtually should! I'm pretty sure SN won't be receiving Gov subsidies and I'd be very much surprised if SN hadn't been paying their fair share of taxes over the years. It's a platform that benefits a community.
Expect a work related message from me... Both of us night get jobs at the hospital. Soon.
Meanwhile Qld's are off to the polling booths.......
Real smart
Very important to elect another muppet in these times. Not
Surf Coast Shire has just closed beaches to non-residents. They know this will harm local businesses (most of which are shut anyway), but public health must take priority during these times. The last thing towns like Lorne, Anglesea, Torquay, Aireys etc need are carloads of people from virus hotspot areas like Melbourne blowing in and spreading Covid-19.
There's plenty of vulnerable retirees living in these towns and very little medical infrastructure. Politely fuck off for 6 months and we will welcome you back with open arms when life returns to normal.
May it be onshore and shit for the next 6 months.
"May it be onshore and shit for the next 6 months."
Fine by me.
Hahahaha
Where does it say that the beaches are closed to non-residents? https://www.surfcoast.vic.gov.au/Community/Public-health/Coronavirus-COV...
I hope the same thing happens here.
I don't see many vic locals walking to bells / winki... I've been following swellnet since surfshop days and enjoy reading forecast and editorials and cams since dial up internet. Keep up the good work guys, don't listen to these wanking fucktards who themselves drives to all these spots and claim to be locals...
Surf Coast beaches are not closed. The very offical looking signage up all over town is the work of a responsible hoaxer. May as well leave them up. The number of people not physically isolating makes the beach closure inevitable.
Hey Ben. Just a suggestion, maybe you could reduce the forecasts to twice weekly during this period. Maybe Tuesday's and Friday's.
You've previously posted that you have a few development projects in the pipeline, could be a good time to move them along.
You could email the people who actually subscribe in support of this fantastic business and do a poll to see if they are happy with the proposition of slightly reduced services for a better future product.
Cheers
For all those whinging about locals....don’t worry we hate you too
Hah! Yes!
I'm Brazilian and living in a camper on Dbah hill. I call myself a local!
Go back to Brazzo land.
My local is packed with Cars this morning. Plenty of out of state plates too. This Pandemic is only going to get worse unfortunately. Nobody is listening to the health advice.
Nao Faz Mal Alex!
Muitas punhetas aqui
Just saw footage of a traffic jam coming into Torquay from the north. Lots of absolute cunts ignoring the advice, travelling in big groups, with boards stacked on roofs. The beaches are being closed as I type. Seriously, just fuck off. What a pack of arseholes.
Torquay has nothing to do with these forecast notes champ...
Are you still surfing Vic Local?
Boards are in the rack mate. Just went for a 50km individual time trial on country roads. That's about as isolating as you can get.
The number of tourists in cars on the Great Ocean Road is just mind-boggling. Apparently the crowd at Point Addis beach was so insane it's making the nightly news..
The reason why I'm not surfing is my immune system was down last year. Luckily it has recovered, but I've walked in the shoes of people at risk of this virus. They must be stressed out of their minds. Their families must see all these people socialising at the beach and want to scream "you fuckwits are putting my child's / parent's life in real danger"
Ok
All the best through all of this
We will get to a shut down, but it will take time. The government can’t flick a switch because the country (that’s a broad term deliberately) needs time to adjust and the government and its services need time to plan and prepare.
It’s difficult and complex, the government is getting better at managing it but the guidelines and communications are not clear and needs to improve. I have gone from wanting to punch ScoMo in the face to thinking he is in a situation no one wants to be in, like the rest of us. It’s a tricky and confusing time, maybe more so for you (who is at risk of bigger health consequences) and I (who is put at risk by working in a job where it’s okay to have 1300 adults and children aged 10-18 in the same place where social distancing is impossible whilst the rest of the country is asked to isolate) and many others. But some
We will all perceive, react, and be affected in varying degrees. It will change the course of all of our lives for years at least (already has). I think It’s just that some are taking longer for this reality to dawn to on them. Eventually it will.
Pridmore again! Lol!
Not a subscriber so I'm not sure of long term forecasts, nor am I too concerned,(Stay at home advice now / plenty of waves the last couple of months) but I can imagine Qld beaches shutting down real fast when Snapper starts cooking and the masses descend. Hopefully the surf stays average for a while.
Im Happy to continue getting debited to keep the page alive should you think it's best not to give notes for a year (until a vaccine). I've enjoyed reading the notes for 8 years+. Only subscribed in the last year
I'm a subscriber, living in NZ, so the reports don't mean a hell of a lot, but I enjoy reading the forecaster notes, and they occasionally have a bearing on what may or may not be happening over here. But I've got to say that it has seemed surreal tuning in and reading a few this week. We are on day 3 of the lockdown here, surfing has been mentioned a bunch in the mainstream media as people grapple with what the lockdown entails. 'No, you cant surf', has been the message from on high. Anything that puts you at risk of needing others to come to your aid is off the table. A nationwide surf report and cam website has dropped their daily reports, with a stock 1/10 rating every day of the lock down, an explainer of the why and what to do instead of the report. The cams are still running and subscribers are given an extra month onto their subscription. Good luck Australia, seriously...
Points are going to pump a nudge into April, the so called 10 minutes from the beach local being the only ones allowed to surf (for now) is idiotic. 15 or 20 minutes from the beach would still give the green light to people's minds when the surf starts pulsing.
No one surf, or it's just not going to work.
With no traffic on the roads the normal 30 min trip just became 20. Its like when the Commonwealth Games were on.
If anyone else wants to back continuing to pay regardless go for it
Were not going to have much to go back to in a year when this has past if we dont
The back end of the forecast period looks like it’s really going to test any lockdown laws on the Goldie points.
Get the popcorn...
Question for Ben or Stu or Craig -
If we are all stopped surfing, and reports slow/stop, how about a series of articles on the great swells and the synoptics and weather background that caused them? I'd love to see you guys show the charts for 1974 or 1981...
Some of this you have done already, like the excellent Black Nor'Easter wrap up.
Drove down to my local (Broken Head) for a surf this morning @ 7:30 and it was packed. Carpark was full, interstate plates, Brazil Nuts and dads with their grommets all getting amongst it. 200 guys in the water all the way up to Suffolk. It was clear the surfing population of the east coast sees this Covid situation as an awesome excuse to start the Easter/school holiday break early and get a few extra weeks of waves in Byron.
Dream on people!
The majority of surfers will never stay away from the beach unless they are forced to. like in NZ, US etc...
Surfing is like sex, try stop for a few weeks and see how long you can last even without a wank.
Stop complaining about those who still surf and stop complaining about swellnet. If anyone needs a stern talking to it's that stupid straddie taxi boat that keeps operating, 7 people on a boat is crazy. If you really want to catch a wave, paddle across!
If you are self isolating for you and your family, good on you. I salute you, well done.
The malls are still open, hardware stores and other places. Beaches are no different until lock down happens.
If you choose to go surf, then don't complain about everybody else who had the same idea as you. local or not...
Without complete lock down, this virus will not stop until a vaccine comes along.
Until then, limit your movements and go out only when you have to. Whether to the shops, for a walk or for a surf.
If you're a "local' (whatever that means) and you go surfing.... Then you are just as bad as the person who has driven an hr for their salty fix. Stop ignoring your community responsibilities you arrogant knuckle draggers.....
Thats not true boggiefever.
the scientific facts of epidemics are totally clear.
they spread by human contact or contact with infected surfaces.
if you surf or exercise or bike ride whatever locally and have no contact you are not spreading the virus.
if you travel from outside an area, particularly from an urban area you are increasing the risk of introducing the virus into that area.
It's really not rocket science.
So what you're saying is if i hop in my car in kilcoy(country sunny coast)have contact with zero people and drive to the beach to surf while maintaining social distancing..... I have compromised more people than the old waxhead who walks 15minutes from his 300m house block in suburban sunshine coast to surf 'his local'....passing local parks, using local toilets,coughs on the hand wash basin, has a chat to macca pre surf about 'fuckin rude city folk' and then sits out his local point,shoulder to shoulder with other locals because it 'his local'.
Its not rocket science....
Dont get me started on bike riders.....
Yep, that's exactly what he's saying. Why is that so hard to understand?
was thinking about infected surfaces and surfing today. The main surface we would touch is beach showers, so if we can avoid these & keep our distance on land and in the water, i cant see surfing being an issue for spreading the virus.
"using local toilets,coughs on the hand wash basin,"
Why would old mate be using public dunnys if he just walked to the surf from his house??? Shit argument........
Deny deny any scenario beyond you getting a surf in...... Thats a great way to beat covid. The virus doesnt stop at lines on a map or town signs.... Locals arent immune to this. Ffs....we all travelled between local lines to vote yesterday.... Put the bong down and look around you.
how do you think the virus spreads between areas Boogie?
it doesn't have wings.
it spreads from the movement of people between areas.
same as every epidemic for millenia.
Right.....
You live in the byron shire yeh? Where do u draw the lines???? Can i live in mullum and surf at bruns? Can i surf tallows if i live at suffolk? Can the farmer who lives at myocum deliver milk to byron or would you prefer the woolies truck driver from the main depot in brisbane base deliver your milk.... What about your local sunday markets.... All grown in jonson st i imagine.... Or is it butler st.
Your very good at throwing stones but you havent come up with any solutions. So where are the byron lines?? I bet it coincidentally includes access to all the beaches for you...
I'm not surfing my local points, even though they are the closest surf spots to me. Because of crowds.
Going down the beach a couple times a week (less than km from house) with my kids to surf alone for 15-20mins, during the middle of the day. For exercise, mental health and VitD.
No recreational trips to Byron or anywhere else.
Missus works from home, kids home from school.
I work in Byron couple mornings a week (for now, ) under strict hygiene protocols.
No travel for surfing, even within the shire.
How did you get that long tail , Freeride ?
I forget which thread it was on.
My local (Palm Beach Qld) was busier than I've ever seen it today. If we are serious about this then the govt needs to shut down everything and put everyone in lockdown.
Same here on Sunny Coast. A lot of people with nothing to do all heading to the beach.
Ditto, palmy was unbelievably busy this morning. Felt like South straddie on the cook with big groups on each peak. Feels like everyone can sense that their last rites are about to be read out and going for it while they can. I lasted two waves and thought best to not be apart of this and wait it out till everyone heads home assuming they are from up north. Be interesting to see what the AM brings come Monday.
Yeah I was about the same as you, lasted a few waves before the frustration kicked in - not at the crowds but at the lack of respect for personal space in these times. Ended up catching one in then spending an hour whomping the shorey by myself! Sometimes you've got to make your own fun if you can't get it out the back.
Unfortunately the absolute stupidity of people will get beaches closed. A peaky 3ft E swell on the goldy and nth NSW, great waves literraly on any beach yet there were 300 people sitting at greenmount. I think the best solution is to close all car parks and facilities at all popular beaches and limit suburb movement by 20-30km. Then you will only get a handful of keen/local people surfing amd limit the kooks still coming down from brisbane into sth GC and Nth NSW which still has very few cases at this stage.
Blow-in, got it on a sinking stick bait.
fished for a couple hours in the late arvo, pretty miserable raining and windy squalls.
no tailor.
no signs of life at all.
then I saw gar. Never once seen gar without seeing tuna shortly afterwards.
sure enough I saw brown/blue backs breaking the surface gar scattering and I had a lure in the perfect spot. ate it at my feet and sat there like a brick wall for about 2 minutes.
then it arced back and forth still within 30 feet of me, like a trevally.
couple of short runs and a bloke who had luckily shown up to see what was happening, never gaffed a fish in his life before, never even seen a gaff.
put a perfect shot on it first go in very tricky conditions.
it's all divvied up now, gave a heap away. got a nice pile in the freezer.
Stoked. Big effort from the rocks.
Perfect timing too.
Congratulations . That food will go a long way. A bit of generosity brings a tense community together too.
yeah, lot of people out of work around here, or had livelihoods significantly reduced.
feels good to hand out a few fresh tuna steaks.
normally I'd put one pelagic away per season, but I might try and get another one if the water stays warm.
Get as many as you can.
A positive of this virus is that the ocean might get a bit of time to recuperate from the commercial fishing pressure which is responsible for the depletion of 99 percent of the worlds sea life.
Good luck and tight lines.
So the Alex hdld and Noosa cam are out. Checked and the Snapper cam is out...interesting!
Like fleas on a dog with crew out at my local beachbreak this last week. Peeps still rocking up to surf in family groups or 4-5 mates.
It’s the unemployed 1980’s surf bum crowd on steroids !
Millions of unemployed with prado’s , jet skis and investment properties. Free government cash and debt freezes ! No rent / no mortgages !
It’s going to be a massive beach party shred-til-ya-dead ......Yeeewwwww !
Till they lock everything down ( coming real soon ) and then we enter a financial depression not seen for a century.
NBN down in palmy usually means elsewhere has problems also.
4 months out of the water with smashed ankle, head down to my local (Noosa) half an hour waiting for a park, didn't get one, went home.Saw 2 locals the rest blow ins hanging out in groups , parked up for the day like nothing ever happened.People everywhere......kept the windows up....What will it take to get the message through.
1. Show up.
2. Surf a sneaky peak(there's one every 100m with the current swell/banks)
3. Go home.
I dont like calling out kooks but bloody hell, its not that hard. Hypocritical/Contradictory? maybe but 100s of head shakes this weekend for sure.
Very glad to be on the sunny coast in times like this. Perfect 3 foot beachies today and had a peak all to myself
This is definitely sunny coast beachie kind of swell. How good.
I see the updated surf report for Sunny Coast has been adjusted in light of recent comments... The time and date stamp have been removed from his posts :D
Still there for me.
Imagine if Tate shuts beaches with this cyclone, pumping Superbank devoid of humans would be a beautiful sight.
Nah the local pro's would still think they have a God given right to surf it
I agree Sprout. Imagine a bluebird day, light wind and deep cyclonic lines across Noosa, Burleigh, Currumbin, and Coolangatta...and then imagine every one of them completely, once-in-a-lifetime empty.
Would be the most beautiful thing. Dolphins would love it.
will never happen.
people will go under the wire.