Byron Bay Surfing
The surf at Byron Bay over the last couple of days has been extremely variable. A small southerly swell has been running and there have been waves from two to four feet, which dropped a bit today. The wind has been coming from the north west yesterday and this morning which made the waves very choppy and bumpy. The crowds have been considerable with sometimes up to a hundred people out in the water at The Pass. The Pass has not changed in forty years. It still breaks the same it always has.
This guy was surfing really well. Taking off deep inside and doing some great turns and cutbacks.
Surfing at The Pass
A lot of guys are surfing fishes and they seem to go really well at times. But I have my doubts. They are very wide and sometimes I think that causes a bit of imbalance or instability. But I think they were meant as a surfboard to have fun on and that is about it.
Pushing the fish around
Here is a wide shot of The Pass. I noticed today how scenic it really is. Sometimes you cannot see what is in front of your eyes or you take things for granted.
The Pass at Byron Bay
Snapper Rocks Surfing Photos
Today I finally decided to take some photos of the surfing. The wind was from the south so the conditions were ideal for the superbank at Coolangatta. The swell was still a bit small, possibly about two to three foot at the most. Greenmount Point has been the best spot of them in my opinion, but all the banks have been pretty good. Rainbow has some good banks and behind the rock at Snapper has been doing it on occasions.
Young guy coming off the lip at Snapper
This afternoon I took some photos of the guys surfing at Snapper Rocks, mainly because it is the easiest spot to photograph and get close to the action. There were a couple of stand-out surfers in the water, particularly this guy on his long board. He was riding really well. But at the end he lost his board and it smashed onto the rocks and he was swearing his head off. I wonder why he did not use a leg-rope? doh!
Longboarder hanging five at Snapper Rocks
This guy got inside a pretty neat little tube, there were not many to be had, so he was lucky to catch this one.
In the tube at Snapper Rocks
Surfing Photography at Flat Rock, 31st July, 2009
I thought there might have been an opportunity this afternoon for some photos around about high tide. So off i headed to Flat Rock to see what was going on. I parked up the road a bit, looking right into the barrel at the Cowrie Hole. There were a few good waves coming in, so I got out and set up the camera and started taking some shots.
This guy slotted into this inside barrel.
(Exposure: 1/1600, f/8.0, iso320)
And then he just slid down the face, having the time of his life. Ain’t surfing fun?
(Exposure: 1/1600, f/8.0, ISO320)
This guy was getting deep inside the section, using the old drop knee technique.
And then got even deeper into the tube. Great stuff!
After a while I went over to the baths and shot some stuff out the back at Flat Rock. There were a couple of good waves coming in but I think the photos from the inside section were better. I then wandered over to Newcastle Beach and there some guys out right down the end of Newcastle South Beach. I took some wide shots of the guys surfing under the cliff, but the ones above were the pick of the day.
All in all, a fun afternoon of surfing and photography and I was relatively happy with how the photos turned out. cheers.
I started off at Catherine Hill Bay, but there was nothing doing there. There was plenty of swell and the wind was coming offshore, but it was closing out. I went past Caves Beach and it was too big for it to handle it there. Crabbes was breaking and there were guys out at both the left and the right. It seemed a bit fat to me and maybe the tide was way too high for it, possibly.
I went out the headland to see if there were any waves in the channel but there was not enough swell for it to break properly, plus the tide was too high for it to break properly. Maybe it was all right at low tide. I do not know. I went past Merewether and that was not really doing it either. There was a fair crowd out there, but not much action at all. The swell direction was a bit weird as well.
So, I ended up at Flat Rock. Good ole Flat Rock. It seems to work relatively consistently. Today was not the best as the swell was coming in a bit too straight in my opinion. It was a bit wide, as well. But, anyway I got some photos. Here is a bigger set wave that pushed pretty wide. I do not think it is as hollow out wide, but that i just me, perhaps.
I like this cut back, its nice and flat and the spray is coming off real good. ha ha.
Well that is it, let us see what the surf is doing tomorrow. The wind is coming from offshore at least and winter is coming, with the cold weather,, brrr..
Surfing Photography at Flat Rock, 4th May, 2009
The other day I went for a swim at newcastle Baths and the Gannets were going off. Diving and wheeling right in front of the baths. So I hurried up with my swim and got the treadlie smoking to get home as quick as I can. I fired up the camera, got back on the treadlie and went back to the Baths. Actually, no . I lied. I drove in my car.
Well, the Gannets were still diving madly so I was shooting away merrily, and will post the Gannet photos later. Coincidentally the waves were getting better and better as the tide was coming in. And there were a couple of good surfers out, so I started shooting the surfing. These shots are all hand held.
This guy is always out there, he surfs really well.
And a typical shot of Flat Rock, not much else you can do there, except get shacked in the barrel. ho hum.
Same guy again, deeper inside the barrel. I cannot remember if he came out or not.
