Summer's Winter Swell
Narrabeen | 8 January 2016 | 6-9 ft SE @ 11s
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Summer on the Northern Beaches is a mean old miser when it comes to serving up any sort of decent surf with the smart money on dialling back your expectations or be sorely disappointed. Happily, there are exceptions to every rule. Like this Friday morning when we woke up to huge pounding swell and an offshore breeze generated by an east coast low that started life as a tropical low in the Northern Territory before crossing the country and landing in our backyard bearing gifts.
Something special ensued with a "who's who" of Northern Beaches gun surfers communing at the same spot at the same time to revel in a huge winter-type swell in the middle of summer. Neither quantity nor quality of waves was an issue but as always wave selection was hugely important. Taking off too deep would land you in a world of pain but mostly on your feet. Somewhere in the middle was just right and usually got you shacked. The execution of these various strategies proved quite entertaining as the valiant crew took on these giant green vertiginous beasts.
A person surfing inside a large green wave with white water at the top.
Surfer riding inside a large translucent green wave with a white crest.
A person in a wetsuit surfing inside the barrel of a large green wave in the ocean.
A person surfing inside a large green wave with another person in the water watching.
A person surfing on a large ocean wave
Surfer riding inside a large curling wave in the ocean.
A person wearing black clothing surfing on a large green wave in the ocean.
A person surfing on a large wave in the ocean.
A surfer riding inside the barrel of a large green wave at the beach.
A person surfing inside a large green ocean wave near the sandy shoreline.
A surfer riding inside a large green wave with spray in the air, ocean background, and white foam at the shore.
A person riding a surfboard inside a large green ocean wave.
A person surfing on a wave in the ocean.
Surfer riding inside a large ocean wave with white foam at the shoreline.
A surfer riding inside the barrel of a large ocean wave with white foam at the shoreline.
A person surfing a large green wave in the ocean during daylight.
A person surfing on a large wave in the ocean.
A surfer rides inside the barrel of a large green wave at the beach.
A person riding a surfboard inside a large green wave while two others are swimming in the water nearby.
A person in black wetsuit surfing inside a large green wave, with two individuals in the water nearby.
A surfer riding a large, green wave while a person in the water holds a camera or phone.
A person surfing on a large ocean wave.
A person surfing on a large wave in the ocean during daytime.
A surfer riding inside a large ocean wave with spray and foam, with overcast skies.
A person surfing on a wave in the ocean.
A surfer riding inside a large, green ocean wave near the shoreline.
A person surfing inside a large ocean wave.
A person surfing a wave in the ocean.
A person surfing on a wave at the beach.
A person surfing inside a large green ocean wave near the shoreline with white foam in the foreground and a gray cloudy sky.
A surfer riding a wave in the ocean during daytime.
A person surfing on a large wave at the ocean with other waves in the background.
Surfer riding a large wave with several other surfers in the water nearby.
Surfer riding a wave in the ocean with two other surfers in the water.
A surfer riding inside a large ocean wave with other surfers watching from the side.
A person surfing a large green wave in the ocean, with another person visible on a surfboard on the right side in the water.
A person surfing on a large ocean wave
A surfer riding inside a large wave at the beach.
Surfer riding inside a large green wave with three other surfers waiting nearby
A surfer riding inside a large wave with several people watching from the shore.
A surfer riding inside the barrel of a large ocean wave.
Surfer riding inside a curling wave in the ocean
A person surfing inside a large wave at the beach during daylight.
A surfer riding inside the barrel of a large green wave in the ocean.
A person riding a large wave on a surfboard in the ocean.
A person surfing on a large green wave in the ocean.
A surfer riding inside a large ocean wave.
A person falling headfirst into the water while surfing inside a large wave on the ocean.
A person surfing on a large green wave in the ocean.
A surfer riding inside the curl of a large ocean wave
A surfer riding inside the barrel of a breaking wave in the ocean.
Surfer riding inside a large breaking wave in the ocean.
A person surfing inside a large green ocean wave near the shoreline.
A person wearing a wetsuit riding a large green wave on a surfboard in the ocean.
A person surfing on a large ocean wave with spray and foam around.
Surfer riding a wave in the ocean under a cloudy sky.
A person surfing on a large ocean wave with white foam in the foreground and the sea in the background.
Surfers riding a large ocean wave with additional surfers in the water.
A surfer riding a large wave with a white crest at the beach.
A person surfing on a large, green wave in the ocean.
A person surfing on a large ocean wave.
A person riding a surfboard on a large wave in the ocean.
A person surfing on a large wave in the ocean.
A person surfing on a large ocean wave with two other swimmers in the water nearby.
A person surfing on a large ocean wave with another person swimming nearby in the water.
Two surfers riding a large wave in the ocean, one near the barrel and the other paddling on a surfboard.
A surfer riding inside a large ocean wave with one hand touching the water.
A surfer riding a large wave with the top of the wave curling over, while another person is partially submerged under the wave.
Surfer riding a green wave on an ocean beach.
A person surfing on a large green wave at the beach.
Surfer riding inside a large green wave at the beach.
A surfer riding inside the barrel of a large ocean wave.
A surfer riding inside the curl of a large ocean wave.
A person in a black wetsuit surfing on a large green wave in the ocean.
A surfer riding inside the barrel of a large ocean wave with white foam spray near the shore.
Surfer riding inside a wave with a greenish hue, partially covered by the wave's white crest.
People surfing in the ocean with a large wave breaking behind them, sandy beach in foreground.