best year of swell ever

[dilution]

I moved from Sydney to east coast of South Africa, north of Durban when I was kid - 1984. Started surfing, and got perfect waves everyday for 15years. Everything perfect when you're a grom. 22years later, and there's nothing better for me than heavy on-shorey slop...

Point being that prevailing conditions over an era might be great for one surfer, but not great for another.

Perhaps all you who have been here for all that time have a better perception of 'best ever' for east coast australia.

I'll shut up now. :?

[Hawkeye]

The water at the southern end of the northern beaches was putrid. I started in 1959 and had never seen the bottom at Nth Steyne until they put the deep ocean outfalls in in the early 80's (I think). It took about four days for the water to clear but you still didn't surf if the wind was south-east.

Nah, it would have to be late 80s at the earliest - '88 was when we moved to DY, and the water was brown for a few years after that.

It sticks in my mind because I swallowed the water board line about it being natural... until it miraculously cleaned up to the crystal clear water we've come to expect these days within a day of the outfalls being brought on line.

I remember thinking "Uuuuuuuuuuh-huh. So that brown foam wasn't algae."

Don't ask how I didn't ever get ill - I have no idea.