idiosyncrasies

[The Dan]

no names, just detail some of the intimate knowledge youve gained of you favourite waves.

My starts:
Local wave growing up: looks like one continous barrel along a ledge, but is actually 2 sections, the east ones that look small on the take off spot, with the main lump of swell looking like its goin past the ledge are actually the best ones.

Local reef now: foams out before hitting the inside ledge, natural instinct is to race for the shoulder then cut back into the ledge, but is best to take of and go staight, then whip a 90 degree turn as it hits the inside, much deeper tube.

[mustkillmulloway]

the bombee on the headland breaks...well at least from a mile away...i can see the whitewater

a minute....maybe ten....sets hit the takeoff area

OR

if the point in front the pub looks good......it's worth the 5 min drive too nivarna

[2nd Reef]

My local:

Really only worth bothering when it's 6'+.

Tide is crucial. Some say mid cause the takeoff is easier. I reckon the lower the better. You've just gotta paddle harder.

Depending on tide, an 8' wave may pitch top to bottom yet the next wave might be 6' and hardly break at all. Chase a wave off the ledge and the next wave will be an 8 footer. Guaranteed.

As south as possible. When real south you can get entry from the other side of the main suck. It's not easy, and f*ck ups are commons, but thats where the best pits are taken off from.

Doesn't like really long period swell. I think it's cause there are a couple of deep reefs outside of it and the energy from long period swells, mainly travelling deep in the swell train, feels those reefs and loses energy and can do weird double-up things (as opposed to good double-up things).

There are about 37 guys that think they are the best surfer out there.

[--++sunstroke++--]

Chase a wave off the ledge and the next wave will be an 8 footer. Guaranteed.

Ain't that the truth

Paddle for an insider miss it & turn around to have your heart in your mouth

[surfin39]

Growing up I was in a dream location from a East Coast Aus perspective .... a variety and all reefs, picked up more swell than most places .... short, fast, dredging barrels through to long walls , all within 3 beaches and all walking distance .....

Now I have 4 haunts on the NB's I mostly frequent that under 3' are overcrowded with kooks and mals .... oh that's everywhere

(I make the most of what I've got to work with ...)

[Nick Carroll]

In a typical south swell, the bombie reef outside Newport reef will shadow a set almost exactly three minutes before it hits the Peak.

The Peak Rock sits at the apex of a triangle, the other points of which are the intersection of Neptune Rd and Barrenjoey Road, and two lined-up light poles on the north Newport headland.

You will never catch a good wave out the Peak unless you orient yourself around the Peak Rock, whether you're taking off inside or outside it. No matter what they look like pre-takeoff, a left off the outside rock ledge is always s**t and a right on the inside is always s**t.

If the swell interval is bigger than 11 seconds, the Peak doesn't get it, because outer bombies refract the swell away to either side. The one exception is a dead straight east swell. On a very big swell from that dead east angle, a new reef formation is revealed -- a rock ledge parallel to the shoreline but around 500 metres offshore, beginning in line with Neptune St and extending north almost to Bilgola Beach. Sick lefts off that reef in said massive e swell.

[barstardos]

The wave I surf most needs at least some S in the swell to get the rights zipping along the rip bank. E swell is OK as long as you get a small SE-S swell to get the zipper going.
On these days I am always first out. Often its just me and an older kneeboarder for the first half an hour before sunrise
At lower tides the reflection off the rock platform creates an awesome wedge.
The line up points vary with the sand distribution but on the right swell there is no reason why you cant take off way back past the pool. On the right wedge you can easy get a wave all the way to near 2nd walkway