Southern Ocean Freak!!!!

[Sarge]

Some of the wider ones were down through lowers not super hollow but winki never is, saw a few nice ones though. I aint claiming any

[AZ]

No barrels at Winki but the sets were pretty solid. Crowd was huge pre-dawn. Bird Rock was a little better. Didn't really get that big yesterday, swell seemed too west. Only 3-4ft at best on the Surf Coast, but reports of 8ft waves at west-facing beaches such as Woolamai. Swell should build further through the day, but winds are going to get suss from the SW. Good afternoon for Point Leo.

[Sarge]

i meant wonthaggi. f.uckknows why i thought it was warnambool. for some reason i always get em mixed up. f.ucking dumb qlder haha

Unlike most you have actually heard of Warrnambool(my old home area) so i'm impressed enough. I was wonder what the go was though cos i had heard it was 15ft plus on that side. Winds not great for west of cape otway though.

I'm gunna take a complete stab in the dark and say NC would be able to give us the word from that side, would it be possible that he and RCJ were hanging of the back of a ski over that way????

[munch]

Yeah, well I continue to wait for somebody's report of actually having surfed, as opposed to checking the online buoy readings. WHAT WAS IT LIKE???

Surely your brothers let you know

just read the "other" thread re where bro be

[Sarge]

I'm gunna take a complete stab in the dark and say NC would be able to give us the word from that side, would it be possible that he and RCJ were hanging of the back of a ski over that way????

or not

[2nd Reef]

Didn't really get that big yesterday, swell seemed too west.

Looked like the system was gonna deliver some good SSW swell. I know they were getting excited around Victor and that needs plenty of S for the swell to get up there. Did something change?

If this swell only delivered 6' on the Surf Coast just how big must the system have been to have created the fabled Easter '81 Bells Swell?

[Sarge]

[/quoteI] If this swell only delivered 6' on the Surf Coast just how big must the system have been to have created the fabled Easter '81 Bells Swell?[/quote]

Sorry that's 6' mexican!!! That would be 12' for you city slickers up there.

[Nick Carroll]

[/quoteI] If this swell only delivered 6' on the Surf Coast just how big must the system have been to have created the fabled Easter '81 Bells Swell?

Sorry that's 6' mexican!!! That would be 12' for you city slickers up there. [/quote]
Entirely different storm set up. The 1981 Bells swell was delivered by a very long broad WSW fetch stretching from well outside the Bight to almost Tasmania. Swells need to be quite precisely angled and intervaled to penetrate properly into the so called Surf Coast -- a lot of refraction from relatively shallow waters inside the western edge of Bass Strait tends to scatter the swells at funny angles. Thus Port Campbell is 15' and Bells sometimes nearly flat...and on other swells PC 8' and Bells 6'.

Have yet to see anyone include these refractions into a forecast. Cmon thermalben, get those bathymetric charts out and start figurin.

[thermalben]

Didn't really get that big yesterday, swell seemed too west.

If this swell only delivered 6' on the Surf Coast just how big must the system have been to have created the fabled Easter '81 Bells Swell?

It's not really a case of "how big", but more so the position of the low, and the storm track (a strong fetch is also handy ).

Last year's 8-10ft swell for the RCP finals originated a lot further away from the coast, but the fetch length was very long and sustained, and it was positioned much further south too.

[AZ]

2nd reef, we're seeing a stronger SW component move in now (check the Sorrel buoy). http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDT65014.shtml (see the recent rise above 6m for sig wave height). So expecting peak wave heights from the low this afternoon. I haven't researched the '81 swell, but assume the low was positioned further south than the current one, with the swell aimed more directly towards the Surf Coast (this one had to wrap around Cape Otway to a fair degree yesterday, but less so today).

[thermalben]

Have yet to see anyone include these refractions into a forecast. Cmon thermalben, get those bathymetric charts out and start figurin.

Not sure what you mean Nick - refraction has been a part of my Torquay forecasts for many years. Our forecasts are split up into different regions though (Surf Cast and East Coast - Pt Campbell is outside of our forecasting region), of which there have been a couple of occasions where it's been 6-8ft at Woolamai and 1ft at Bells (from a very westerly swell event). The exact size difference between these coasts is extremely hard to pick, as it relies on a number of factors. Anyway, I've got a few other theories regarding Surf Coast refraction that will be detailed at a later date in another project.

[2nd Reef]

^^^^ Thanks fellas!

God I wish I got paid to track swells like you bastards.

[Kunji]

Any more updates on "the Freak". This sort of stuff makes crowded DY point look so lame, I mean big deal the east coast is 6ft while vicco & SA is 15-20, lets get real, or maybe rename this site "real Sydney surf". Anyone have any footage to share?

At least it barrels up here man.

[mad]

Clif wrote

i meant wonthaggi.

Some reefs round that way which will absolutely light up on this swell

[fong]

Hurricane Wind Warning

swellnets reportin a Hurricane Wind Warning

exscue meeeee.......wat exactly is the diff "tween a cyclone and a hurricane

.....in oz we have cyclones

really....some peoples grammers awfulllllllll

[SAsurfa]

Checked myponga yesterday at around 2p.m. but it was too small at around 1-1.5' with 4 people out so then went to Victor and it looked pretty average with the dump very fat probably from all the water pushed into Victor from the swell but it started to go out and the dump started working better at 3-4' but I have seen and surfed bigger down there, checked bullies just before sundown and it wasn't as big as last April when we got the last 8-10' swell.

[Nappy]

SA, it was pretty small on the mid yesterday so you know its gonna be flat there, but if your heading south i spose its worth a check on the way. P

I didnt bother cause it was chit house IMO. Didnt deliver mainly cause the winds, not big enough for the protected spots down south. Im sure a few protected spots west would of been ok..... but meh. The system was more exciting as a weather freak than a swell event.

[Nappy]

Hurricane Wind Warning

swellnets reportin a Hurricane Wind Warning

exscue meeeee.......wat exactly is the diff "tween a cyclone and a hurricane

.....in oz we have cyclones

really....some peoples grammers awfulllllllll

Whats happened to you fong! you been sweeping floors at kindy or something.

Huricanes are generally larger. Typhoons are the equal of cyclones i beleive, not sure tho.