NSW/SYDNEY KITING LOCATIONS CLICK HERE

Wednesday 10 March 2010

LAST UPDATE: 0745hrs

SUMMARY

Big southerly on the way later today. Could hit 30+ knots at times. As usual, it's always best to wait til things settle down for at least and hour or so before heading out. Swell is likely to build a bit but don't expect anything too significant in the way of waves.

NEW VIDEO FROM BEN WILSON

Some awesome footage in a new Ben Wilson video called "The Dirty South" shot along the Great Ocean Road VIC. You can watch it free online after you register on the site:

THE DIRTY SOUTH CLICK HERE

Privacy policy is HERE

Always check the weather radar before heading out.

Weekend trip to Stockton

"The place with the big S-Factor"

Kat and I camped at Stockton Beach on the weekend (Check it out on Google Maps HERE)

Not a lot of wind but I did mange an hour or so on Saturday afternoon in marginal conditions with about 12 knots flying my 9m with a surfboard at  Birubi Beach--one of the only places I know of on the East Coast of Australia where the wind is cross-shore in an E wind and if it's NE or N almost dead offshore. Was paying pretty close attention to not falling off though.

Magnificent beach, uncrowded, pristine and even some nice peeling waves up in the corner. If only the "S-Factor" weren't such an issue...

This is the place made famous in that video a couple years ago:

ONLY IN AUSTRALIA...

Drove over to Fingal and a couple of learners were kiting but not really going anywhere.  And just North of there, there's another S-Factor location at Hawks Nest:

FOR THOSE OF US WHO REGULARLY KITE AT HAWKS NEST BEACH,

THIS VIDEO IS A REAL EYE-OPENER: CLICK HERE FOR MORE

On Sunday we drove back down the beach about 5km and just chilled in the calm conditions with no one around other than a few folks on horseback and a couple motorbikes.

By late afternoon there was a bit of excitement around Nelson Bay when this fella turned up. Apparently on Saturday another one, TWICE the size of this one was caught.

218kg TIGER SHARK AT NELSON BAY ON SUNDAY

We were told someone caught one on Saturday that was 480kg.

STOCKTON BEACH: Lotsa beach, almost nobody around

STILL LOST:

Black/red/white Mystic Warrior harness

Not sure what happened but somehow my harness is missing. I recall picking it up off the beach so it must have fallen out of my hand somewhere on the way back to the car as I was carrying a load of stuff together. Otherwise, it's been nicked out of my garage. If you happen to have found it, or hear of someone trying to sell one like it, a call would be appreciated. 0418 410 165. Many thanks, Rob

WIN A SLINGSHOT OCTANE FROM 35TH PARALLEL!

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UPDATE ON "SHARK" ATTACK IN SYDNEY:

A WOBBEGONG, NOT A GREAT WHITE.

"UGLY" BUT NOT PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/3316992/Surfer-bitten-in-Sydney-shark-attack

SYDNEY SURFER BITTEN IN "GREAT WHITE" SHARK ATTACK

http://www.smh.com.au/national/surfer-bitten-in-sydney-shark-attack-20100211-nszo.html

GREAT WHITE? REALLY? I've had fin cuts worse than that!

The victim has signed an exclusive deal with Channel Nine, a NSW Health spokeswoman said. 

Earlier today he told The Manly Daily the shark was a two-metre great white but police said he did not see the shark.” Subsequent analysis of teeth marks have determined it was a bottom-dwelling 1m wobbegong shark

(photo:Matt Jones)

Or, the other possibility...

Not much action to show from here these days so here's a video from Jan's mates in Northern Germany... Yeow.

30.01.2010, Weißenhaus bei -5 Grad from Sütler Paddy on Vimeo.

FULL GALLERY OF SYDNEY JANUARY BIG SWELL PHOTOS

CLICK HERE

One from the "GOOD IDEAS" Department:

PUT LOCAL COAST GUARD CONTACT NUMBER

IN YOUR SPEED DIAL:

02 9337 5033

Tuesday night just on dark I got a call from Jon at Fishermans. He was packing up his gear and was approached by an elderly couple who claimed to have seen a kite go down about 400m offshore between Fishermans and Collaroy. Jon couldn't see anything and hadn't noticed anyone out there previously but he rang me and we discussed what to do.

I drove up to the headland at Collaroy with my big torch and scoured the water in all directions as best I could and couldn't see anything. Jon and I hooked up at Narrabeen 5 min later and walked the beach looking for any sign of gear on the beach, or anyone else looking for someone and for kiter vehicles in the car park and after checking three carparks and three beach areas decided that it must have been a case of mistaken perceptions. Just in case, we drove back to S Fishermans where someone would have washed up in the prevailing conditions and checked again but found nothing.

It did however raise the thought of what would have been the best thing to do if it turned out to be a genuine emergency that required a rapid response sea rescue.

After some discussion we decided that it would be a good idea if all kiters had the Coast Guard emergency contact number in their speed dial. Additionally, it's also probably a good idea to have a number for the local police in your phone too, just in case.

SO, the Sydney Area Coast Guard contact number is:

SYDNEY COAST GUARD: 02 9337 5033

DEE WHY POLICE: 02 9971 3399

EMERGENCY SERVICES: 000 OR 112*

*(112 is the GSM international standard emergency number which can only be dialled on digital mobile phones.  112 can be dialled anywhere in the world with GSM coverage and is automatically translated to that country's emergency number.)

Awesome conditions down the south coast last weekend of  Nov.

Here are the galleries:

CLICK HERE FOR SATURDAY PHOTOS

CLICK HERE FOR SUNDAY PHOTOS

One of the best kiting days ever at Long Reef.  Unfortunately, the timing on the camera shots wasn't the best (takes a shot every ten seconds) and it managed to miss all of the big waves on the Bombies... c'est la vie.  Here's one of the smaller inside waves.

FULL GALLERY HERE

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ksmelikova/Thunderstorm#slideshow/5404653983809063586

Here's one I shot from the park

If you haven't renewed your NSWKBA

membership this year, go here:

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DOLPHINS AT DEE WHY POINT

I thought they only did this in Flipper movies...

Having a bit of fun

That weird day of the Sydney dust storm

Dee Why at 0715am

Same camera settings later in the day at 1030am

SHARK ATTACK PREVENTION TIPS:

CLICK HERE

Tip 1: When you see something  in the water, look panicked and yell "SHARK!" A friend shows Paris Hilton how to do it.

Coert seems to have had some fun times over the past few months in WA and offers the following evidence:

SLIDE SHOW OF SOUTH COAST WEEKEND CLICK HERE

Long Reef early August:

SUNDAY 19 JULY DEE WHY BEACH

FULL PHOTO GALLERY OF DEE WHY WHALES CLICK  HERE

Dee Why sunset

Not quite as dramatic as Uge's Bondi shots but still pretty cool.

Jacques got some great shots at Curl Curl:

To view the entire gallery, CLICK HERE

Long Reef May 09

http://www.goprocamera.com

Dee Why waterspout May 2009

MORE PHOTOS CLICK HERE

UNDERSTANDING THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS

With all the chaos and and turmoil surrounding the so-called "Global Financial Crisis", few people seem to actually realise how we got ourselves in to this current mess. If you're interested in learning a bit more about how it all happened, have a look at these videos.

MONEY AS DEBT

THE ASCENT OF MONEY (PART 1 OF 6)

UNDERSTANDING THE CREDIT CRISIS IN 10 MINUTES