First tropical low of Gold Coast season has point breaks busier than ever
IT’S the last thing you want to hear as a surfer: ‘You should have seen it yesterday’.
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“YOU should have seen it yesterday”.
It’s the last thing you want to hear as a surfer but it is a phrase that will probably be repeated many times tomorrow.
Yesterday’s pounding swell which closed beaches is set to drop off after today but is a sign the summer swell season has arrived, surfers say.
Thousands of boardriders within driving distance of the Gold Coast are stoked the 1.5m waves will continue to hit the beaches today after a three-month wave drought.
Surf shops are also happy because of the many boards that will need repairs and surfers looking to update their quiver.
Stuart Surfboards shop manager Glen “Tex” Texton said his shop had four damaged surfboards brought in before midday yesterday.
“The swell coming into summer always helps — everyone’s back and super excited,” he said.
“Beginner surfers have been happy for the past few months but things pick up with the surf. “
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“We had four boards in today before lunchtime — three were from Snapper Rocks and one was from Currumbin.
“Mainly just fin chops and smashed fin plugs.”
“It hasn’t been super slow (this spring) but I know all the board and ding shops will pick up after this swell.”
Despite the damaged boards, Queensland Ambulance and lifeguards did not report any injuries.
Coastalwatch surf reporter John Charlton said the swell had “blown the cobwebs out” for thousands of surfers.
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“The Coolangatta breaks yesterday, holy dooly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it that crowded,” the veteran surf reporter said.
“All the carparks were full with every kind of surf craft you could imagine.
“There were people falling all over each other in the morning and the surf got even better midmorning.”
Mr Charlton said the swell was whipped up by tropical low pressure systems and cyclones in the Coral Sea.
“It was by no means perfect — it was a little bumpy in some sections — but it has blown out the cobwebs for everyone,” he said.
Even the bar of the Tweed River was surfable, with boardriders using jetskis to be towed into the large swell.
The downside was that Gold Coast City Council lifeguards had to close beaches near the Schoolies precinct as it was too dangerous to swim.
Chief Lifeguard Warren Young closed patrolled areas at Clifford Street and Northcliffe in Surfers Paradise, Kurrawa and Margaret Avenue in Broadbeach and Fourth Avenue at Burleigh yesterday.
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Although the surf is expected to drop off during the day, Mr Young said lifeguards would make the call this morning on whether to open the beaches.
“It’s still unstable close to shore — we’ll make the call today,” he said.