Guy Dixon, 07 Jan 2016, 2:03 AM UTC
Surfers hope to make a return to the water
There has been no shortage of surf over the past few days, but persistent, gusty onshore winds and flooding rains have limited options across the coast of NSW.
Some may say, 'you're going to get wet anyway' when contemplating surfing in the rain and for the most part, they're right. However, after copping the heaviest rain since April’s east coast low, water quality has become an issue.
The majority of the beaches along the Hunter, lower Central Coast and Sydney beaches have seen increased pollution each day since Monday, which poses a significant health risk to swimmers and surfers.
The risk of bacterial infection increases as large amounts of runoff flows into the ocean. In addition, physical waste, plastics, oil, vegetation and packaging can makes its way into the line up after rain events like this. Swimmers and surfers who are considering entering the water should keep an eye out for visual signs of water pollution (litter, leaf litter, odour and discolouration) and avoid swimming near lagoons or flowing drains.
Nevertheless, the persistent heavy rain and onshore airflow have eased this morning as the offshore low pressure system drifts to the southeast.
A gusty southerly breeze has been dominating the coast throughout the day, however those who made the most of the early session were graced by early south/southwesterly breezes, which made for clean, groomed two metre waves at protected southern corners of the east facing beaches.
More exposed south facing beaches were a different story, offering large, choppy and dangerous surf, well over head height.
The prospect for a clean wave looks good for Friday morning, with winds likely to be significantly lighter and swinging west/southwesterly for the majority of the NSW coast. In terms of size, we can expect the surf to hold at a similar size from the southeast in the morning, slowly fading throughout the day.
If you're hoping to try your luck, hit it early for the best conditions as a seabreeze is likely to develop in the afternoon. Please surf within your limits and seek out a protected southern corner for a smaller wave.
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