A drive up the Beaches early on a Monday morning is like a step back to the past. The carparks are empty, four's a crowd in the line up, Midget's sitting casually out the back and 2 out of 4 guys are riding TF shaped Hot Buttered Surfboards.  It's worth a drive but you'll need time on your hands. There's a 2-3ft of South Swell out there this morning and the wind's straight offshore from the West.  The full measure of the swell is going past Manly but as I drove over the hill at Queenscliff just then there looked like some fun waves around.  South swell is always a little straight for the North Beaches but there's a few banks handling it ok.  If you've got Monday off it's well worth a paddle.

Congrat's to Jordy Smith who took out the Billabong Pro Rio and his first World Tour Event outside his home of South Africa!  Jordy's been on fire this year and is sitting at No. 2 in the ranking going into Fiji.   Master strategist Jarrad Howse is in Jordy's corner this year - must be paying off!