A Surf Fit For The Daredevils

The Age

Friday April 4, 2008

Erin Richardson

IT NEARLY always happens. The week after the surfing contest, the huge swell arrives.

So it was at Bells Beach yesterday. The storms and extreme wind that tore across Victoria and through Melbourne blew up a surf that only the most experienced and daredevil riders tackled.

Ben Matson, a surf forecaster, said yesterday that a swell of that magnitude was rare. "The last one of this size was a year ago, but we might only see a dozen of this size and strength over an entire year," he said.

Bob Smith, also a surf forecaster who was at Bells yesterday, agreed. "It was a really big surf, but a little bit unexpected," he said.

"A northerly wind usually flattens the swell, but we are seeing waves of 10-12 feet (3-3.6 metres) in extreme conditions."

The swell is expected to moderate. -- ERIN RICHARDSON

© 2008 The Age

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