Surfest started today with similar conditions to the 1st day of competion last year.

Newcastle beach very messy with lefts and rights out wide giving bumpy wind blown rides to the shorebreak.

Strong southerly winds and rain all day. Swell picked up quickly and will hang about for a few days.

Very hard paddle out and waves breaking 80 to 100 meters off the beach.water temps warm for this time of year.Wind should start to ease off for tuesday.

Local surfer Paul parkes progressed with a 2nd in his heat where as Jackson Brent lost out in his heat 16 0f the rnd of 224.

Once again overseas competitors won most of the heats. Mick Campbell got hard call being in the 1st heat and failing to arrive in time.

Wavesize 4 to 6ft South.
Wind SSE 15 to 30kts.
Water temp 21.
Waverider buoy 3m at 6 secs.
Low tide 11am 0.4m, High 512pm 1.3m.
Temps today, 19 degrees on windchill of 14.