Scarborough and the north east coast

[unclesirbobbyrobsons]

Surfing at scarborough is obviously more difficult compared to fistral beach. But what kind of conditions cause strong waves on the north east coast.

How often would you say get a two star rating? Do they totally disapear in the summer and reappear around august? I never seem to see too many surfers during the summer months.

Are there particular conditions that cause strong waves and what should I look out for?

[thatissognarly]

A band of 13 crows usually flies over the chip shop in town at 5.51am a week before 'strong waves' come.

Also waves miraculously appear on the first of September

[stephh]

Surfing at scarborough is obviously more difficult compared to fistral beach

Why

[ATTMFKH]

A band of 13 crows usually flies over the chip shop in town at 5.51am a week before 'strong waves' come.

Also waves miraculously appear on the first of September

Also the big Turnip (Neep) Tides in October usually push a fair pulse down the East coast...........

As Ben says - Surf Science - Get your head round Coreolis Effect , bathymetry etc.

[danny1]

or keeping it simple:

autumn winter spring (usually) fairly consistent (7-10 days a monthISH) for waves at north and south bay

summer not too consistent (usually).

Look for low pressure (check BBC weather for pressure charts) just off norway. 2-3 days later there will be surfers knocking around the bays for you to photograph.

you will get better more dramatic pics and closer to the action at other spots around scarboro though...talk to the locals.

[unclesirbobbyrobsons]

Thanks danny

Seven to ten days doesn't sound bad at all a month. Its just frustrating during the summer. The sunshine is always the best time to take surf photos. So the surfers disapear just when the conditions for photos are best.

Is it worth keeping an eye on other nearby spots such as Whitby, Bridligton, filey and saltburn? What I mean is will scarborough tend to be different from filey and whitby? And cayton bay I am told works on a westerly wind.

also danny - you say "you will get better more dramatic pics and closer to the action at other spots around scarboro though...talk to the locals".

Heres a list of specific questions I hope people can answer.

WHITBY : Do the surfers go very close to whitby piers? That may make it easier to take photos. Standing on the pier would make shots easier.

SALTBURN : I have heard that surfers jump off the pier here. That sounds very dramatic. Are there many surfers around usually?

FILEY BAY : Do the surfers go near the brigg and could I stand within close distance to get the shots?

What is ideal really is to get very close to surfers on a seawall of some kind.

[danny1]

you need to get to know local surfers for knowledge...everyone always wants their pics taken so make some contacts and you'll get your pics

for simple easy to interpete guide to swell conditions check MSW system

[Underdog]

I notice a picture of a goatboater on your site.

Try not to confuse these guys with real surfers

[unclesirbobbyrobsons]

whats a 'goatboater'. A canoe?

[surfer-dave]

Yeah,
Dangerous hunks of plastic

[noah's_arc]

Mate I don't want to sound too harsh, but in one of your other posts you mention that your only interest in surfing was taking photos, or words to that effect. While this is fine, it's never going to let you tke great surfing photos as you just don't understand what the surfers are doing and it shows in the timing of a lot of your shots. They are well taken, in focus, correctly exposed but they just don't show the right kinda thing. Take a look at Mealy's site for some guidance.

And some of the info on your "Surfing Photo Tips" page is just plain wrong - at one point you seem to confuse auto-bracketting with shooting in RAW mode... I'd leave the tutorials until you really have a site crammed with pukka surf shots - that way you'll give yourself more credibility as a "surf photography expert" qualified to give advice.

And get rid of that faggoty shot of the gay boy on the jetski. Surfers hate them and that ain't going to win you any support from surfers looking for shots of themselves!

I reckon the best thing you can do is do a bit of research on what makes a good surf shot - find some stuff you like (check out David Pu'u, Aaron Chang etc for starters) and analyse the timing, the composition etc and figure out why it's a good shot. Tightest crops and fastest shutter speeds don't always make the best shots, especially not is weak winter sunlight and brown east coast water! Mealy has a blinding speed blur shot on his website:
http://www.pbase.com/mealers/image/74483780

Maybe watch a few surf DVD's and try and understand how surfers use the waves, where the critical point in manouvers is - as this is where people want to see photos of themselve (i.e. in the barrel, banging out that tight top turn etc). Go through the images on MSW of your local area - see what can be done with the waves and conditions in your area (and also how you could improve on them!).

Then as others have suggested, make some local contacts - hang around the beach plenty, take some shot, get your face know and have a chat with a few people. If they know you're serious about photography and there's a chance they'll end up with something decent of themselves for their wall, they might just let you in on a few local secret spots - the fact you're not a surfer might help in some respects as you're not going to make the spot busier or tell you mates where it is. ANd don't tell anyone where these spots are, don't post them on your website and use place names in the filenames for your photos otherwise you'll not be invited back, will have your windscreen waxed and plenty of other fun and games.

Stick at it and maybe look at wpsurf once you get up and running - it' a way of letting surfers find shots of themselves.

[unclesirbobbyrobsons]

Well I just included the photo tips because some people maybe interested. Information about the kinds of equipment used maybe of interest to others.

I do not think I have confused raw with auto bracketing. Raw mode incorporates auto bracketing. Its by definition super auto bracketing.

The guy on the jetski is actually a surfer as well.

I realise that I do not pick the right kind of shots but I have improved. I have shots of people in the barrel. I often will not get these as well as people with underwater cameras for obvious reasons.

http://scarboroughphotos.110mb.com/surfers/slide.php?id=s28%205

Thanks for the link to mealers site. That was definitely worth a look. But the reason I have placed my own photography tutorials up is because for every 1 goo surf photos there are 100 bad surf photos.

Also it sounds like these secret surf spots are probably surfed by about 2 or three people at a time. I like full beaches where the surfers are bumping into each other.

[Ferral]

mate that is not a barrel that is a hideous poo stance on a one foot wave!

[noah's_arc]

maybe I miss-read your tutorial regarding RAW shooting then. Maybe I came across a bit negative in my earlier post, but I was trying to be helpful.

But that link you posted, mate, that's a grim shot no one would thank you for capturing them like that:



Maybe only a a surfer would understand, but despite being in focus etc, his stance is hideous! You need to learn a bit more about surfing before you're going to capture the good shots.

And as for liking a beach full of kooks bumping into each other - you just don't seem to grasp the essence of surf photography. Surfers want to see good, quiet waves and good surfing, not a load of kooks bumbling around in 2' slop. 1 good shot of a good surfer on an otherwise deserted, hollow wave is worth a 100 of tourists on foamies!

[unclesirbobbyrobsons]

Yeah OK

But there are a lot of one foot waves round these parts.

[noah's_arc]

Yeah OK

But there are a lot of one foot waves round these parts.

And there are a lot of class reef set ups around too! Seek and yee shall find brown yorkshire gold!!

[Ferral]

have you tried surfing? (not trying to be patroniszing here!) if you havent it would really help you appreciate whats going on...
failling that watch a bunch of surfing vids or live surfing so ou get a feel for the timing, can anticipate what a surfers liekly to do on a wave.


the pics that people want will be as ou mentioned barrels (but not like ur photo!) if your shooting from land try to take sequneces or get to a position where you can look into the pit (from a headland/pier).

or turns captured as a portion of the board is above the lip....

[unclesirbobbyrobsons]

Well I have not tried surfing and am probably not a strong enough swimmer for it.

BUt I have got more of a feel for taking pictures. Its something I can concentrate on more now that I can be happy with the camera equipment. The first few times I tried taking pictures it was really luck if any pictures came out. Now lots come out and if you get a sunny day then its really predictable that the pictures will be well focused and well exposed.

So now I can concentrate on capturing action. Do you mean shots like this

http://scarboroughphotos.110mb.com/surfers/slide.php?id=s27%2010

turns like this

http://scarboroughphotos.110mb.com/surfers/slide.php?id=s27%2018

And what about shots in the air like this

http://scarboroughphotos.110mb.com/surfers/single.php?id=s22%20march20875

I know I try to include as many pictures as possible. Maybe3 I should go for quality not quantity.

I am still not convinced about these secret surf spots. Its not that I am saying that they do not exist but I am not sure that they exist around scarborough. I just kind of imagine some surfer climbing down some rope with surf board in hand. The twenty miles north of scarborough is virtually all cliffs with rocks. No beaches whatsoever. They are virtually all inaccessible . The only way down is by some rope. The coast to the south is pretty much the same. Killerby clifs and bempton are just totally inacessible. You just cannot get down to the sea. Cayton bay is hardly secret. Flamborough head is a possibility. But these are tourist destinations of some kind.

When you say secret surf spots do you mean flat rocks with good surfable reef. I tend to associate surfing with sandy beaches.

[danny1]

every bit of that coast accesible or not is surfed.....

[jimo69]

So now I can concentrate on capturing action. Do you mean shots like this

http://scarboroughphotos.110mb.com/surfers/slide.php?id=s27%2010

turns like this

http://scarboroughphotos.110mb.com/surfers/slide.php?id=s27%2018

And what about shots in the air like this

http://scarboroughphotos.110mb.com/surfers/single.php?id=s22%20march20875

you seem pretty confident/cocky about your surf photog skills considering the shocking content of your pics.

I tend to associate surfing with sandy beaches.

maybe you might have more luck taking nature photos or something like that

[lostboy]

The first two are nothing special, but the last one is okay.

I think the suggestion about watching surf vids will really help.

[Ghengis_the_Shed]

[quote="unclesirbobbyrobsons"

from the site ....

Cayton Bay Cayton is westerly facing and any strong swell from the west will cause good waves.


I've lurked too long !!! .... I don't like being confused and disorientation is bad fo me.
Does this mean that I now have to face towards Leeds when I'm praying for a decent swell....

[unclesirbobbyrobsons]

Genghis : Thanks for that bit fo info

DANNY : It all sounds very exciting these reef surfs. But I do not know why you have to keep these things secret. I could probably find these places quite easily. Just look on an ordinance survey map and spot places named like "sailors grave", "Killerby cliffs" and "dead mans rocks".

Cannot imagine why the average tourist surfer would venture there. If these places are inaccessible how do you get there - jetski?!

[danny1]

you don not know why they are secret?....

Ok for your own info: more 'in a nutshell' guidance for you sirbobbyrobson

good surfable waves are rare (south and north bay are below average at best and shite most of the time)

good surfable waves are a phenonema of swell, wind, bathymetry and tide

waves are a limited resource. they are infrequent

theres only a few waves in a set, sets arent very frequent

only one person can ride a wave.

more people who know about a surfable wave = less waves for me and friends.

you are right if you buy an OS you will see every single secret spot in front of your eyes. now you just need to know how to read the weather, understand a myriad of swell conditions and then get the right tide....



this is a wind up innit??

[Ghengis_the_Shed]

you don not know why they are secret?....

this is a wind up innit??

Danny, leave it ... keep 'em in the dark, back off, get local, whatever.
Shut off, shut down - by the way nice weather we're having isn't it etc...

[Ferral]

this is a wind up innit??

i thought that, but he's got his own website and everythng

[weaver]

[quote="unclesirbobbyrobsons"




I've lurked too long !!! .... I don't like being confused and disorientation is bad fo me.
Does this mean that I now have to face towards Leeds when I'm praying for a decent swell....

Tried that from Mexborough and it never worked. Aim for Barnsley.....................or if in really dire straits Wath.........................

[Ghengis_the_Shed]

Tried that from Mexborough and it never worked. Aim for Barnsley.....................or if in really dire straits Wath......................... [/quote]

Tried pointing down the hill to Wath - added a bit of dawn wailing and naked moon worship - all I got was a verbal warning, shite swell and frostbitten nadgers.
The joys of landlocked Swinton...

[weaver]

Tried that from Mexborough and it never worked. Aim for Barnsley.....................or if in really dire straits Wath.........................

Tried pointing down the hill to Wath - added a bit of dawn wailing and naked moon worship - all I got was a verbal warning, shite swell and frostbitten nadgers.
The joys of landlocked Swinton...[/quote]

It's got a canal though!

[Ghengis_the_Shed]

It's got a canal though![/quote]

Yeah used to use it back in the 80's as the last wee stop as we fell out of the Ship Inn.