Anticipation
Given Cyclone Gabrielle’s track not many surf spots even showed a glimpse of a silver lining to the darkness. The East Coast of the North Island was also the epicentre of the system and storm surges and surf were kept to a minimum. A few spots along the Coro Coast came to life for moments, and a novelty wave of the side of Mt Maunganui broke about as big as we have seen it, but still raw and stormy.
Further south Otago and Canterbury surfers waited to see if the system hooked off the East Cape. If this happened then the swell would arrive a few days later to coincide with a forecast light southerly wind flow. Reports varied wildly, but it was hard to ignore the days of fetch coming straight off the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
If reports were true, it would arrive by morning on Wednesday and peak around midday at 3.6m at 12 seconds. The big question was where along the coast to greet it?
