By ANNA USHER

When the perfect storm hits Sydney, a surprising surfing spot roars to life.

Balmoral Beach, the normally tranquil, wave free playground attracted local surfers keen to catch a novelty wave on Tuesday, thanks to a large south-to-east swell ripping through the heads.

While the daredevils chose open breaks at Maroubra or Manly, curious kids (and more than a few adults) paddled out in Mosman to look for a sweet left-hander against a background of money-can’t-buy views.

Dozens of keen surfers were spotted making the most of the rare Sydney Harbour waves from lunchtime, with many telling Mosman Collective it was a “once in a lifetime experience”.

“It’s a pretty cool novelty to surf in Sydney Harbour,” resident Haig Gilchrist told us, “I’ve spent three hours out there and have loved every minute of it.”

“The mood out there is upbeat and the local kids are having a great laugh out there.

“There’s a few out-of-area surfers at Balmoral, who have turned up just to experience the rare weather event.”

The powerful conditions caused F1 Manly ferry services to be cancelled, with services not resuming until Wednesday.

Swells of 4-6 metres with consistent waves of about 8 feet for south facing local beaches through tomorrow.
Please note these conditions are considered dangerous for coastal activities like swimming or rock fishing.

Conditions should improve by the end of the week.