Everyday Australian surfers have ditched work to join the professionals charging into the huge waves on the Gold Coast produced by Cyclone Oma.
All Gold Coast beaches and most of those on the Sunshine Coast have been closed - with fears the relentless waves pounding the shore will spark the worst erosion in decades.
The swell of six metres on Friday sent 10ft-waves to some of Australia's most famous surfing spots - with Kirra and Snapper Rocks pumping as the category one tropical cyclone hovers off the coast about about 700km north-east of Brisbane.
Daredevil surfers have defied mass beach closures by facing up to huge waves on the Gold Coast as Cyclone Oma lingers ominously off Australia's east coast (pictured jetski rider negotiates a wave as he transports a surfer in large surf at Kirra)
Coastal Watch chief forecaster Ben Macartney said the region's beaches were a 'no-go zone' on Friday, and predicted waves to pick up to a height of 3 metres by Friday afternoon. (pictured a surfer being barrelled by a powerful wave at Kirra)
All Gold Coast beaches and the majority of beaches on the Sunshine Coast have been closed, with fears the relentless thrashing of Queensland's seabord will spark the worst erosion in recent memory (pictured surfer falls from his board at Kirra)
Strong south-easterly winds have buffeted the Gold Coast coastline, whipping up huge swells and high tides. (pictured a young girl is held at a beach on the Gold Coast on Friday)
Wave heights were expected to reach as high as six metres on Friday, as the category one tropical cyclone hovers about 700km north-east of Brisbane (pictured a daring surfer captured riding the huge tides at Noosa)
But despite Surf Life Saving Queensland warning beach closures would likely be in place for as long as four days, surfers from around Australia headed to the Gold Coast to capitalise on the powerful swells.
Jetski riders were in place to tow-in surfers onto huge waves as strong south-westerly winds kept conditions clean. .
Coastal Watch chief forecaster Ben Macartney said the beach was a 'no-go zone' on Friday for most, and predicted waves to pick up to a height of 3 metres by Friday afternoon.
At Noosa, where Main Beach was closed on Thursday and is expected to remain so over the weekend, a daring surfer was also captured riding the huge tides.
SLSQ has warned the pummelling conditions made the ocean challenging even for the most experiences swimmers and surfers.
'Conditions can be much worse than they look. If a beach has been closed you should not go in the water,' the organisation's lifesaving operations coordinator Jason Argent said.
Weather warnings for south-east Queensland residents were extended to parts of northern New South Wales from the
