Yesterday his loved ones added to the Buddhist offering of fruit and flowers left on the rocks on Monday alongside incense sticks and candles.

Before leaving the rocks, they threw flowers into the ocean and later the fruit offering.

A friend of the fisherman, who asked not to be identified, said a family member had a dream about him.

He dreamed the man was at rocks just south of where he was washed into the ocean. About a dozen family members walked to those rocks to search for him.

Rescue crews began looking for the man at first light yesterday, but had suspended the search by 9.30am.

Sergeant Richard Walsh said the search would resume again later in the day at low tide and again this morning.

Earlier this year, the search for Saudi student Hassan Alquahtani lasted for nine days after he was caught in a rip at Wollongong's City Beach about 2am on April 2.

A command post was stationed at the beach all day for each day of the search.

Sgt Walsh said the search for the Hurlstone Park fisherman was less intense because there was a smaller stretch of water to search.

"With rock fishers, they tend to stay close to where they (fall into the ocean)," he said.

"They don't migrate up or down the beach.

"With people that go (missing) off beaches, there are more currents so you've really got to spread your resources."