Ben
Well worth the wait.
#1 doesn't grab me. There is so much foregorund detail that it distracts me from the rest of the shot and what's in the foreground isn't strong enough to hold my interest.
#2 - Excellent pic. Was this taken with the 12-24? I particularly like the shading in this where we have the shadow of the clouds present on the landscape.
#3 - I have taken countless pics of the Sygna and never seen a good one. Now I have and I hate you. The foregorund grass really makes this shot more interesting and works a treat. Well done.
#4 - I like the shot a lot. It's well composed and holds my interest although I'd have to say the sand is unnaturally yellow.
#5 - A better shot with your crappy tripod than I got with my Gitzo (don't tell birddog

) Tiny nitpick is there is some green fringing around the rock in the upper right corner. Not sure if this is chromatoc abberration or over zealous sharpening.
#6 - My fave of the bunch. Superbly lit, good composition and an interesting subject. The soft rolling waves in the background and the harsh granular rock in the foreground balance each other exceptionally well.
#7 - the worst of the bunch. There is nothing to anchor me visually because the subject matter is not dramatic enough. This is made worse because the pool in the foreground lacks interest. I think cropping this out would strengthen the shot. Sorry
#8 - This doesn't do a lot for me either - the blown highlight works, but the middle is too soft (too long an exposure blurring the waves too much)
Overall I agree with John - this is the best bunch of pics I've seen from the day.