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Not a surfer myself but was able to appreciate this article on the NJ surf from 12/18/2023, R”regarded as possibly the largest waves surfed in NJ’s history.
Worth the read, insane photos:
https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/m...-jersey/193222
Attachment 480551
^^^^Damn, that is offshore as fuk!
Going off in CA. Probably been pandemonium at Mavs.
A High Surf Warning is in effect through 3 AM PST Friday. Expect hazardous wave conditions with breaking waves 28 to 33 feet
https://www.weather.gov/wrh/TextProduct?product=afdmtr
Looked pretty torn up in some of the videos, but it looks like Santa Cruz cleaned up a little in the afternoon. Northern Baja is probably firing.
Shirley someone has some tails to tell about the Wild West coast surf????
I don't personally, but I did watch this very cool vid.Quote:
Originally Posted by PB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Icw-6yzLPJI
Some heavy tubes in here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmlX9hQK-uY
Now we're talkin'! Thanks guys!
Great vid. Where was that?
Finally had a day were I felt like I was surfing. After a series of injuries in my mid to late forties and barely surfing the year I turned fifty living in Singapore, I was finally feeling adequately strong and on top of things mid November, but then went to visit my mom in Florida for a few weeks. I think I've surfed 6 days since then.
Last week there was a fading 7@12 and building 4@15, along with some other stuff in the water. I had surfed my old favorite ledge as the bottom of a scary cliff the day before and surfed decently, but not quite on my game. I returned and the swell was just a little smaller (that 7@11 was popping from a 8@13), and the surface condition was super clean. Plenty of surf, but nothing clean up size, so you could sit on the inside, outside, corner, anywhere and not worry about getting drilled across the reef. Fucking killer season of head high plus surf. I finally remember how to get underneath and in the bowl for an easy take off, solid bottom and top turns. Nothing heroic, but it good to be back up on top of the horse.
Of course, surfed two days later, in less than ideal conditions, with bigger surf, and did fine. But that I can blame of the bounce that day at least.
Can't get up to the mountains to ski, so I'd be stoked for some more clear and clean days. Looks like after Tuesday we could be in for a nice run of local conditions.
Comments indicate Ventura River Mouth.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottime
Ah. Even more insane. I was in the mountains during the entire run of big swell, so never even saw it here. From chatting with friends who were around, most of them tell stories of surfing down south, especially Ventura, between Christmas and New Years. That is some solid surf for that zone.
Been windy for past few days, Tried to find a window Monday, to no avail. Decided to MTB yesterday in Ord, instead of trying to make the surf work. Was over all a pretty good call. I'm sure there was a surf window in there somewhere, but the ride felt good. First time down there since returning home. Surf looked solid around the Sunset Beach area - I could see breakers from Route 1 as you peak the hill between Watsonville and Aptos.
Fun run up here now the weather has cleared. Would love to post pics but I can no longer log on in the ap or using browser on my phone. So..
West Cliff yesterday afternoon for the easy session. Head high plus at John's. Swift looked fun, but there was a bit more wind on it out there and my buddy prefers not poking the beast too much. By low tide it was lining up pretty nicely through Getchels off the top of John's Been years since I've been out there. It such a fast zippy wave.
This morning got back out up the coast at the old favorite slab. I was expecting head high wish based on the forecast, but swell really filled in and it was not small. Nabbed six waves in a little over an hour. No wipeouts, no getting sucked over the falls, no bailing the board. Few duck dives even, but one hell of a duck dive under a solid ten footer and my buddy a few yards deeper than me but sucked over the falls and driven deep from his duck dive. So a good session. Starting to feel confident again in solid surf, but really need to push the edge a bit harder. I had no wipeouts. Should have at least one. Tho I did go in because my leash snapped when I was pulling out of a bomb on the inside but let the wave grab my board as I flew over the back. Bye bye board. So I chased it in and called it a day. Glad to be back in the 8 foot plus and taking off deep and under the lip at rocky's.
Next few days look nice if I can find a window.
Just found a new way to post pics and thought I'd share some pics from this winter.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...62aa798592.jpg
Fun days in September at Waddell
Edit. That is not Waddell. The offshores looked wrong, and I checked and its Short Sands. Maine. A pic a buddy sent me. Ooops. That's East Coast stoke
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We had a few solid days at Rockies. It's taken some time getting back into a comfort zone at this place. The descent down the cliff is scarier than getting pounded on the reef.
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From the cliff.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...ee844aa3b9.jpg
The left has been especially good this season. Usually it is just a big drop to almost a wave. Some days it was reeling better than the right.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...54d2544b29.jpg
This woman has been stepping it up. She hopes to be on the Greek Olympic Team.
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The right is the real show tho.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...ff61c97437.jpg
This place rarely gets crowded because the wave is so shitty. Sometimes shitty for 200 yards per ride.
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Another day of just a waste of time.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
From today. The reefs were quite crowded. I surfed here Tuesday through Thursday with never more than a pack of five. Swell dropped considerably, surface glassed off and the NW wind swell dropped to nearly nothing and the crowds arrived. Fifteen at the Corner with five suiting up and ten more watching. Banzai was even more crowded.
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There was a sandbar that was showing through the peak of the south. On Wednesday, it stepped way out. By Saturday, it was closer to shore. Still, the sets would break far across the outside, and while waiting for those, you are sitting pretty far out.
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The river is still flowing and empties into the ocean maybe a 100 yards north. So thinking this bar is going to stick around for a while.
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I've been surfing the left, but the rights starts to show more as the tide drops. When the tide is fuller, and the swell long period, it becomes a focal point and draws in a far amount of size. Mid to lower tides with smaller swell seems to be the ticket. Fun bar.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...780edf79eb.jpg
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I actually had a couple of fun, though small, days in Newport this weekend at 36th street.
It was only about waist high, but I caught it on a rising tide, while things were still clean, and took out the 7'6" fun shape and just glided.
It's nice to get back in the water. I both days at Baldy on the last two weekends of April, then went up for a 4 day trip to Mammoth for the Cinco De Mayo weekend, and I've been busy due to an April 7-16 10th anniversary trip, so since I got back I've only had a few water days. It's always great to be reminded of just how much fun a waist high wave with good shape can be on a funshape.
For our 10th anniversary trip, my wife wanted something beachy, so we chose somewhere with fun, although not world class, surf and warm water. We went to St. Barts, which lived up to its billing in every sense of the word. The island is unbelievable, we definitely want to go back. It is also incredibly expensive, which might limit our ability to go back soon.
The waves there were fun, although the trade winds were shredding things, which limited what we could surf. We spent 7 days there and I got 4 surf days, with surf ranging from shoulder high and fun, but soft, to head high and quite a bit of fun. The water is close to 80 degrees.
My wife got some lessons and had a blast. Despite having grown up in Huntington Beach, she is very cold water averse. She said that she would start surfing if the water would only warm up to St. Barts levels in Socal. Any day now...
The season is basically winter for surfing there. There are a number of spots on the Island, and it does get fun. The winds can be an issue. We surfed our sessions at a place called Le Toiny, which is a beautiful cove, with a wrapping left point and some rights. It was the only place that was really sheltered from the trads, but ended up being lots of fun. There are a bunch of other spots, but most were blown out. I would love to go back some time and get it without the winds.
Le Toiny doesn't pick up as much swell, anything from the north has to wrap around the island, but it got plenty while we were there. The other well known surfing beaches, Lorient and places like that, were just too shredded. There are lots of interesting setups, the surf guide/instructor for the resort gave us the lay of the land. It's a place for fun, not super heavy surf.
The beach at the resort had swell the whole time, shoulder to head high, but it was basically shredded from the winds the entire time we were there. One evening, after we had surfed Toiny, it calmed down enough to be surfable, and I did see some people paddle out. There was what looked to be a really nice left point, I would love to get it without the wind.
The local scene is pretty mellow. According to our guide, the Island has only about 5,000 inhabitants, and only about 100 of them surf. All the surfers know each other.
All in all it was an incredible place. We would love to go back in early December some time, with swell and less wind. Without the wind, and with the ability to surf the beach right out front, it would have been perfect.
The bottom tends to be mostly rock or reef, so reef booties are a good idea, or just be careful where you step.
I didn't take any shots of the spots we surfed, these pics are just of the beach in front of the resort. The potential is there, the trade winds just needed to calm down.
I should add that with these trade winds, they can sometimes just blow all day. In socal we're used to it almost always being calm in the morning. It was not like that here.
Surfline is pretty useless for the island. Surf_forecast.come is better.
Here are some shots of the beach in front of the resort.Attachment 494231Attachment 494232Attachment 494233Attachment 494235Attachment 494238
Was on the east coast last week and scored a day at Gooch's in ME at about thigh high, offshore, and light crowds (says someone used to surfing san diego). Really fun! Was hoping to get out another morning as we were in the area for 4 days, but the swell/winds only cooperated for that one window.
Our guide/instructor in St. Barts told me on a couple of days that he was surprised at how crowded it was. Obviously we have differing views on what is crowded!Quote:
Originally Posted by jtran10
The surf has been pretty fun around here for the most part. Some good days, and a lot of days where you can still get wet if you have a quick window. The water is warming up.
These are some shots from a Barbedwire's/Cotton's Saturday, a couple of weeks back. It was fun, about head high and clean, but VERY crowded. I was still able to pick some good ones off, and eventually the crowd thinned. It ended up getting a bit better, the wind held off and the crowd died down. The lefts at Barbedwire's were wrapping well, and you could bounce off the end section of the Cotton's right.
Here are a few shots. Phone shots, so not great, but they do give an idea of the crowd.
Attachment 495841Attachment 495842Attachment 495843Attachment 495844
Our guide/instructor in St. Barts told me on a couple of days that he was surprised at how crowded it was. Obviously we have differing views on what is crowded!Quote:
Originally Posted by jtran10
The surf has been pretty fun around here for the most part. Some good days, and a lot of days where you can still get wet if you have a quick window. The water is warming up.
These are some shots from a Barbedwire's/Cotton's Saturday, a couple of weeks back. It was fun, about head high and clean, but VERY crowded. I was still able to pick some good ones off, and eventually the crowd thinned. It ended up getting a bit better, the wind held off and the crowd died down. The lefts at Barbedwire's were wrapping well, and you could bounce off the end section of the Cotton's right.
Here are a few shots. Phone shots, so not great, but they do give an idea of the crowd.
Attachment 495841Attachment 495842Attachment 495843Attachment 495844
The 4th weekend had good surf down here, although it was tough to access certain areas, for obvious reasons.
Friday afternoon was fun down at Cottons/wires, overhead and reasonably clean. The water was warm. As was to be expected it was a zoo, but there were still some good ones that snuck through. The key was rotating between peaks, shifting as the crowd shifted. If you did that you could track down a few. There were lefts starting slightly north of the lifeguard tower and running about 100 yards, you just had to time the crowd shifts properly. After snagging one it usually made sense to go to the area right under the railroad sign and snag the southern Cotton's lefts that swung wide of that crowd. It was fun, but you had to be strategic. What it lacked in quantity it made up in quality, easy to surf, with gentle takeoffs, a racy section, a cutback section, another racy section followed by the end of the right at Cotton's to belt.
I waited until Monday afternoon around 4:30 for another session. It was smaller, but still shoulder to head high and fun, although quite inconsistent as the swell was dying. The crowd was far more sparse, as it usually is at the end of a swell and a holiday weekend, but it did fill in a bit as the after work crowd filled in. It was still fun, though, and the water is around 70. Every session like these, even with the crowds, reminds of just why I love this zone so much.
There was surf in both Newport and Huntington over the weekend, but I'm too old to be a masochist and look for parking on a weekend like this.
Hopefully the rest of you guys got some of this.
Yesterday (Wednesday) AM I snuck in a mid-morning AM session north of the HB pier. The swell is really dying at this point, but there were still some shoulder high peaks, the water is warm, and the crowd was sparse in comparison to this weekend.
As an aside, E-bikes have made all the Trestles zones MUCH more crowded. Using an e-bike as opposed to walking probably saves about 25-30 minutes in EACH direction, so call it close to 60 more minutes in the water for the same amount of time. I might have to cave in and get one at some point. Surfing Uppers/Cottons from Newport typically requires roughly 2.5 hours of time between drive/walk/suit-up, so 2 hours in the water probably takes roughly 4.5 hours. Even for San Clemente folks Trestles takes lots of time in comparison to surfing at the San Clemente pier. The e-bike phenomenon has changed this equation substantially, and lots of folks who might have chosen a pier/riviera session will now go to Trestles instead. The same reasoning goes for Newport/HB folks, who might barrel down the 73 if they can cut an hour off what we will call non-water time.
For the rest of you guys, is this happening with some of your hard to reach spots? Trestles has always been packed, but the walk made the crowd less crazy than it would have been. If there was an HB style lot there it would be even more bonkers. I'm curious as to whether some of the rest of you have dealt with this phenomenon, namely a spot that used to be much harder to access becoming even more swamped due to e-bike facilitated ease.
The fourth weekend was pretty solid up here. Town was on fire and packed. But early mornings the wind cooperated and the drained out tide was not horrible. On the 5th, I was surfing well overhead pounds beach break and was happy enough for summer.
Welcome to ME surfing. Windows are often only a few hours long.Quote:
Originally Posted by jtran10
Gooches can handle some size, along the western end with the rocks. I've surfed perfect DOH walls there as a kid. I was shorter then, so..
Booked a trip to get out of the heat here to the bay area this weekend. Staying a few nights with friends in linda mar, hoping for something to surf there. I'll have the thick wetsuit and booties.
^^^ how did that go? I think you were between swells.
We had two great runs of south up here. I left town in the midst of the second run, but it was solid. Even had a few days with no wind and could surf up the coast. Only wish I had had time to surf the rock. Only day I saw it breaking this summer. Finicky spot - but when its on, one of the best waves in the county.
Nothing outrageous but great to get in the water. Had a fog-free sunset session Friday night, and then a fogged in Sunday AM session too. Waist high at boatdocks but enough waves that the crowd wasn't an issue, and the cliffs kept it smooth-ish all things considered. Watching the surf at rockaway Saturday afternoon on a walk it was definitely bigger, probably slightly overhead there, but pretty onshore. Was at OB earlier today before heading out and the beach was actually in the sun for a few minutes, surf was small but the wind wasn't too bad. Didn't seem like any great rides in the 30ish minutes I watched.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottime
It's this time of the year again...the emerald Isle is calling. Our ferry is on sunday.
Interesting forecast for next week. It has been a VERY active summer in the atlantic so far.
I just returned home from traveling and the pacific is far from active. No real swell for a week now. Been busy, so I guess that is okay.