We may very well see this storm system off the Southeast get named as a Sub Tropical system. It will be pumping Easterly swells into the Southeast with a very large fetch of gale force winds this week. This swell looks to build into the Mid Atlantic through the week as well. These subtropical/extra tropical hybrid type systems always have the potential to go big, because they have the tight center of circulation and slow movement of a tropical storm, with the large pressure gradient field of an extra tropical system.
Holy crow! Just got off a cruise down in Charleston from the Bahamas and we were slammed by huge waves Sunday into Monday on the way back. I am assuming that it was from this low that moved off of the carolinas? I have never seen waves that large in my life, massive walls of water coming at an angle and slamming in the bow of the ship. After this past surf event up here the surf was perfect down there but of course I didn't have a board. Even Nassau a place that only breaks once in a while was well overhead and perfect right there in front of me with no one surfing. I was tortured all week, but the abuse from this developing storm on the way back makes me think that they were gonna get it good again. I have pictures if anyone cares to see.
I would be interested if you posted them. I've been down to the Bahamas and it was definitely flat, awesome down there but just not a trip to take a board on.
Here are some of the shots, this was Friday in Nassau. Sorry they are not great but they were taken from the top deck of a cruise ship, of surf about a half mile away. The wind in the morning was better, when these shots were taken the wind had gotten slightly sideshore, The best spot was right in front of the Atlantis Hotel but way outside. These waves are at least head high even though they look smaller. I took some video but it's pretty crappy, If I can edit it a little I will post it. I took a small charter boat out to an outer island and could see some surf breaking that had to be double over head peeling lefts. Nobody around on any reef and the boat captain said he has never seen anyone out there surfing. I was hoping he would say my buddy has a board lets go get it, lol, not that I would have surfed the biggest waves but there were several spots more protected that were great. Right inside the main inlet where the cruise ships come in was the most perfect left peeling into the channel about shoulder high. In general all the waves looke mushy until they hit the inner reef and then would get hollow and spit, unreal. Keep in mind that I am a terrible photographer and these pictures don't do the shape of these waves justice. They were so perfect that many of them broke for 300 yards before they would close out over the reef. The top down shot of the boat is just to show the incredible color of the water.
Nova Scotia could get the best of it... I was down in Nassau a couple weeks ago, and there was a solid chest high NE swell coming it... funneling right down the canyon between Abaco and Eluthera. I didn't have a board, but threw on my fins and started making my way out to swim into a few. Got one wave and a guard on a jet ski came and chased me out of the water. A couple hours later I found another spot that was breaking perfectly... a peaky left that bowled up into a short tube, then rolled into a soft, wedgy shoulder all the way to the beach. Same situation... one wave, and the guards come running, telling me the beach is closed. I'm like, "I surf 15 foot storm surf in 35 degree water... and that's what I do to UNWIND and RELAX." They just didn't get it, and I was definitely in the wrong place.
Winds do look dicey the next few days and NWS hasn't factored in the swell. I'm stoked especially after a month of swell after swell. Nothing wrong with fall on the east coast!
sniffing a half day for thursday afternoon... any indication that this E swell pattern we've been will continue? on one hand, it's nice to have waves in the water but on the other direction has certainly not been ideal.
no, i understand. my question is more about the lack of your standard medium period S swell wind/rain/etc.
anyone got opinions on what will be the best spot in NJ to travel to? Worked on the beach all day today and Monmouth county kinda sucked.. Too fast, closeouts. I'm thinkin traveling a little south is the way to go for tomoro
Thanks for the Photos Zippy What a delightful thread with photos to boot! Yes, that is one of those remarkable things and you saw it with camera in hand. Wish I had had a GoPro in 1968 on the North Shore of Oahu when Pipe was easily 30 feet triple reef break, shore break was epic huge, life guards all over the place keeping everyone out of the apocalypse. One of those things you see but can only tell the tale of. Thanks for grabbing the pics of the Bahamas, those waves look terrific.
