limitations

I hadn't surfed Gooch's very many times, and had never surfed it over 5ft. Here I am exerting all of my energy trying to get out past the break. I tried like five times and kept getting my a$$ handed to me. Fortunately there were no serious hazards since it's all beach, but man...I was getting so pissed and frustrated. I can't duck dive my 7'6" to save my life. So, I decided to float back to the beach and rethink my approach. Just then I see a car full of dudes trotting along the beach to the far south end, and paddle out completely unmolested. Not one old guy touched their privates. Kidding...had the toss that in there. Anyway, they paddled out effortlessly and I learned a valuable lesson. There is literally a conveyor belt at the south end of Gooch's when the surf is big. You barely need to paddle at all, and likely won't even get your hair wet.

You're right about this weekend. I think tomorrow and Sunday mornings are going to be super clean fun. I'll be out there.

 

limitations - one time i watched best local surfer in ac get set-washed into the middle of a pier..he stayed
focused on technique/direction, took his hits and toughed his way out.. i was SO HAPPY cause i was the only
other surfer out and i might've had to go in after him….and i really didn't want to….but i think i would have…
but i'm glad i didn't have to… (eeeeeeekkks).

 

The thought of getting caught under a pier in a big set has always sketched me out. I can take the beating, I'll survive the barnacle scrapes, but the thought of getting hooked by the multiple lost fishing rigs while getting thrashed between the poles scares the schit outta me.

I wouldn't know which limb to try to free first. I'd be like posideon's string puppet. Ouch!

 

Bro. Try having your leash break on you in a full moon dead high tide in OH+ when gusts kick up to 40mph. Not sure if those offshores helped or hindered me on the 50yd swim to the rock jetty but the lull in sets saved my hide, at least after a few boardless poundings that shott me over the falls from a 3rd grade basketball hoop height.

Was being all prudent about the whole paddle through the channel then conservative placement respecting everything the day was presenting me with and then my cord is cut. Even opted not to paddle out at the first break I went to upon seeing that mad barrels was really victory at sea without a ski at my disposal. Gotta say I like my Mick impression a lot more than my Phelps. That's enough excitement for one day. Bring on the waist to chest glass tomorrow. Enough of this adrenaline junkie crap.

 

I never got pushed through the pier,i see a lot of people paddle out in the rip under the pier,however I did have many close calls with fishing hooks.never been hooked,but paddled under a lot of lines.its like ur at war in Vietnam duckin trip wires.its like the fisherman set up shop where the waves and surfers are.

 

Yes today. MA/NH. I wasn't at all going for adren today. Like I said, I passed on the first break even though it was 40 minutes each way and not hitting that spot only compromised my timing of tide and reasonable wind before swell started dropping when I headed back closer to home. Wasn't trying to be a hero, wasn't even planning to be out there long. Just wanted to get on a swell and perhaps get a sick barrell or two by means of good timing and fortuitous placement.

It's all schitts and giggles until your leash happens to break. And yes, I checked my leash thoroughly as with the rest of my gear prior to stepping in. I was prepared and thankfully still had the requisite paddle strength and endurance in a winter suit necessary to get to safety. But just barely since I hadn't been around a good swell more than once in three weeks. That winter swell/suit-specific conditioning drops fast after the 2 week mark.

 

It's good enough. There are 2-3 peaks and you can go right or left on each of them. I'm certainly it's less crowded than Higgins or OOB, but this time a year that's rarely a factor. The people I talk to in the water generally prefer Ogunquit because it has a nice right...haven't hit that yet. It's hard to travel 30 mins when there are waves 5 mins away.

 

I surfed there when it was just K beach learning the ropes. After about 3 seasons of surfing, Hurricane Gert came up the coast. Left work at lunch (in Toronto) and didn't come back. Drove through the night, camped and hit it in the morning. Unreal, off shore BIG and clean. Felt like a bungee on the back of my board paddling out around the N end of beach. Waves were getting held up and breaking in slow motion and just cracking like a big Gatlin gun, then huge foam balls would land everywhere with rainbows of spray. I was completely freaked out.. Missed a couple, then caught one and got held up in the lip... and then sent DEEP. Board got sent to and corked out hard into my leg, then flipped over and the fin caught the ass of my suit and ripped it about 4 inches. Got to the beach and could barely walk. A bus load of seniors just pulled up, so I asked one of the ladies if I was bleeding, she said no but I was torn up.. Drank a beer, some water, and let the shaking stop,, re-grouped and surfed VERY cautiously for the next 3 hrs. Knocked back a few sammies that afternoon while watching guys surfing the S peak and remember as I was passing out that they looked like ants on the faces. Had to be 20ft. Was an insane experience and the next day was so clean and fun, then nothing.. My board could have easily hit me in the wrong place and it could been game over in a real hurry. Always cover up and stay aware when under since then, and know that my board is a potential weapon.
Great section of coast with lots of fun spots, miss going down there, although N.S. has proved pretty great.

 

are u guys talking about Canada??don't remember hurricane gert in the mid atlantic region.goobs sounds like a made up name lol.the board is the most dangerous thing when it comes to surfing.sometimes when its real shallow il leave my board in the car and go bodysurf.lost a lot of fins surfing shallow waters.

hurricane swells will always test ur limits.waves usually break way further out and have lots of closeouts and currents.Iv been out a few times thinking if I lose my board,no way il be able to swim in on these conditions.sometimes u have to throw in the towel.but I get more scared in the winter time,since its freezing and im the only one on the beach.warm water u can take the beatings and come up laughing,but getting flushed multiple times will take a number on ya

 

A good scare and a bit of a whoopin are great ways of finding your limits. This is different than putting yourself in bad position with structures. This is unlucky and sometimes kooky depending on the situation. believe me, I know, I paid the piper for almost 7 months (7 with no stand up surfing, I bodysurfed for 2 of those months) along with 6 months physical rehab...

 

Yea yesterday here in vb was the first time I've been denied on the initial paddle out in a long time. It possed me off so much I made it out on the third try because of lucky timing and pure angry paddling haha. And I was paddling out at the pier. The longshore was so bad on the inside that you got sucked into the impact zone if you couldn't stay in the rip under the pier, wasn't going to try to fight 6ft sets in 37 degree water/air

 

Ive gotten denied during storm surf, but I have surfed much bigger waves than had denied me. A channel-less beach break during storm surf can be awfully unforgiving. In those conditions I am looking for a 6'4-6'8 with a little beef to get in early and set a good line for the tube.

 

a good trouncing will put it all into focus.




when your young.

 

Surfed Tres Palms when it was triple overhead...was ill prepared and under gunned. Worst beating I've ever received...caught only two waves during my 2hr. + session and got cleaned up a few other times--thought I was seriously going to die and never been so scarred. Further, I never felt such energy in the water and realized I was totally over my head--never will surf in that place/conditions again unless I seriously train. That's my upper limit--place still totally freaks me out.

However, I've never been sucked into a large pier...could imagine the panic feels about the save as when I took a clean-up set on the head...

 

I'll take a pier on the head before the boneyard or any type of unpredictably structured rock jetty or headland. At least you've got a schematic of what you're up against and really have a clue what you'll be heaved against underwater. I don't care how well you know a break. Unless you can draw a 3D topographical map to relative scale, it's an unknown form when it comes down to what's where in the span of several inches to several feet when the simultaneous incoming and outgoing is rag dolling the balls out of your wetty.

Not that any of this is striking gold, but if I'm choosing my maker, it's the Honeyton Pier and not a rock jetty or reef.