holy moly a swell showed up in south jersey

I asked the guards, "who makes that call?" They said it was the mayor. The guards themselves are pretty cool and we have to understand that they are just doing their jobs and don't make the rules. I would love to sit down the beach manager and higher ups and ask them where they get off telling us to move over when no swimmers are in sight.
Furthermore, how is taking a group of surfers that are spread out comfortably and concentrating them in a small area of beach making anything safer? If anything its causing more danger to all of us.

Its the most ass backward situation I've seen. If anything, give the guards a little more authority and have them make the judgement call on whether surfers or swimmers have to be moved to keep everything safe. Some dip**** politicians who know nothing about the ocean get away with this nonsense and something has to be done about it.

 

this starting with the lifeguards memorial day weekend is some sh!t....why is there no common sense? The water doesn't warm up enough here until the week of/after July 4th.

When the water is still too cold for people to bathe and swim in, why the hell would they keep surfers from going out...total bs.

All in all a good weekend, ate some crabs, hung out with family and got to get wet for 3-4 hours....and beat the damn traffic, boogied out of dodge late last night.

Water feels awesome! Noticed some jellies, though.

Stoked.

 

I can't wait for jellies, I stuff as many as I can in my speedo, then walk around with a manly strut.

 

Ended up having a great surf weekend. I'm getting better!! Took some waves today and did just fine. This momma is back in the saddle - woo hoo!

 

Yeah I was stoked with a high wave count sesh last night that was under an hour. Couldn't believe this break I was at was pumping anything of note at mid to high when it's primarily a low tide break. It was only a couple feet but takeoffs were punchy and easy in all these and the fact that some of them mushed or closed out was actually really good practice and I landed them at 95%. You really can't be too upset dropping into a wave and putting your hand in it going down the line no matter how small it is.

Watched the buoys like the KGB this weekend to see if drives by the break were worth the time. Today I took two different strolls but didn't see anything worth stepping into. I'm at the point where I'm not too stoked if I can't get a turn off a wave, excluding gnarly drops from bigger waves that are half to fully closing out. If that's all there is at the break then I'll just rip pave on the Carver. Did that today by the break and a wheel came off while I was pushing uphill. Always do the pre-trip inspection of your gear!!!!

Hey queen of the wind chop - what saddle is this that you speak of? Do tell, wahine.

btw - I've never seen so many soft tops as in the last two days. Did we miss the boat on buying up stock of foamies this winter? I know the head count on tourists just went through the roof but I don't recall seeing half as many soft tops last year.

 

Speaking of getting out of Dodge....got on UA, surfed SoCal three days 5 sessions. Waves were good Sat & Sun, eh not so much today with incredibly long lulls. Very crowded today, worse than the weekend, but people were cool in the water.

Spring suit is all that's needed out there, doodz. I'm beginning to think the Gulf Stream thing is way over-called. So to speak.

 

"Hey queen of the wind chop - what saddle is this that you speak of? Do tell, wahine."

I ride an 8 foot Walden.

 

They made you get out to buy a badge? It's been my experience that I've never had to buy a badge so long as I had a board and was headed right to the water. I thought that was the rule, that they can't charge you if you're not on the beach.

 

Beyond rule, I think it's a public access law. They actually clear the water, and entire beach to make absolutely certain that everyone has paid. It's a f~cking joke, they don't own the ocean, and chagring people to cross the sand, to access the ocean is wrong. Come Memorial Day weekend, the lifeguards, badge checkers, code enforcers, and cops have throbbing authoritative hard ons. Our tax dollars enable them to control us like prisoners and we have no say in the matter. They act as if we're getting a weekly pay check from them and must subordinate their authority as a result. The best part is being talked to like you're an a$$hole by a bunch of a$$holes.

 

You need to go to another beach in ocean county. There are plenty that still dont have lifegaurds or badgers until later in June.

 

I hear about this stuff up in Jerz every year. I am amazed though. I understand certain municipalities need to do what they need to do, and hey, what better way to make some coin than to make the touristas pay to park their rotund arses on the sand all summer. But DAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYMMMMMM....

There are no local rules etc? Like, if you are a county or city resident, you don't get a free pass?

I mean, Hilton Head Island doesn't regulate anything like that, but to reward local home owners, they have a private beach called "Islanders Beach". I didn't even know about it until I bought a house last year. With the closing, they gave me this sticker. I said, WTF is this? They said, its your free access pass to Islanders beach. Free parking for residents all year. Other people can go to this beach, but they have to pay... There are tons of free beaches here, but technically at most beach parking lots you are supposed to pay for parking... There are some free spots, and now that I am in the know, I never pay to park or for anything....

Can someone break down this nonsense for me, just so I understand? I mean, I thought OC MD were nazi's about beach access and parking, but I guess Jersey takes the cake...

I wonder how much revenue they produce though... Probably a ton.

 

Same in RI. Good thing one of the beaches has a sea wall good for sneaking in.

 

Okay, so the following do not enforce beach tags in Jersey: Atlantic City, Strathmere, Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest

First stat I could find from 2013 is that the municipalities that enforce beach badges took in $25.3 Million in revenue off of it.

That is a good chunk of change, but like I said, there should DEFINITELY be some sort of tax credit/write off, where if you reside in Jersey for the entire year, you get all that money back... Cause on the other side of things, shouldn't the local businesses and government PAY YOU for living there and frequenting the beach for the other nine months? I mean, you all spend time paying for parking all year, paying into the local economy and taxes, yet they sweep you into the tourista mix when its prime time?

Damn... I know it's not THAT big of a deal, but If I lived in western PA or something and I knew if I went to Jersey for my summer vacation that I would have to pay for my family to enjoy the beach, or I could go to OC MD and not have to do so... I think I would not go to jersey. I know it won't break the bank, but for families that can travel an equal distance and enjoy the same amenities that are on a bagged lunch budget, I would say F that. Not to mention the fact that some snot nosed kid was going to come by and interrupt me while Im catching some sun to produce my pass. How annoying is that. Bet they get whored all summer long. Greasy dudes just screaming on them. Get outta here you little sh**!!! I got my beach badge right here in my trousers!

 

In Strathmere we don't have tags but if you be a female you will get tagged by ole Chavez.
Strathmere, the Bel Mar of South jersey.

 

haha, so true

 

Couple of years ago my buddy and I were surfing a late spring weekend in Avon-by-the-Sea when the lifeguards came on duty and whistled us out. It was drizzling and the water was 54 degrees. I got so pissed I went over the head lifeguard and asked him why and he said we had to get out of the water for swimmers. There were no swimmers. Not a soul.

My exact words to him were, "So you are telling me that we have to get out of the water for swimmers that do not exist. Invisible Swimmers."
I then asked him to repeat this policy to me - that we have to get out of the water for swimmers who do not exist.

He just said it was the towns' lawyers' fault. This is what pisses me off about bureaucrats. They can't ever, EVER just make a common sense judgement call. They can't seem to ever just call their boss to see if he or she can make a common sense judgement call. They just repeat the rules and say they have to enforce them. It's a pathetic state of affairs.

 

I feel your pain, but in any situation, especially when it's your job. Whether you are a bar tender, giving someone a free drink or giving someone happy hour when it's already over... Or anything. Extending someone a store discount... Once you set the precedent, they expect it every time... If its a crap law, it sucks, but that guy doesn't need a reprimand next time someone surf there and says, well, John the lifeguard let us do it last Thursday....

I am not defending their terrible policies, but I have been in situations where you try and be cool to someone, then they expect it to be the norm...

But not everyone are d-bags. I have had OC MD lifegaurds let me keep surfing WELL past the blackball time until people actually get in the water.... He gave me until about 10:30 and gave me the sign. I obliged and then walked over and shook his hand for not being a tool about it. I assume he was a surfer and I wasn't hurting anyone... I didn't expect it to happen again... But you never know who you are dealing with.

 

Forgive the iphone pic quality but got some some waves early sunday morning too. Good weekend, got to enjoy warmer water with the fun sized lines coming in before powerwashing my gf's parent's house then grilling for her fam and mine. No lifegaurds yet at the spot either and got out early enough before everyone started paddling out

I feel ya, a few years back I was surfing 8th street OCNJ in late may and the guards came on at like 10am and let me stay out til 11ish, it was nice and those guards were pretty chill about it. Even said I got some nice ones. Most likely they were surfers as well, just like you said I didn't expect it to happen again and was grateful I got to stay out as long as I did.

The whole beach tag thing is just annoying in general. I feel like this whole state just tries to nickle and dime you in every single way they can think of, I need to move outta here... Come summer time I usually try and hit it super early in the morning before anyone is out let alone the gaurds being on duty, or a couple hours before sunset after the gaurds get off. Hope you guys are ready for another summer lol