This goes out to people from new jersey....

Haha, no I got the humor in it for sure. And I also got the humor in where everyone else placed my current state. But being in a place that DEFINITELY aint in the running for best surf on the east coast, I feel like I can give an unbiased opinion....

I love jersey and all the homies up there. I know they get it good, a lot more than I do. I have been on this site for years though, and I know most people on it are in Jersey for whatever reason. I have heard the "Ohh yeah, you can have that warm water and mushy surf down in Florida, JERSEY RULES". Must have heard that 100 times. And I get that. Any one of us is going to stick our chests out and defend our land and explain why we are the smart ones, who reside in the surf capital of the world and all that. Guess my whole beef is that, most of our surf ALWAYS sucks... So the few times a year, any given place ACTUALLY gets good, it's rare. Maybe on an average, chest high day, Jersey for the most part gets more hollow than Northern Florida does... Cool... I just see a lot of the big surf up there, MD included usually being gnarly to the point where no one is surfing it. once it gets so big, no body is really out there doing it...

In my opinion, there are just way more spots down in Florida that are setup to handle real, legit swells. I mean, as much as the ocean can throw, a few spots can hold...

Anyway, rant over... It's just funny how much jersey pride everyone has... Props to y'all for that. I just want to see all this charging.

 

Sean Killarney, Montauk NY... St. Patty's swell. 07'

 

Nice shot. A few feet shy of 15, but solid wave for sure.

 

I dont get all the competition regarding east coast states and spots. Its all the same. I dont care what anyone here says. The fact is the east coast is from Maine to florida is inconsistent and does not get nearly as big as the pacific ocean. I love surfing here in NJ though, and i think that because east coast surfers have to grovel a little more, we have a little more spice! I would have no reason to want to travel anywhere if we got one swell a week here, short or long period.

 

True statement there.

 

Your argument is ridiculous zach. Of course central FL gets better than Jersey when it gets real big, they have reefs. But it doesn't happen enough to warrant FL to be considered a better overall location than the NE. As far as guys surfing better in FL, I would love to see those thin blooded floridians try to put on 5/4s and surf up here. They would look like we do, stiff to say the least.

 

that is a marvelous photo.
centered. lit. action. drama. cool colors….

 

Mike Nelson took it.

 

No way Bells is bigger than Waimea bro.

 

I think "ridiculous" is a stretch. But yeah, when its huge, of course florida handles it better. And when its a little bit overhead, my point is, those spots handle it better too. Like I said, not taking shots at Jersey here. Just trying to keep it real. With over 300 days of the year offering surf, I am sure that the average surfer in central Florida is in the water more than the average surfer in jersey, and in an calendar year, I "bet" you that your average florida surfer clocks a lot more "epic" days by their standards than anywhere up there.

I will give you the hoods and stuff. That is hardcore for sure. I never said that florida surfers are better. I just mentioned that I see plenty of sick barrels and sick surfing out of florida, in the surf media every year. There are always handfuls from Jersey too, but there is a serious talent bed down in Florida, EVERYONE knows it. Its just a numbers game. There are more days to surf down there, different kinds of waves, which are better to cross train on and its just a more comfortable environment....

One day jersey is better and more fun than Florida, the next is opposite.

But to your point, Florida gets MORE swell than jersey on an annual average. Take that for what it is. Call a lot of it mushy, but I "bet" you there are plenty of crap days in jersey too.

Just saying, its more consistent down there. When it gets really big, its better down there. They have a variety of waves. The water is warm. I mean... I don't really know what the argument would possibly be for jersey being a better place to be a surfer. Jersey gets its epic days, no doubt. Those overhead, perfect offshore days. I get amped up for anybody getting that.... But anyone that thinks Floridians aren't getting barreled too, and surfing all year in fun, consistent surf is kidding themselves.

Unless you guys have some top secret info, there is nothing even similar in Jersey to Sebastian Inlet, Reef Road, Pump house, NSB or anywhere in that region. All those spots get crazy epic. NSB and sebastian break all the time, all year long.

I can't see how my opinion here could be hailed as "ridiculous". You could disagree, but I think I have provided plenty of photographic evidence and stated facts that would at least make a strong argument for Florida wearing the crown for east coast surfing. Thats all.

I even posted photos of all these places going off in non Sandy situations. I mean, reef road on a head high die looks better than anything I have seen from Georgia to New York... Never surfed north of there, so I can't say what happens in that area. And just cause I surfed jersey on a few bad days doesn't mean anything either.

I am just saying, show me the money. Show me why Jersey is so much better than Florida. I put up enough juice from Florida to make a strong argument.

 

Haha! ! ! !

 

<----- Says the guys who isn't from Florida and has no affiliation with them. Its funny that I felt the need to run to their defense today.

 

we have an inlet here that gets pretty damn good

 

Sandy was just another named storm that met up with a Seperate Nor Easter.

Hurricane Sandy is not even on the top 20 "most intense" atlantic hurricanes in the past 50 years (Hurricane Severity Index)

Matter of fact, the ONLY category out of 10 that Sandy is even noted on, is the diameter index. Sandy finished by having one of the largest gale diameters, but only when it combined with another storm late in the game.

So, not belittling Sandy. Again, I think all the people living in Jersey just feel a certain way about Sandy, mainly because of the destruction. It sucks, cause it made land fall on you guys, which makes it seem worse, but the surf down here in the South East was no better than any other storms. Florida got it really good and Delmarva got it unsurfably good, but were able to get the skis out and get some of the coolest footage ever... But other than that, Sandy was just a Hurricane... Not a 50 year storm.

 

Your point is ridiculous because you have not lived in either FL or NJ, so your opinion is based off of pictures and the handful of times you've surfed at these places. I don't need pictures to prove a thing. My experience living in FL for 2 years and 34 in NJ speaks for itself. Honestly, stick your pics up yo ass.

 

Like I said, there are hundreds of other photos. Just google it, of Florida going off on every named hurricane ever. Same as Jersey. It doesn't take some 50 year storm to make reef road barrel. Not sure why you guys keep making it seem that way. Those places break every year, numerous times and sometimes quite frequently.

Point is: Its the east coast. We all need some storm system to roll right up next to us to get anything good. Every storm, is pretty much the same deal. Starts in Florida and works its way up. Sometimes its too close to Florida and the surf sucks early and sometimes they get too close to shore in Jersey and take out the whole coast... Its all the same song and dance. We could argue all day over which named hurricane went off best in what state for the past 20 years. Its all different.

Neither Jersey nor Florida need a hurricane to make the surf fun. I bet anyone that lives in Jersey that went down to Sebastian inlet on a OH+ day would not only be impressed, they would have a blast. And anyone that went up to Jersey and caught the inlet that you guys mentioned on a OH+ day in the fall with light off shores would have a blast....

Ya just can't take away from those reefs and setups down there. Some of them are nothing to look down your nose at. On a good day, they have world class waves down there.

 

Haha. There you go with the typical, "If you haven't surfed pipeline, you don't have the right to speak on it". Rubbish. Didn't you say you lived in JAX? That makes your point no more valid than mine.

A picture is worth 1000 words. And still, no one repping jersey has brought anything to the table. I know, I know, you jersey guys dont do photos. You are all too hard core. You guys break cameras right?

 

NSB is definitely more consistent. Reef Road is legit.
Show me a Pumphouse pic that's not from Sandy. Sebastian? Come on.

Reef Road is the only spot mentioned I'd say is better.

Not saying one state is better than the other. It's all personal preference.

 

I posted 5-6 earlier in the thread at pump house. Of course pump house is less consistent and that is well documented....

And man, the refraction and everything that goes on at Sebastian inlet is pretty amazing, like a wimpy, reverse version of the wedge. It can make a head high day unreal. So, not sure what you would say negatively about it.

This was just to spark some thought over the topic. People stay taking shots at the guys in Florida on this site. Never "lived" in either place, but been to both many times, and I have been far more impressed with the body of work, in the surfing world, that Florida has given to the world.

Its okay though. Even when I lived and surfed in Maryland, the guys from Jersey always swore that the waves were always better and bigger in Jersey, no matter the situation. Maybe most of the time they were right.... Who knows.

I am just saying if you aim the same size swell from the right angles at New Jersey or Florida and you asked me where I would like to go surf. I am going to one of the numerous, really good spots in Florida. That is just me.

Nothing wrong with hometown bias. I think that is mostly what it is. Of course a guy that lived in Jersey for 34 years and loves it there is going to disagree... Thats human nature.