who here has been surfing this week?

Got a "surprise surf trip" in this past weekend. My wife told me to go to the beach for a friend's bachelor party... 45 seconds later I was packed and gone. Waste high mushy waves on Saturday at Kure Beach, but I road my buddy's Chanel Island Waterhog which was the ideal board for the conditions. Caught some fun ones and impressed the non-surfers in the bachelor party. Next oldest guy there was 20 years younger than me...

 

Moderately fun session Saturday morning in central Monmouth, about an hour and a half of knee to thigh high longboard waves, fairly mushy, some lining up okay some not so much. In terms of wave count definitely the best session I got out of the swell last week, and therefore probably objectively the most fun, though Wednesday had by far the single best waves (and otherwise a ton of paddling and frustration).

Felt like it was kind of a weird swell though. Granted, I was only able to get out in the afternoons, and missed Friday completely, but my buddy who surfed every morning W-F had a similar take on it as me... never super clean, annoying current a lot of the time, a lot of waves just not quite lining up. Surfline was calling it fair to good for a couple of the days, which I didn't quite agree with.

But I may just be a kook. I mean, I know I'm a kook... that may be the sole explanation. Been surfing rather sporadically over the past month due to a number of trips to Chicago relating to unfortunate family circumstances. Still getting out regularly when I'm home, but it's a lot of 2-3 session then a week off, and was just feeling very off in the water the last few days. Slow and tired paddling (I am still wearing a 5 mil, because I don't have a 4/3 and my 3/2 sucks), timing is off catching waves, and even kooking out on the takeoffs a surprising amount (feet can't remember where to go on the board, pop up is way too slow, now I'm overthinking it and it's even worse). Whether it's all me or the waves played a role, I'm ready to get things dialed in again, and pretty optimistic about this week's forecast.

Can't complain at all with the amount of waves we've had here in jersey recently, night and day difference from last spring when as I recall it pretty much went flat after 4/8/16 and stayed that way until the labor day hermine swell. That's an exaggeration, but I really only remember about 3 super fun sessions in that whole stretch.

 

Chanel Island Waterhog #5

 

I want to smell like a wet pig when I surf. lol

 

I pulled a semi-Barry on Sunday. I was still tired from surfing the day before and also fighting a cold/flu for over a week. The wind was blowing more and from the SE and the waves were bigger and sloppier with a goodly drift. But I decided to give it a shot anyway. My friend Diz was already out when I arrived.

The initial paddle out was kinda tough with white water every 5 seconds or so in a VAS sort of way. I had almost made it outside when a bigger wave appeared in front of me. I decided to try to go over but didn't quite make it. The wave grabbed me and my board and flung me over the falls backwards. That set the tone for the rest of my sesh.

I flailed about for a while never really getting in synch with the ocean. Caught two waves that died immediately, nothing you could call a ride. I decided not to waste my limited energy fighting the drift but after 45 minutes or so I realized my efforts were futile and paddled in to make the humiliating surfer's walk of shame a half mile down the beach.

So, it wasn't a full Barry I pulled as I did get in the water and attempt to surf but the effect was about the same. I'll get it better next time perhaps later today. Life is still goode and I still feel sorry for people that don't surf.

 

The gulf is giving up the goods today. Hope some size holds up for tomorrow

 

That was good, CB......bet a lotta folks missed it tho

 

had fun surfing White ave in Anna Maria Island during lunch through the evening. short 3' clean sets made it fun to longboard, with low tide later on making for fun shore breaks for the shortboard.

 

[video=youtube;BBDIu2HFBJ4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBDIu2HFBJ4&feature=youtu.be[/video]



fun little day down the street from me before i left for peru. just got the footage.

 

Just got back from a business trip to Florida. No surf to be had where I was. Even if I wanted to, didn't look like there was anything where I was. Stopped by the beach in Delray for a little bit on Saturday morning and it was as flat as a swimming pool. Not to my surprise. I'm glad it was, as I would have been bummed if it was going off and I didn't even have time to get in. And my flight back was delayed over 2.5 hours today.

I racked up a massive sleep deficit, so I'm gonna try to make that up tonight and probably into tomorrow afternoon. Conditions look pretty promising for me over the next few days, as I begin mostly 4 months of down time, before resuming 70-80 hour work weeks in September again.

 

Okay, so a few years ago I used to think this was the lamest thing ever. Typhoon Lagoon and things of that like. We have something similar to it in Jersey, called the Flowhouse or something. There's one in Wildwood and one on LBI. I think they're only open in the Summer and on weekends in May and September or whatever. My friend took his wife to Disney and tried to the Typhoon Lagoon and said it was pretty cool and he was the only person in there that actually surfed. Then he went back with our other friend who also surfs and they were showing everybody up, it was a bunch of other people that never surfed.

If I was at Disney, I'd probably try it just for fun.

 

Flowhouse is way different than Typhoid Lagoon in case you didn't know.

Fvck yeah I'd surf the Lagoon. My kid used to watch this Disney video over and over and over and over again, to my wife's chagrin. The video had a 5 minute Caribbean song and dance bit where it focused on these 5 kids surfing the Lagoon. The waves were about chest to shoulder high, the wind was slightly offshore and although the waves weren't pitching, they weren't crumbly either. The kids were carving and making some nice sharp turns.

It looks fun. But the new technology makes better waves.

 

Fun day with great waves and beautiful weather. Clean shoulder high waves today. The combination of offshore wind and higher tide, made the waves break nicely and allow you to lay down a bunch of turns. No barrels but just rippable clean waves.

 

looks fun Trevie
got a little session at the minislab by my house, onshore, but waist to chest and super fun, empty.

 

Made the call to leave work at lunch last night after looking at the forecast. Ended up catching solid thigh to waist (with the occasional chest) high peelers that held a solid line. Only one or two closeouts the whole afternoon. Rode my minisimms and had a blast. That thing generates so much speed that I found myself continually outrunning the wave if I wasn't paying attention. Surfed all by myself all day...one other guy on a peak about 50 yards away. I literally cannot remember the last time that happened. I caught so many waves today I lost count. Catch one, paddle back out, immediately turn around and catch another within 30 seconds or so. Not much of a wait at all. Caught so many that I was gassed after two hours and called it a day. super stoked and relaxing with a few beers.

 

Fun day in Belmar today. Best waves around.

Surfed this morning- got out at dawn and the wind was honking out of the southwest. So I drove to the spot that is shielded from the south winds (not in belmar, sorry..) fun waist to chest high peeling waves. Took the longboard- too many waves! Lol Looked a bit weak on a shortboard for all the other guys...

Probably should have went to work early and left early to surf- waves looked perfect later on!!

 

Timing is certainly everything. I could only get out for an hour at noontime today off Dam Neck, and it was lousy. Very windy. My son, who works at the Oceanfront said late afternoon there looked great.

 

Avon was fun this afternoon before the wind messed it up.

 

Noice Kandude

 

lol and I thought you could surf
you will never get tubed with your shoulders facing the beach
but here is a participation trophy, youre good man, youre good