I know everyone is gettin excited about this possible swell but are the beach breaks really gonna be able to handle a the 14-16 second interval? Obviously hurricanes have a much longer period than the usual wind swell but last time i went out during a small 14 second interval swell, it was really walled up. I know the point breaks will be able to handle it but the crowds are gonna be insane. Just wonderin what it might be like during the peak.
During longer period swells is it better to go out at a different tide than medium to short period?...specifically in the VB area.
I think most Mid-Atlantic beaches can handle anything up to 12 seconds. Anything after 12 is almost TOO GOOD for these beaches. The waves are super-powerful and often don't form correctly. The days after this swell will most likely be the best days, as it usually is with high-period swells.
Just thank the Continental Shelf for being just shallow enough to create enough drag to straighten out long period swells. I'm not worried about it, though. I know the spots that can handle it in my little slice of the EC.
If you look at the swell table, you will see the direction of this swell is forecasted to be around 130 degrees, which is SE. So, there will be a fair amount of S in the swell. This is a big difference compared to the swells we get that are ESE or due E. Even still, with the longer period waves, you have to be selective with your breaks, as certainly some breaks will hold it better then others.
