Bertha - New Jersey

Spent a year or two travelling to work in RI, but never surfed. I'd like to see pics of this swell for that location, no need to name spots, just pics

 

I would love to see some pics too. We always see NJ, Florida and OBX in mags and online. I would like to see some Rhody or mass pics from this swell.

 

this swell is a hoax. i wasn't expecting much, maybe like 3-4 ft, but man this was a dog of a swell. whoever says they caught it epic or whatever needs to cough-up some pictures, or else it never happened.

 

Im just curious why most people were wearing fullsuits?

 

Man I'm looking at an RI cam and I'm really not that bent outta shape about missing today...buoy reading is solid, thinking I'm looking at the wrong piece of coast...fun, and better than work? Absolutely. But not gonna beat myself up over this.

Heard from a buddy the other side was good, but I've yet to see pics.

 

See the link I posted in the "Bertha Pics" thread. Nothing Epic, but it gives you a pretty good look at how everything was looking from Florida to Jersey. OBX got a couple feet OH, but everywhere else was maxing around head high and fun....

I am just wondering why everyone thought it was going to be bigger than that. IMO, we were lucky to get it as good as we did. It was a weak cane, almost never even developed into cane status, it stayed way off shore and a week ago, we were all convinced it was going to either spin into the gulf or just die.

Our forecasts down here always indicated 3-4ft+ and that is what we got.

We were all excited to get surf this time of year, but my expectations must have been a lot lower than others were.

 

i thought about it.

 

Wow little ricky is a b!tch eh?

anyone pm me and I will tell you an empty spot for next swell in jersey. guaranteed empty, no joke, and accessible so long as you have 5 dollars

no jetties, so if its too big, it might not work, but anything up to a bit overhead will work just fine.

 

Agreed and I'll try to assist with that. Brought the hand held water cam so we could take turns getting lineup footage though the sets were steady enough where we had to paddle out back on the reg to not get rained on. Afternoon sesh coming up. As for Mass pics of this swell, it won't likely be notable. Swell direction is an issue plus the Cape blockage plus Bertha baby veering ENE by the time she got up that high.

McLovin, this is a dope Rhodey swell no doubt. It's not all-time by any means on aesthetics, albeit a great swell. Thought the refraction would be better than it was for 12s dominant period and 11s average wave period. Interested to see what other spots looked like around here today.

Haven't read this whole tread yet, how were the 23-footers at BelMar? Honestly, bros, can you complain about this swell? No landfall in Jerz, no damage, not even bad weather, and a good day of surf. Power up the hype train again.

 

Ask and receive Emass...

Jumped in this morning in the dark and paddled out...rode my fish after looking at it (Waves were chest high on set--long lull between--but what do you expect with a ground swell). one other guy was behind as I paddled out (thanks for the wax). We surfed a certain Belmar jetty for about 15-20 minutes before the we saw another guy. But by 5:45...10-15 people...by time I got out at 6:30...easily 25+ and more were walking in as I drove off. bummed I couldn't stay longer, but glad I got in...but knew that everyone and their mother were planning on surfing this swell. Funny as the day before I heard both the morning and evening were fun and nothing like the crowd today...

Waves were 3-4'...didn't really have to hassle anyone...water was warm and I expected the crowds...it is summer after all...fun stuff...but I'm with Zach...didn't really think this would be anything super spectacuular especially in light of how weak a 'cane it was...fun, but not a NE'er.

 

I agree with zach, with the track/strength of this storm if you expected something epic, well that's your own fault, not the swell

 

I wore a spring suit. Was fairly dark when I paddled out, so a little chilly, but mostly because I'm a sissy with those damn jelly eggs. I had to go to straight to work; Last thing I need is those damn things stuck in my chest hair under a dress shirt all day.

I always lower my expectations for tropical swells. It's always crowded, often with long lines and closeouts etc. but it's better than struggling to milk a barely waist high wave, which is most of the summer's conditions. And every once in a while, you get one that is flat out awesome. OK Bertha wasn't awesome, but it was still fun.

The crowd was extra large today, and they filled in early, but half the summer crowd can't really surf, so it's never as bad as it looks. I ended up having to surf longer than I expected to grab a satisfying wave count, but it's summer and I'll take it!

It really didn't even feel like tropical swell. The head high sets were few and far between, but they were there, and in between the head high sets were some nice chest high nuggets. None of it was punishing at all, and I think that is a big part of the reason it was so crowded. Nothing to clean-up or keep out the beginners. Despite the crowd, other then a guy on an SUP getting a tongue lashing (well deserved), everyone seemed to be playing nice.

When I looked back at it as I was leaving, it still looked pretty damn fun. Real crowded, but fun. If had just rolled up and saw that crowd, it still would have warranted a paddle out in my book.

 

Showed up in your area a little after 11. There were a lot closeouts, but some fun ones here and there. Not many people, and only a few kooks - who didn't stick around long. On the cam OC looked much better, but also far more crowded.

 

what was that movie with one of the wayans brothers, it was about football and in the opening scene he runs through the football field just blasting people with a handgun.

Just saying ... that's how I feel.

 

nj got something all right. It got every human that should have been an abortion flopping around hurling weapons at you.

 

I got it good, two days in a row, morning to night. Still I have heard horror stories of the NJ crowds and if I was still living there I think I would have walked away. Not for lack of love, but being unwilling to sacrifice the fun and peace of an uncrowded lineup vs a friggin mob scene all waiting for the same 3 wave set. It is possible even in that crowd to eek out a secession. Sit inside, nail the reforms, walk to a sh*ty spot and surf it in peace. But again surfing can loose its luster with so much noise on a potentially fun day.

 

Lived in Seaside 2008-13 and had to build my own private map of the breaks in Island Beach State Park. My work took me to Wash State and here the waves are often shoulder high and empty. I always thought that only wilderness lied above Santa Cruz, but here in Wash we have the warmest water north of So Cal.

- though your comments do bring back plenty of memories!

 

My evening session restored my faith in surfing. Fun showing Jr. that dad still has it. Found a beach going off and it was just me and my oldest son. What a blast.

 

Yeah, I was all hot and horney to cruise out to hit this, but the surf cam looked tiny at best with 20 guys at 6am...did it ever get bigger than ankle high? I ended up just going to work and not looking back

 

fun, warm, head high at home in the summer... no complaints!