East coast hurricane stories.

Been many a fond cane swell to speak of(as far as recent ones, Cristobal made my spot better than I've ever seen it) but as far as biggest, most memorable, for me that's Hurricane Luis in '95. Talked aboot it here before, but since we're on the subject, I'll do it againe.

And cornstarch, if that's what you really believe, wait for the right storm and head North.

Anyway, called the Watershed surf report that morning and clearly remember Peter Pan's voice frothing, saying how GH was looking like mini-Pipe. So that was our first stop, and as we made our way up the South coast every spot was firing. Easily 10-12' faces. Spitting, barrelling madness. I was 14 at the time, never thought I'd see waves like that on the EC. Way out of my league at the time.

So we head up the bay to a point I knew about, a spot I'd go to when I wanted something smaller than what was going on elsewhere. It's a cove with a long left point when working and then beach break peaks to the other end of the cove. Easily 10' on the face, we got destroyed trying to paddle out at the beachie. Meanwhile I'm watching these big lefts reel from the point, I find myself in the channel, and next thing ya know I'm out there. My first time in what I considered to be big(relatively), long period surf. I couldn't catch sh!t.

Paddled for several waves but just couldn't get on them. Started to freak out a little and contemplated trying to walk in on the rocks, which as we all know could have easily been disastrous. Finally, I'm in position and a solid one comes right to me. I made it, a screaming fkn left, I remember looking back at the barrel thinking please god let me stay ahead of this thing. Rode it all the way to the sand and that was my one wave for the day.

Took a ride up to PJ at that point just to see what was going on. Againe, mind blown. Never thought I'd see anything like this here. The spot just south of teh point was heaving, you could see the spray before you even rode up the little hill overlooking the point. It was huge, dudes were charging. I clearly remember a catamaran heading out of the breakwater, and once it was in open water, the mast would disappear b/t the troughs of waves.

That day was amazing in so many ways but it also kinda focked with my mind. I've only really been out in anything comparable a couple times since. And while I'm not ruling out more size in the right spot, preferably a warm one, I'll never forget the feeling of being way out, not being able to catch a wave, for a few moments, pure hopelessness, followed by an adrenaline spike I hadn't yet to that point in my life.

 

In NJ, or another state? It was quite manageable that morning in NJ. Clean long period with lulls in between.

 

unfortunately this is not true on the west coast.

 

In NH, early morning. Damn storm was sitting offshore from us. I hadn't seen surf that big in this area before, and have not since. Based on what I just viewed above for Ruggles, I am going to say the waves were a bit larger here, but...not as well organized as those in RI.

 

That was a good one. If I'm thinking of the right storm I surfed 3rd street in Ocean City that swell with a small crew in the water with Luke Dittella and Zach Humphries being the standouts. About as big as Ocean City can hold.

 

Best Hurricane swell for me was one over Labor Day Weekend back in the mid to late 90s. We went down to Cape May to find the best Left Barrel I've ever surfed. It was breaking like a machine with the sort of tubes you dream about running for 100+ yards down the beach with an easy take off. As close to those Skeleton Bay videos as I'll ever see.

Another memorable one was a big storm that passed by in 1994. I was newly married at the time and my new wife tagged along after work and had never seen waves like that before. I paddled out alone on my 7'6 Brewer mini-gun at the Ventnor Pier. It was cloud breaking more than twice the length of the pier out to sea with a good current running. It was absolutely massive out there. I caught 2 or 3 really fun rides and paddled in beyond the MARGATE Pier at dark. I made the long hike back to the Ventnor Pier to find my wife in a complete panic thinking I'd been lost at sea. She was freaked out!!!

 

Two Labor day Weekend mid-late 1990s hurricane swells come to mind:

1996 Hurricane Eduaord
1998 Cindy/Dennis

Eduoard was the bigger of the two....really solid solid swell. Almost perfect track up 70 west and a major hurricane. Conditions in Delaware were kind of out of control, but i could see Cape May holding it better.

 

I remember checking it at wb that morning. Saw a bunch of dudes paddle out and get swept a 1/2 mile and not make it out. Got the call about Holden and went that direction. Solid day. I snapped a quick pic with my cell phone at wb.

 

Almost forgot an absolute gem a couple summers back. It was the first week of September in 2014 and I had rented a house last minute down in Hatteras after seeing a storm pop up off of Africa. We got 7 consecutive days of flawless surf. The first part of the week we had building ground swell on the south side with light or offshore winds every day. I shot a ton of pics this swell because I'd surf my ass off and it would still be good when I'd go in. These shots will give you a good idea of what we had on the south side the first half of the week.

My oldest.











After the storm passed by the action moved to Buxton and points North for the rest of the week. On the best day while the crowd was all up at the lighthouse where I'm sure it was epic (but mobbed) Myself, my son, Rob Kelly and Jessie Heilman scored an epic sandbar all to ourselves for 8 hours somewhere North of Buxton. There was not a drop of water out of place the whole day at this sandbar. We surfed for 8 hours then split to get food then returned before dark to get another two hours of perfection with just myself Rob and my son. After surfing my ass off in the morning I got out for a bit and shot some pictures and here is a sample. Enjoy.

 

Continued.........

Robert.







Jessie





These last two were part of a tack sharp 10 shot sequence of Jessie getting shacked off his arse.






As the week went on the swell faded and was followed by epic sessions at S-turns and other spots around Rodanthe. 7 days of glassy or offshore waves and it never went below chest high. A trip to remember for all of us.

 

I never been to all the states on the ec,everywhere is usually the same,but Montauk is the answer for people who says waves don't get that big on the eastcoast.idk maybe there is bigger spots like ruggles and up there,dont know that area for shyt,but the north end of li can handle just about anything thrown at her.iv seen triple overhead waves there by Hawaiian standards,nj standards 8' is triple overhead ....its just so nice up there,havnt been there in years but its so much nicer than jersey

 

Whoever says it don't get big on the EC is on dope.

How does one account for all those shipwrecks?

 

Let em keep thinking that kid, it doesn't happen every day, but every year there are some days that are f'ing scary big

 

Yeah, I keep telling myself that I'd paddle out into big Reef Road...reality is, prolly not. Have to see it, I guess.

Big, warm surf is one thing. Big cold surf is something else.

I'm curious as to how far out the surf was breaking in OCMD during the "End of Days" swell. I know they towed out to it, but I've seen guys in the EC doing step-off's in 4 ft. surf too. Pretty lame.

 

This is probably one of the best threads I've read on here in a while every post has me interested so here mine..... I was in highschool and only one of my friends could drive at the time so we head down to seaside for the weekend to get F'd up and pick up some girls (way before the Guido era) we were paying people to buy us beer stayed at some sketchy motel and all night I was drinking and toking up for 24 hours. There was some hurricane I don't remember which one but it was passing the coast while we were partying so at about 5 some of my buddies started passing out all the girls left and I grab my board and start paddling out before the sun rose, on the left side of the peir I noticed it was big but sloppy but as the sun came up it got bigger and perfectly clean and i was having the best session of my life getting shacked almost every wave then way out I see a set coming with a monster in the back I paddled my a** off to beat everyone to the peak when I finally turned I noticed I was dead center of the peir and caught the longest barrel and wave of my life it was easy 15' face maybe bigger stayed in for a few more hours got out had breakfast and went back in when we were leaving I was in ecstasy of that wave which was the biggest of the day that I saw, I didnt' even care about the girl I scored with because it wasn't even close to that morning session, man what a weekend

 

From the July 4th swell you mentioned... that was weird

 

Cool thread!

Hurricane Sandy was one of the most epic days for me. The morning started out with NE winds blowing HARD, maybe 30-40mph. I packed all the kite stuff in the truck thinking I would be able to get a short kite session in before the wind shifted offshore then surf all day. I called 3 of my kite buddies and we met at the north point of the island near Morris Island Lighthouse inlet.

The conditions were SKETCHY, side/offshore wind (VERY inconsistent wind and lully), passing rain squals and an outgoing tide/current. With all that aside, I knew right away I was going to risk it and go out. The waves were absolutely amazing! It was overhead and breaking like a left point from the outside inlet cloudbreak sandbar allllllllll the way to the inside, about 300-500 yards on the inside. This is the absolute perfect scenario for an epic kite session.

There would have been no way in living hell that anyone would have paddled out or taken a jetski into that inlet with the conditions and massive waves but with the kite anything was possible. I rigged my smallest kite and double checked all my gear. If you dump your kite or tangle your lines in conditions like that, you would have to swim in. I knew with the conditions, that was basically a death sentence.

I tacked upwind maybe 1/2 mile inside the inlet where the waves were smaller and safer. I made it to the top of the "point" and into the lineup. At this point im about 3/4 of a mile from where I launched straight out into the open ocean. Im in the middle of the inlet with cloudbreaking waves about 6-8ft with a few monster sets, This was not a place to f** up! I was shaking with excitement and 100% pure fear mixed with addrenalin.

I waited for a decent set and took the first wave.... With these conditions and point style waves you just set the kite in front of you (down the line) and smash the wave to pieces with full power and hauling as*. Im goofy foot and the sight of a 500 yard long left was absolutely mesmerizing. My first wave i surfed all the way to the inside, probably did 20-30 turns, kicked out realized I probably was about to have the best kite session of my life.

I kited for maybe 2 hours with 3 of my closest kite buddies before the wind switched too offshore and we had to come in. The look on everyones face said it all. Just surviving those conditions was an accomplishment in itself. The danger of the session and the ridiculous waves just added to the pure stoke of the session. That is still to this day, the only time I got a legit barrel with the kite and still the best hurricane session surfing or kiting I have ever had.

We later found out that a telephone pole had fallen over the road on the way to the point. We had the whole island to ourselves! And that is the story of the most epic hurricane session ever, the end!


Heres a pic of the inlet, you can see the sandbar from the very top of the inlet to the inside.


Pulled back image of inlet



This is the only picture I got. Rigged up and ready to go out with the nasty storm in the background.

 

I caught Hurricane Gert at the Boilers on Hatteras few hours before they evacuated the island .Very big day ,sunny and scary as **** ,got a big crease crack in top of my board where it almost broke . That was some epic swell that made the covers of both surfing and surfer with waves on the whole east coast .