who here has been surfing this week?

Me and the 4 other Betties blew off work to go surfing this morning in Cocoa Beach since our local spot looked like it would barely be rideable, if that.

We had a blast on these rolling knee and thigh high sets, just one long ride after another. They were the kind where you felt like you had forever to get up and turn the board, very forgiving, but had some decent speed to them for the size.

And, instead of 86 degree water, we had 82 due to the Gulfstream I guess. So refreshing and a good break from the relentless heat the past two months. The water was murkier instead of aqua, but way more fun. One pal said it reminded her of surfing Jersey in the summer of her adolescence, minus the sewage.

And it wasn't too crowded early on so we pretty much had the run of the place. Life is wonderful!

 

I got out on Tuesday for a little bit of windslop action. Tried to pop up for the first time in almost 2 years. Couldn't get it done. I was frustrated but happy to be in the water regardless. Woke up early Wednesday to chest high and semi glassy. Paddled out again with no real expectations. First wave that came to me I paddled into and belly rode cause it was too good to blow it with my inability to get up. Next one comes and its even better. So I turn and stroke into it and sloppily get to my feet and boom I'm actually surfing for the first time in forever. Nice long ride finished off with a little floater on the inside. I claimed that **** like de Souza when he needs a score. Got several more that day but I'll never forget that first one. Damn it feels good to be a surfer.

 

I'm not entirely sure this counts, but here goes.

So the last few days the water here in RI has been very clear. I took my daughter to a beach near my house a couple of days ago and was shocked at the clarity. This is in a bay/cove type set up. So today I decided to take the SUP out to some nice looking reef formations I spotted out there a few weeks ago, strap on the mask and fins, and see what's lurking down there.

I paddled out along one side of the cove, but the vis was crap. We had rain a day or two ago and I think that killed it...figures. I gave it a few tries and it was just too murky. So I paddled to the other side of the cove where there appeared to be a nice wall. I managed to find what I would call a "pocket" of clear water...it was the weirdest thing. The water was generally murky, but there were these little pools that were a few feet clearer. It shows up very obviously on my Go Proe. Anyway, I dove the wall where it was better vis and it was pretty neat. A good drop, probably about 20' which is about as deep as I can go on my lame breath hold at this time. I took some video but nothing really good came out.

Anyway, did that for a while and then paddled in. Just before the beach I caught this wave, like maybe 6" or so, and rode it in. Dropped off my gear by two nice ladies on the beach and headed back out on the SUP. Caught about 5 waves, all around 6" or so, but on my 11' SUP they were still rideable in a way. I don't know if I'd even call them waves rather than ripples. Regardless, I got a couple, and then came home.

I'm glad I at least got wet today.

This is about the best shot from the day. On the left you can kind of make out the wall above the water; the drop off kinda bent back under the wall almost like a cave, but the video didn't come out good.

 

^^ Glad you got out and all but is that what passes for "clear" water up north? That looks more like Indian River Lagoon during the blue-green algae outbreak.

 

Unfortunately....yes.

I really try to see everything as a glass half-full here. It's been a real adjustment from Hawaii.

 

Fair enough, lemons into lemonade. Againe, not meaning to harsh on you. I don't think our worst clarity days down here are even like that. And the really good days, well, you know.

 

Huh?? And what, pray tell, happened to your daughter?? Did you leave her out at that reef?? Feed her to sharks???

 

LOL. I took her there like 3 days ago. Today she was playing Minecraft at home while I went on my paddle excursion.

Have I been around long enough to say, "O Barry" yet?

 

It was not quite flat, ankle high with some shin high sets, but we managed to have fun! There is a modest cold water upwelling which chilled the ocean down to about 81-82 thankfully.

We broke out the waterproof cards and played blackjack in the lineup which was hilarious!

The water was that South Florida aqua color crystal clear, you could see every grain of sand on the bottom.

Valhalla and his wife saw the forecast and decided not to make the two hour drive. Totally understandable. So, we missed them. There was a nice guy from Ft. Lauderdale, a regular, who did come and was having fun surfing backwards

The conversation and trash talking punctuated the occasional quick ride. It was def worth getting up at 4:30 for and sunrise was beautiful.

There might be a small bump midweek, hope so since I got a morning off.

 

Of course you have been.........I mean, if I can call everybody "moron".........

 

Yup, I got up at 4:30, drove 2 minutes to the beach at daybreak, and surfed very small surf and then took a 1 hour paddle on my longboard. Was worth getting up--sky was fiery red as the sun climbed out of the water.
Waiting for that storm you promised me.......

 

BTW, I just viewed (for no more than 30 seconds) the Huntington Beach Surfing contest US Open.
What garbage. No waves; wind slop.
It should have been cancelled/postponed.

 

Good stuff, Betty. Glad you found something. I was checking the cam and saw everybody clustered close together. I guess that was the blackjack game LOL. Backwards Surfing Mike is a good guy, always has a smile. We should have some 5 second choppe here next week but we're gonna try to get up there Wednesday if the wind is not too bad. Good to hear the water is a bit cooler. Hope it stays that way cuz it's been hotter than balls lately.

 

To the OP - nope

 

Got on the water today for the first time in almost a month. Hell, maybe over a month. Between the move upstate and the two weeks back on the EC flatness, I can't keep track anymore. Hit up the Sonoma coast and it was 9s period which is obvi bunk in these parts but was good to get out there again. Got my arse handed to me in the choppe. Was way undergunned for paddling but will remedy that tomorrow. Always nice to see a wahine rip it up in the lineup too. The nature up here is unreal. It's like Oregon but better. It's fun just to drive up and down the coast and damn, once you get up to Ft. Ross it's high as hell. They should have guardrails on those winding roads. Wonder how many cats drive off the cliffe and don't stop tumbling. Yeah, offshoures in the mourning.

 

1-2 foot with light winds this afternoon in Maryland. gutless little peaks that were reasonably fun on a mini simmons type plank. water was just tropical...clear to the bottom, greenish-blue, upper 70s to maybe 80.

 

Out with my son yesterday afternoon, which was a treat in itself. Surfline said "flat", but it was knee high and enough to push a longboard. Water was clear and warming up again - almost 80. Lots of dolphin. Returned home just a few minutes before the big rain storm hit that flooded our street and several cars.

 

DosXX - That storm was pretty hefty. I lost power for about 3 hours. Every once in a while it would come on for a few seconds, cut back out, and you would hear an echo of electricity surging through the power poles. Never heard anything like it. Drove out to ocean view to see some flooding... lots of cars sucking up water out there. People are silly.

Anyway, I had a great short weekend in Frisco. Went down at about 3:30 am Saturday morning. Popped into Walmart and stocked up on Busch beer, water, and hot dogs. headed the rest of the way down to Frisco and pulled off onto Billy Mitchell rd. where i was able to find a nice campsite with some trees to set up the hammock (just got a mosquito net for that sum'b1tch which was a necessity) and drove out on the beach for a surf.

Wound up with some waist high waves - solid chest high sets - with a little surface chop but still lining up very well. Surfed my buddies Dewey Weber 8'4" longboard for about 2-1/2 hours and headed back for some food an a nap. Woke up and did it all again. This time out I ended up sneaking into a little frontside barrel which surprised the sh1t out of me considering we had (light) onshore winds.

Swell held until about 3 o'clock and started getting sloppy. chilled in the hammock for a while before cooking some hot dogs.

So I'm sitting there cooking hot dogs right? start to hear some thunder which is becoming louder and more frequent. start thinking to myself, wow it timed this just right ill finish up just before the storm rolls in... Well in the end I did finish before the rain came... but only after all three of my dogs rolled off the grill (fvcking ball parks plumped and bubbled themselves into a death roll) and landed in the sand. Not to fret i rinsed them of with some water and wiped them clean with a towel. They were a little gritty but not too bad.

I got everything ready for the rain, took my hot dogs down to the beach and watched the storm roll in. It was pretty sick.

I could see the skies were more clear down south so i decided to make a run down to Hatteras and try my luck fishing. Lots of little bites but no fishes.

Drove back up to the campground and slept like a baby. Got up early to check the waves, pretty blown out in Frisco so i figured i would see if any of the swell was starting to wrap the east facing beaches where i knew the winds would be more favorable. No luck, skim looked sick though.

started driving north and stopped off a couple ramps along the way. Fished for a while in Avon still with no luck. Helped some tourist who had gotten their 2015 Jeep Cherokee stuck right in the middle of the entrance to the beach(they hadn't taken any air pressure out of their tires). Felt good to be able to help though, never fun being stuck in the sand.

Cleaning the truck out after this trip was a nightmare... unpacking and cleaning sh1t in what felt like 100 degree weather.

All in all it was an awesome trip and some much needed "get the fvck out and do your thing" time.

 

Surf's been flat (relatively speaking) but water's been warm (63, relatively speaking) for over a week.

Surf picked up this week, but water dropped to 51.

Da fuq

 

Surfed upper trestles this morning.
Left the house at 4, in the lineup by 5:30.

Only 5 guys out when I paddled. 49 heads counted when I left. Still it was amazing. Caught about 10 sets 4-5'
Got a lil barrel on the inside right.

Fvcking stokedddd.