Assateague Shape

Sorry to say but Assateague has been terrible since the big storms this winter. I check it every swell and even at dead low it looks like high tide. The sand bar is so far out it's crazy and the ditch is like 200 - 300 foot wide. I have heard of Assategue going to crap for years on end and have never seen it happen. I have fears that this might be the start of one of those spells.

 

I'm not sure I would call it mushy, pretty much unsurfable. The surf seems to just jack up on a really shallow and narrow sand bar, and pretty much shutdown with no surfable shoulder. It just peters out into a ten foot deep ditch and it's over.

 

was out there for a school trip last weekend, hence wasnt able to bring gear. But, saturday morning and afternoon looked to have some size to it. only saw stand up paddlers out, but from the looks it looked pretty fun. but the dunes are a complete wreck. no vegtastion what so ever so that could be a huge problem, especially with the current trends of coastal storms. all might be lost for a couple years, fingers crossed.

 

asseateague va will fun monday

 

There are certain sections of assategue that work extremly well...You just need a boat, car, or be willing to walk really far to find them

 

The very bottom of assateague va can have some powerful lefts, and all the way into toms cove just south of wallops island is a sand bar that breaks awesome when theres a big east swell.

 

http://www.swellinfo.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=255&pictureid=1475 the break is around the corner didnt take any pics of the break, left the camera on the boat. i guess its better then nothing
http://www.swellinfo.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=255&pictureid=1474 my little surf mobile ( i didnt name the boat)
http://www.swellinfo.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=255&pictureid=1473

 

I was out there last saturday and it seemed to be holding pretty well. I've found that at high tide, swells come in looking large, but then they don't break and peter out over the trench between the sandbars. At low tide though, it was great. It was closing out a little, but I think that was from the NE swell and Assateague has more of a SE aspect. During Bill, Assateague really held the waves nicely. And when the inevitable beatdown happened, it was in 10' of water (the trench) instead of the beach.
cheers
-g

 

Yup during Bill it was good, this summer was great, now it stinks.

 

Yes I heard last summer was awesome on Asseteague from some of the guys I surf with whom trek between Henlopen to Assateague (and all points in between). I've only been there once last summer (on an unsurfable day...I was only one trying to paddle out). Being a beginner, that place scared the crap out of me. The break was way out, and the paddle out through the sideshore currents were impossible (it was a windy and "red" day on the forecast, but I was there with the family for a day, so I had to give it a try anyway). The sideshore current was running like a fast moving river. Even trying to stand up in thigh-high water on sandbars..you'd get knocked over and washed down shore (into a rip).
I'd paddle straight out and 10 seconds later, I'd look back and find myself 100 yards down shore, no where even remotely close to the break I was trying to get to. Just way too much work for me, I packed it in after 10 minutes of floundering and built sand castles with the kids instead!

 

Hannah swell was fantastical there! If you were there then you know what I mean. SOLID 6-10ft I had some of the heaviest barrels Ive ever had there. It sucked when my leash plug broke and I was left treading water 300 yds offshore and taking 8fters on the head. Bodysurfed the rest of the way in and found my board wayyy down the beach.

 

there are def a few fun breaks around AI,VA. Got it real fun two weeks ago, but you gotta take a long hike to find the spot. But yeah, if you pull up and look out front, it is terrible...

 

i havent been down since the early fall. sports have been taking up my time. assisteague is a great place. its where i learned to surf