It's' probably just me, but it seems like the surf always improves when the sun goes down . Are there any spots out there that have enough lighting to do night surfing? What would it take to get some stadium lighting in our favorite surf spots? Perhaps if enough of us get together on this we can make something happen.
As much as i enjoy surfing, and I really do, the last thing I want to see up and down the beach is stadium lighting. It's a beach...not Disney World...or the Superdome. I do know what you mean though about the surf being good past dark--it always seems like the swell is peaking at night or the winds switch offshore in the evening and glass it off after dark...only by the time the morning hits it's killed it flat. Don't know where you're surfing, but 'round here, you can go surf close by one of the piers at night (albeit not legally)--they've got lights that shine down on the water. I used to go out and surf at night under those lights--back when I didn't know any better. Turns out those lights will bring up some pretty bull sharks round the piers...
In ocmd, especially in the summer, the larger hotels (ex. the carousal) have large spot lights illuminating the beach for the tourists to beach comb at night. Some of these lights make it bright enough to see what you are doing out there. Another tid bit of info that I just learned is that it takes 3 min for your eyes to adjust 1/3 of your possible night vision, 30 mins for them to adjust 2/3 of their capability, and 3 hours to be able to totally see in the dark. Maybe you could just sit in a closet for 3 hours before you want to get wet
You could go for the night vision goggles Obviously I'm not serious but that would look pretty awesome.
u can buy portable stadium lights that run on generators ive seen them prob cost a few grand but could be an idea i know red bull set up something in AC at night and did a whole tow out contest theres a video on surfline for it but its def an idea maybe even to do a night contests
Right about 36th street in OC MD that hotel puts off enough light to surf at night in the summer. We did it a handful of times over the past couple of years. You can see almost everything that is going on around you and if it is moon lit you have it made. Check it out it is a lot of fun.
that would be awesome to do. some of the streets have enough lighting. Some of the webcams show the waves at night. You can see them at 8th street sometimes.
Atlantic City with a Full Moon seems like it would be the best bet. Ive been there in the summer a couple times where it seemed light enough to think about it, the waves have never been that good when Ive been there, but the casinos have huge amounts of light
during the summer, during benny season, is it possible to surf Casino Pier at night. I've seen it done but I've never bothered to try it out myself.
i've surfed AC in pitch black. you could see a bit, but it was sketchy. then again just being in AC during the day can be a little sketchy
Night surfing theme music. . . . . . the tricky part is actually being able to SEE the waves in between the dorsal fins that you think you see as the Jaws theme song creeps through your mind. bump, bump, pah dump; bump, bump, pah dump, and just about that time something big bumps your foot beneath you and you just KNOW it's REALLY big.
As the sun goes down around dusk the wind cuts down which allows swell to roll in. When i was in Barbados I experienced this everyday like clockwork. Very noticeable swell increase. Although here in NJ I myself haven't personally noticed a huge increase in swell. Maybe because of the many wind directions here?
this isnt really a very proper statement to make - but let me expand on this. Yes, during the days when synoptic flow is weak (light winds, usually associated with a high pressure), land and sea breezes are influenced by the temperature differences between the ocean and land. So, many summer days, the winds are lighter in the mornings and at night as the air cools. But, this isn't going to effect the open ocean swells, just the conditions of the waves breaking. And, an offshore breeze compared to an onshore breeze as we know can make a big difference for a breaking wave height.
