you now when you go to Assateague and you walk right out where the park ranger station is... well - there are two signs up and they say there is an underwater obstruction - what is under the water? can we surf there?
There is 2 signs saying that in Virginia Assateague. Its probably part of the old road that use to run threw there. Or those plastic cables that use to go to the houses when there was houses there. Hurricane bill and danny dug all that up. I just ignore it and surf all around it haha.
Not sure if just ignoring it is the best idea.... Why don't you ask the park ranger's? It would suck to go over the falls right onto some huge rocks the storms have brought up!!!
well - I went one day last weekened - sunday - and it was like knee or waist high and the best break was right where thoe signs were! I was afraid to surf over them and bash myself on some invisible crap...
Can you say artificial reef? Regarless of what it is. Paddle out over it when its flat..., check out the contours, and you may have found yourself a little inside man-made reef. There is an exposed sunken ship on coronado island, and when the tide pulls out and it is exposed, it creates little inside peaks on top of it... The slabs act just like reef... So, paddle out and check it out. Wear some booties when it gets warmer out.... It may be nothing, but the last guy said the best wave was right there, so the obstruction may be collecting sand in all the right places and forming solid little sand bars on the edges. You can obviously hit something, so surf it as if it is a reef. Look for boils etc and you will be fine. The setup on reefs are usually easier than sand anyway. Just avoid boils and exposed materials as you are on top of it. It depends on your skill level though, so if you are worried about going over the falls etc, I would avoid it and go to a more mellow spot. If you know what your doing it could be fun. If you dont, it could be dangerous.... There are chunks of cement and rebar, and cement stone mixed on quite a few of my favorite reef breaks. Old slab foundations that have fallen off the cliffs and are all over the reefs where I surf. It happens. Cement slabs are the same as rocks.... Just dont think of it that way. For decades, people used cement and rebar to try and hold the cliffs up, and after earthquakes and errosion, it all just falls in the water, becomes part of the reef. There is a cement slab in the middle of a cove I surf that has created a slab barrel for like 10+ years now. The thing hasnt really moved. Its sick!.... It happens all over coastlines. Because we have all pushed the limits of residential development on top of the beach, on every coast. Everywhere.... Sometimes it helps the surf, sometimes if just creates dangers.
the obstruction mentioned was there all summer. It was just in the edged of the water at mid tide, out of the water at low tide. The break is out side the bar and a good distance from the obstruction. It looked like the remains of an wooden ship wreck that was uncovered as the beach receded from erosion. Most of the time it was covered with sand. Checking with the ranger would solve any questions. As someone else mentioned there is a lot of beach there to surf and usually a more than one area breaking.
Snobowin is right on target. The "obstruction" is on the shoreline, if we're talking about the MD ranger station. An old ship wreck was exposed after one of the storms last summer. I've surfed there a half dozen times since and only saw some exposed wood, on the shore, one time. Now to get the stoke back for our waves after two weeks of pure juice in Costa...
Ancient Stumps My theory is that the "underwater obstruction" is meant for the ancient stumps that are sporadically found along the shoreline. Most are about 12-18" high, moss encrusted, and hard as a rock. You would want to hit those obstacles even just wading around. All of the DelMarVa Pennisula and the Outer Banks are part of an ancient maritime forest. This forest once extended hundreds of miles into the Atlantic during the last glaciation, but has been reduced over time due the deglaciation and subsequent rising sea levels. Hope that helps.
On the virginia side it is stumps I have seen them pulling them out and have hit a few of them getting out of the water in that spot just. They brought in a front end loader last year and pulled some out but I guess they didn't get them all. There also some old electric cable that stick out of the sand around the same area. Like everyone said it doesn't break there along the water line so you shouldn't have an issue outside of tripping over them coming in which can startle you. The only time it breaks that close it would be dumping on the beach and you probably wouldn't want to surf the beach break.
it's like a 20' long 10x10" with bolts sticking out of it prob a piece of a ship or runaway bulkhead or something running parallel to shore. i've seen it a few times on a real low tide. saw one board that it absolutely destroyed the guy was lucky it wasn't his head. it's pretty far in u'd have to be surfing high tide to get near it. personally i'm more worried about all the old a$$holes on 10' boards who think they own the place. i'm teaching my younger brother to surf this winter to avoid the idiots in the packed lineups in town and hopefully avoid that kind of vibe in the water....so far no luck even at deserted AI in feb, pretty sad. people still paddle out right where u are off the main peaks and act foolish. i keep trying to tell him surfing is about relaxing, enjoying nature, getting shacked blah blah ....don't get all fired up, which is hard for him being a total meathead sometimes. next time i'm just gonna let him loose in the parking afterwards and let and make friends his way
im with zach on this one. Wait for a flat clear day and go snorkel around out there and see what you can find. I have surfed there several times totally oblivious, on some decent sized swells too. Ignorance is (was) bliss...
If you are referring to the National Park, near the North access from the parking lot.. You are seeing what is rumored to be a part of the old spanish fleets. We started seeing it during September. It comes and goes with exposure due to seasonal changes in the beach... Grab a shovel and dig for treasure! I would definitely avoid that area, no one really knows the extent of the shipwreck. It could be 30 ft or 200 ft. It could also be exposed in the trough, so look out. I heard a few more rumors from the past lifeguard legends that they use to walk out on the shipwreck when it was exposed more, but then the Park filled in sand to cover it up... If you are not referring to the National Park near the North Access, then oh well
Actually I contacted the FBI about this "obstruction" due to their complete vagueness and concillatory additude confirms my belief that it is in fact a submerged UFO. Agents Mulder and Scully will be out there on SUP's to secure the "artifact" Later the whole area will be "painted" and a small nuclear warhead will be launched from the moon to "cleanse" the area. Oh yes we have a secret base there. Now raise your hands if you hate your parents and live in the basement.... oh I see one....three... um thats.. ten... wow quite a few on here. Now stop wasting time with this stupid surfing habit.. and do your homework!! Im not going to tell you again.. and this time I mean it.
