Best waves ridden on the East Coast?

I've had a few really good days at Poverty Beach in Cape May, it's been quite a few years though. I even had a couple days where it wasn't crowded and there weren't a million Delaware, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maryland, etc, license plates everywhere, like when there's a huge swell. Usually from a nor'easter. And that's seriously how far people come from to surf there on a Nor'easter. It's insane.

I was fortunate to live there for almost 2 years and caught some really good days there. Some very crowded ones, other not so crowded ones. I only make it into town during the summer and a few days throughout the rest of the year. Like today and over the holidays, since my best friend's parents and family live there. So while I go there at least weekly during the summer and every couple months at other times of the year, I don't have the luxury of pedaling a bike down to Poverty and checking it out. It only had a dozen days a year where it was really firing. I still talk with some locals who say it's even fewer and far between that you score there these days. Even when I surf in Cape May like today, Poverty usually has nothing going.

But it was amazing when it was on. There were a couple good days that I enjoyed right before Irene, back in August of 2011. And for me, I always prefer August and September with the lack of rubber to the later fall and winter months in Jersey. Even though there's a million roaches floating around in the water on their borts during those two months.

 

Yea... many, many memories of Poverty on big hurricane swells and nor'easters growing up as a kid. It seemed Poverty was the only beach in CM that could handle it when it got big... probably because it didn't have any jetties breaking it up. The typical go-to's were Stockton/Backyard, Philly, Trenton and Queen Street when it was smaller. But if it got big... Poverty. But this was 40 years ago. Still... I haven't seen it break as good since they started pumping sand there back in the 90s.

 

I was able to surf there a few times in the 90's, but had a few nice times there this millienium as well.

Sometimes I second guess buying in Manasquan and not Cape May, since I've always loved Cape May. It would have to be by the beach though. Not up in Cape May Court House or Lower Township or whatever. But with the business I had, which I primarily did work in Monmouth and Ocean Counties, aside from builders and contractors in Atlantic and Ocean, I bought in Manasquan instead. It was a tie between Manasquan and Cape May for my favorite beach town. Had been going to both for years, but they're over a 100 miles apart. With my current job, Manasquan is already far enough of a commute. Cape May would be like 150 miles one way!

Wish Poverty was more frequent though.

 

Buying in 'squan wasn't a mistake, brother. For 3 years, when I was going to Rutgers, that was my spot. I miss it.

 

If that was back in 06 or 07, I was at the Inlet that day too. Wasn't living in Manasquan then, hadn't bought this house but came down for a day to surf. It was a pretty nice day and wasn't too ultra crowded, probably because of how cold it was. The water must have been 34 degrees that day, not even kidding! Air temps were probably 23 or maybe even less. I love the Inlet, I'm only a few minute bicycle ride from there. But I always get annoyed during the Summer when I see 25-35 boards out there mid day, even on a flat day or ankle high. Just floating around and trying to be seen on their boards. The good thing is that when it's a waist high during the Summer, there's sometimes fewer people out there at after hours after 6:00 PM than there is when it's ankle high or flat and around mid afternoon. It's pretty hilarious sometimes.

I've had some good times at Broadway too. My friend would always rent 2 weeks there with his wife and daughter, back before they split. Over in those townhomes on the street next Broadway, a block north. I think it's Patterson Ave? We would go out and surf Broadway either before the guards came out or after they left and there was no assigned beach for surfing. Pretty sure that's off limits to surfers in the day time during the Summer when the guards are out. He surfed, but he lived up in the mountains in Passaic County and didn't get out much.

 

I see what you guys are trying to do.

You're trying to make this Poverty Beach place sound like some crappy shore dump, when it's probably the best reef point on the entire EC. Pretty crafty...But I'm on to y'all now.

Me and my bludz are gonna fly out this summer and blow this place up

 

The summer after I officially "started surfing"... I was maybe in 6th or 7th grade... I got my first full suite, gloves, boots and hood (yes, hoods were not attached back then) for Christmas. The day after I surfed Broadway for the first time winter surfing. My only real memory of surfing Broadway... first winter session of my life.

 

All things considered, two of the best days I've had in my adult life...

 

The 2nd one looks epic.

 

You better plan on staying for the whole Summer if you wanna hit up Poverty. That place rarely breaks in the Winter these days, let alone the Summer. I did have a really nice day there before Hurricane Irene back in 2011 though.