Groundswell, Closeouts and Sandbars....

ya, that is always a concern around here with the long period stuff. These swell periods will be much less than with Bill though. We could see some initial 15-16 seconds stuff, but during peak swell I am projecting 13-14 seconds.

 

What about the outer banks, swellinfo? How does that area hold the longer period swell?

I think it was two summers ago, around the end of August, we got a big hurricane swell. I went down with two friends past the Oregon Inlet bridge, don't want to name drop specifically where we went, but it was solid 15 foot swells, in my opinion way bigger, and it was barreling on the outside bars like something out of a movie. Paddling into the waves was down right frightening. The wind was blowing west probably 20 knots, and we were lucky to just get blown out quickly and only had to duck dive a few ten footers that mushed up on the inside. Thinking back now I could've easily died that day, probably would pass up the opportunity to make that paddle out a second time, but I wouldn't trade in the experience for anything.

One of the strangest things about waves that big was when you paddled over the face, you would be going down the back of the wave and you just wouldn't even believe how much water was in those sets. I took one in after sitting outside for half an hour and rode all the way in. In half an hour I had drifted probably a mile down the beach, it was insane.

I don't even know if it is well known that waves that big can break down there. I know some of the hardcore locals remember the swell, and probably others like it over the years. The **** was hard to believe, and honestly, I have never had anyone believe the story. The buoys were reading like 35 feet off Hatteras.

 

ya, there are some big wave breaks that will hold the big, long period stuff in the outer banks. But, OBX is looking blown out on this swell.

 

The day after the meat of the Bill swell was perfect at a higher tide. Looked all day on Saturday and couldn't be convinced to paddle out. It looked big and unmakeable from what I could see. The next morning though was perfection.

 

I woke up this morning and got insta-bummed when I saw the the wind forecast had changed. I was planning on heading down tonight.

The waters warm, I might still go.

 

The swell I was referring to was two years ago, not Bill, but it was like what you describe, the inside looked like garbage. There was a heavy fog over the water, and you couldn't really see the waves breaking when we first got there. It was just washed out, really deep and foamy on the inside. The bar that was breaking was a solid 300 yards offshore. Once the sun came out, and the fog started to retreat, you could see waves PEELING on the outside. They looked like head high, maybe double over head from the beach. Once we got in and started paddling through the white wash, we knew it was WAY bigger than double over head, the choppy stuff on the inside that was reforming was damn near double over head.

We didn't even realize how big it was until we got out past the break. I'm not sure if it was a lull, or if the wind was blowing us so fast we blew through the break zone, but I remember not even having to duck dive a real breaking set on the way out. Probably that was divine intervention saving our ass (I'm not religious, just a joke). When we got out, I remember seeing the first set in front of me and almost started panicking. It was, and I'm not exaggerating, as if I was laying on the ground in front of a billboard, but the billboard was a wave and it was casting the most evil shadow you could imagine. Just blacked out wall of death coming at me, full steam ahead.

Just thinking about it makes me uneasy.

 

I though the dirty jerz could hold triple overhead at 15 seconds with rides that last forever? I thought it could hold anything the atlantic could throw at it like the points in new England? At least according to what I've been told by some of the jersey members on this board. lmao

 

Its tuesday... swell starts sunday...even in OBX late sat at the earliest. Way too soon to bum on winds.

 

i know plenty of breaks in nj that can barely handle some head high/barely overhead yesterday morning :/

 

Yeah I realized swellinfo was talking about the weekends swell, and not the windswell for tomorrow. I was thinking he was referring to tomorrow. The wind forecast changed for tomorrow to stiff NE since last night. Which sucks!

 

man, you just can't let stuff go, can you?

 

LBI is basically getting killed today, but looks more rideable for tomorrow. the swell on sunday is def going to be better though

 

we had problems during bill just like most big, late summer swells because the sandbars were ****ty from the flat summer months. when the sand is in the right place many jersey breaks can hold big surf. check out the winter segment from the new dark fall movie. huge grinding barrels.

 

long period groundswells

Bertha - July 16, 1996 registered 9 ft @ 18 seconds (or close to it) at the Del. buoy. States Avenue in Atlantic City was the best I had ever caught it. Mid morning low tide coming up. Huge overhead A frames w/ no wind. This energy & subsequent long period groundswells thoroughout that fall started the destruction of the wooden jetty & ultimately the death of one of the best breaks in the area. There are beaches that love these long period swells. You just have to know where to go!!!!!!

 

I surfed Bertha at Broadkill Beach in the Delaware Bay, (go ahead and google it to give you an idea) at head high plus. I was only 14 at the time, but remember going absolutely nuts when I woke up and looked across the street. That was a making swell to make it all the way into there.

 

And you need to get a sense of humor.

 

Honest question. Can someone tell me how you manage to paddle out without getting completely destroyed at a steep beach break(hollow break) with that type of swell hitting dead on at low tide and the unbelievably strong currents that must have been in the water(not talking about refraction)? Are you telling me you surfed double or triple overhead at steep heavy hollow beach break? How long did it take you to get out?

 

I surfed Bill last year in Jacksonville, and from the pictures that I've seen, Flagler up to Jax caught the swell bigger than most places. Some pics look like Waimeia. Definitely asurreal experience paddling out to something that big. Was not really used to the size, so I was a little bit gun shy on the take-offs.

The experience is similar to what Glassjaw had described. I didn't even intend to go out on the saturday, and drove to the beach with camera and a cup of joe on hand, just planning to capture the swell on film. I got to the beach and said f*ck it, and paddled out, the long periods made it easy to time. The next day was more fun.

 

I agree Zippy Sunday morning was lined up and groomed perfectly!