February 14, 2014: 40 MPH sustained cross-shore winds somewhere in the Northeast, I tried duck-diving this because subconsciously I feel like a bitch for ditching my board but, more importantly, I wanted the board for flotation. Got denied, then the second one out the back ripped my leash right off. Swim back wasn't so bad, but it was pitch black on the second hold down. Pretty scary. Definitely the craziest conditions in which I've paddled out. I'm looking forward to the incoming swell, just not the water temperature that comes with it.
Also, remember if you live on the EC, a big swell is like flying to another country, getting off the plane, and it's bombing. No time to warm up, do sand reconne, just go paddle out. I can remember one perfect day, first drop was like butter, DOH plus and when I went back up the face off the bottom turn, I hit it hard, and the power launched me into mid space and beyond. Landed in the impact zone. Got totally annihilated by the lip. I said to my self, bend the knees and let the wave do the work, this ain't no chest high shore break. LMAO
This thread is full of life... Places that have a huge channel (Tres is a good example and since the wise one has good stories to tell he may concur) don't necessarily mean it's all G at 15'. To get a legit 15 footer at Tres or Sunset or a screamer in Indo, you need to venture into the zone. You can't get the goods hugging the channel...typically. My trip to Indo on the biggest day, there were some 15' faces that were dredging down the reef. I was perfectly content with the 10' waves swinging wide and roping forever! This storm seams to be a legit Nor'easter! Thinking about heading south of the capes for this thing for a few days. With all this redneck talk, SE NC is sounding good bout now!!! I liked that picture of the pier jumpers...I jumped off of Nags Head pier during a large NE swell (granted I was 18 or so...would not do it these days!). There was a swell one time that was huge (late 80s) and there wasn't a drop of water out of place. We gave it a go at the Old Station. The shore break was seriously dangerous and you had to time it....then it was a freakishly long paddle out to the outside with a deep trough running all the way to the way way outside. Furthest out I have ever surfed on the EC. It was perfect huge A frames coming in. Caught 4-5 waves that day. The period was allowing you to scramble out. Short, shouldery rides (weird how the longer period hit those outside sand bars and got peaky versus how they hit the inside and just growl as they shut down) but the big glassy drops were no joke. As far as size on the EC that was the biggest day...I surfed 15' faces since that were way more scary but that day was memorable (shout out to my great late bro who past a few years back...he and I shared a wave that day that we both referred to as "the big one" until the end!)
In these parts if its much over 10 feet you're not making it out unless you have someone with a jetski helping you. On Black Friday 2012 I made it out on a huge day at the lighthouse in Hatteras. Every now and then there was a lull and a couple of us would sneak out. Got out there and wished I'd stayed on the beach. First time I ever realized I'm getting older. Taking off backside into these monsters detonating on the waist deep sandbar was way out of my league. Got lots of views like the picture below before I managed to make the drop on a relatively small wave to go in. Pic by Matt Lusk Its a totally different game when there is a good channel to paddle out through and the wave is wrapping into safety. Here in the northeast you just have to punch through wave after wave or get lucky and find a lull.
Just the fact that you are aware that some moron organization is sponsoring such a contest, tells me you are as gay as possible......
Agreed, all of it. I share the shoulder issues, and it doesn’t always take a 10ft wave to pop my shoulder out, it’s happened to me on a waist - chest day before too, just have to move at the wrong angle and POP! There she goes!
Being young and dumb, I paddled out in much more horrid, critical conditions during my first 1-2 years surfing than the last 12. Didn't even know how to read conditions that well, as long as it looked good with people out, I jumped right in. These days, my limits on the east coast are probably 8-10 ft clean faces with lulls, and 4-6 ft windy, junky.
That's what sketches me out most. The size doesn't bother me so much. I mean yeah at a certain point it does get in your head. But for me, speaking purely in terms of the takeoff, its all the same. If you can make a steep pitching 6 ft drop, an 8 or 10 isn't much different. The instinct kicks in and I'm usually good. It's the shallowness that sketches me out. Even on somewhat small days. Especially on big days. At certain tides/spots..... That sketches me out. Never used to. Then i had a few years where i got hurt in a row. None involving shallow water. But getting seriously injured makes you thinning differently. Iv had two concussions in the water. Now super shallow breaks scare me. And to what surfdogg said on the last page about the inside. Dude that's the worst. It's big, you got some nerves. You get a few and are feeling good. Then you get a good one. You tell yourself eff it, I'm going all out on this one. Not going to play it safe. You don't kick out early. The inside stats draining in like waist deep water..... boom. Your rocked and now have a beast of a paddle out back, already tired. Learnt quick not to get cocky in the big stuff
Oh yea... I gotta surf conservatively when it gets big. Minimize the paddle out poundings, and conserve energy. Being picky... NOT working it to the inside section... not pushing my turns to the fullest... all strategy for me on the big days.
Propperre boart (not to be confused with Gary Propper): An old school 7'0" 2 3/4" thick CI (or a T & C) step up (narrow squash tail or rounded pin) really really helps. Florida shaped boards suck in this stuff. Go Cali or Hawaiian (8'6" Brewer mini gun for Pumphouse paddle ins are like driving a Cadillac into a tube, no jet ski necessary, but no one has one of those here except my buddy RIP, his kid has it now, I'm sure he is licking his chops right now). Bigger than that too hard to duck dive, and not really needed on EC waves. If you go small and light the voodoo chop can knock you off on the way down, and you have no inertia. I used to like a thick heavy narrow board for this, no frills. Just make it down the line and go wooooo!
I as well remember a number of times paddling out during my first few years in conditions that I should have nothing to do with! And many times I was alone, since I thought it wasn't a good idea for a kook to paddle out to a pack of 'real' surfers... One time that stands out in my memory was a hurricane swell down at island state beach park. I don't even know how I made it outside... and I was on a longboard (it was probably a long period swell with long lulls)! But I made it out easily... still not realizing the size of the waves... until I tried to paddle for one- then I thought to myself "what am I doing out here?!? This is crazy and literally no one is around!" I was determined to get one wave in - and determined to make the wave and not eat it and die. I someone hooked into a smaller insider, probably 8 ft... and rode it... perfectly... even getting barreled, although I didn't realize it was a barrel until years later when I got my second one and I knew what was happening. At the time I was too focused on making the wave. Anyways - I got to the beach and was in awe... I kinda wish I still had the board tho... just for reminiscing So I'm surprised that there is so much hype around this swell... am I missing something? It looks like a washout for a whole week with no cleanup in site here in jersey... except a few areas that work with north wind.... do I have the wrong report? Or am I just being a Debby downer? Thanks Your pal Mr Belmar
I think you are spot on. Not too many areas gonna see good to epic conditions. Onshore flow until 3-4 days...then spotty conditions. Looks like south FL will get the best of it. Last couple of days of the swell show hope (fighting Debby)!
If this was October I would 100% be out there regardless of size. At least I know if I get in a bad situation I can just dive deep and hold sand, but with the ice cream headaches this time of year I am going to look around before I make any decision to paddle out. Its scary diving under a few this time of year with this size, you get disoriented. Somewhere will be working, just have to search. Beats being flat, love when the ocean shows its power.
It looks to me like the winds will be an issue. Even at the wind protected spots there will be a ton of current and close outs. Surfing that sh*t in full winter gear makes it even more difficult. If the water was 50 and you could use a 4/3 it'd be much more manageable. A buddy and I are going on a fresh powder strike mission this weekend up north! Fresh powder on some northeast mountains sounds more appealing than storm chop to me haha. Hopefully we get a window of light winds for surfing at the tail end of this storm.
Kinda my thinking too. There's a lot of factors that seem to suggest I'm not going to surf very much, if at all, during this swell. It's weird... kinda got that nervous apprehensive feeling that I always get before a big swell (what if it's good enough that I can't not paddle out, but big enough that I really shouldn't be out there) but without the stoke that usually accompanies it (maybe I'll get the wave of my life, or at very least take a major step forward in comfort/proficiency in bigger waves). Local forecast seems, to me, to be wavering between "not gonna be even remotely worth thinking about paddling out at any point during the swell" and "maybe borderline doable at select points between saturday and middle of next week," but mostly trending toward the former. May end up driving north or south but we'll see... don't really want to spend hours in the car and drop a bunch of cash on tolls unless there's a reasonable chance of a good session. If I go to all the effort and then get skunked, break my board, drown, or even just have a sh*tty frustrating session where I paddle for three hours straight and don't get a single good wave, I'm gonna pissed (well, I guess I won't be pissed if I drown, but you get the idea). On a more positive note, this is probably the best/most active new treade I've seen on here since the redesign, and probably going back a while before that, and it's even actually about surfing, so we got that going for us.
