Mild summer weather

It really has been a blessing. Weather-wise, best summer in a long time, with a few waves to boot. It hasn't even been too hard on the Phin up here, and we're cooler temp creatures.

 

For each of the past three weeks, we've had a major thunderstorm blow through here during the work week. Last week was the worst with funnel cloud sightings, building damage, flooding, and injuries at the VB Oceanfront and other area locations. Surf has generally been 2 ft or less, except for a day or two when Arthur passed by us.

 

The weekend before last, the mornings were nice. Conditions glassy and surprisingly better than forecasted or reported. Didn't get out this past weekend. Domestic obligations.

 

Ditto for superb (weather) wknds in the mid-Atlantic.

Having said that: the higher gasoline prices and the astronomical gouging airfares seem to have provided momentum for every ASSWIPING douche canoe who wants to litter the beach & blast his hindu music at AI this year.

What the hell happened...?! AI has been invaded by hordes of complete douche canoes.

AI used to be surf fishermen, surfers & eccentric people driving their rigs onto the beach, and hanging out ISO quiet, a bit of solitude & the sound of the ocean, the wind & the occasional 'you fukker' followed by the slap of hand on bleeding leg (horseflies).

Now...?! These a-holes roll in there & find a place on the beach & crank up Muslim rap. I shiiiite you not on that one.
Another one: several bruthuhs stumbling around behind their Ford parked on the beach with the speakers blasting Skynyrd's 'That Smell'.......and they're bellowing along! What's next, 'Sweet Home Alabama' featuring the homebuoyz chorus...?!

Talk about failure of situational awareness.

Then there was the total douche canal named 'Sam.' I'm out in the ocean catchign a few, and I glance back inland only to see some a-wipe pull in next to my truck on the beach. Like, 4' off my boards. Said a-wipe proceeds to pitch massive red umbrellas, chairs & coolers directly in back of my rig, between my rig & the ocean.

I'd never seen this in years going to AI.

Not pleased. Surfed a few more, all th while watching this a-wipe set up on the beach. GF also in the ocean surfing, asking what are you going to do, please just let it go.

Oh, ok, sure.

Get out, walk up to my rig. D-bag Sam sitting there with his shades on: sitting behind my rig, all spread out.

One of my developed skills in life is that I can make anyone snap. I could make hayzeus effing keerist utter the lordy's bronze age name in vain. Just sayin.' Oh, and even better is I can back it up if a dummy ever takes a swing at me.

Without wasting your time on the details, I crouched down & I spoke to Sam, up close & personal. Repeatedly. He finally snapped, shrieking obscenities while pulling out his umbrellas & his chairs from the sand in back of my rig.

Mission accomplished. But I gotta say: AI has gone to hell in a handbasket this summer.

 

The Betties are in love with summer! Florida summed is hotter than hot but slow and relaxed. Today I skip work for the morning, at least, to surf. Sat was ankle to knee high. Yesterday was a total surprise, under called by all: 2-3' with occasional waist High semi clean until about 9:30, when wind started to create a semi chop but still super fun.

Today forecast to knee offshore breeze, let's see if it's bigger like yesterday.

 

AI is in my backyard...practically walking distance...never experienced this in my many years on ai..sure there is always gonna be an idiot here and there...but there is one of those everywhere. AI is great...solitude, especially when the beach is open all the way down. Tough to fine places like that anymore.

Weather has been great. Down at outer banks this week. Weather has been nice, tho starting to blow and surf has been relatively poor...maybe Thursday. Must say...Been enjoying this summer greatly with my kids, family, and friends. "Life is good"

 

Really AI has seemed about standard to me so far, but I don't go out at the offroad vehicle area either, so maybe that's the difference.

 

Exactly: if the weather is good on Saturday, try getting into the OSV; you'll see what I mean. And btw if you're not through the gate by 0930, prepare to wait in a line.

 

Don't you live in like D.C. or something? So you want to be able to drive a couple of hours down to the beach, drive out on to the beach, and have the place all to yourself? Why do you think you are the only tourist with that bright idea?

 

I honestly think its been a bit chilly in the NE lately but that could just be me. Whenever I surf the breeze just feels a bit cool. Who else is still using 3/2s in RI area?

 

I was watching a climatologist on Bill Maher this week. He was explaining the ocean levels rising and he said that the Norfolk Virginia area will be effected more so than anywhere in North America. He didn't explain why, but he said that the VB/Norfolk area are already having serious issues with flooding and water levels.

Anyone know what he was talking about and why?

 

It does seem pretty low there and there's water everywhere. I wonder if all those naval vessels cause significant displacement too or if that's not possible.

 

And as far as the AI thing, yeah, I have to agree, I am shocked that it has gotten this far without so many more annoying situations. As a kid, we would always spend some of our summer beach days on AI to avoid the monotony of staying at our place in mid town sometimes.

It's not like the place is a secret. The surf was never very good, but I always enjoyed quiet beaches and the tranquility of being over there.

AI, Baja, OBX. Year after year, they will get worse and worse and more and more crowded. Then eventually the hillbillies will show up and trash the place.

Welcome to Mericka.

Same thing as Baja, for years, handfuls of guys had it all to themselves, then they got all bent when thousands of people started driving down and the breaks got crowded. They all *****ed and moaned, but at the end of the day, those guys didn't own the place. Once everybody figured out there were empty beaches and great places to camp out and chill, not to mention, a few dozen world class point breaks that go off all year long, they get over crowded and people aren't respectful....

Like I said, I am shocked you are able to get any time to yourself on AI anymore. Especially this time of year.

 

I am thinking its just one of the older infrastructures and it was built in a time where the water was substantially lower. Dredging for the large Navy vessels year after year may have had something to do with it....

From what I understand, Charleston has big problems with the same kind of deal and flooding was then and is now a huge issue... I mean, how to you take a major city, and raise it up 10 feet? I guess you don't.

The cities on the west coast for the most part were developed so much later, these factors were taken into consideration. But I am guessing since the Norfolk area was one of the original settlements in the country, they haven't quite overhauled it as they kept developing... Not sure... Someone local there will have an answer I am sure.

 

you forgot masonboro

 

AI used to be a place focused on preserving the natural habitat. In the last few years 'they' changed it to be more of a tourist attraction. They massively expanded parking lots and buildings and now, they let as many people in as show up to the gate (not the offroad portion) and people line their cars up along the main road. It's truly a shame.

I haven't noticed much loud music though - at least not more than normal. But I did have one of those d-bag families set up shop behind my truck and the waterline. I thought that was really effin weird and who the eff would even think about doing that. But I chalked it up to the fact that 245 cars are crammed into a 3/4 mile stretch of beach. Seriously, who gives a flying F about the piping plovers. Are they really that important to the ecosystem? And would an open few miles of beach really wipe them out? But thats for another thread.

Still all in all, I'm not complaining. I'm the same as anyone else there (except I actually give a dam about my litter and how my behavior would effect others around me). Weather has been fantastic on the weekends with little surprise nuggets rolling through. Water warmed up early this year too. Even with the recent upwelling it's bareable without a second skin. Gotta say it's been a good summer.

Except the cajun catfish at Smoker's BBQ haven't been as good as years past....but thats nit picking

 

I saw some guy this summer with his car stuck in the sand between the road and the north ocean beach parking lot. Literally like ten feet from the gate and five feet from the road and hopelessly stuck in sand. What possessed this guy to drive over that strip of sand instead of going out of the regular parking lot exit is beyond me, but there he was standing next to his stuck vehicle looking foolish waiting for the rangers. I think it was a 4WD or AWD sort of car like a Honda CRV or similar, but probably running 32 pounds in the tires.