Top 3 Hurricane Swells ever

95' was real fun. Broke my favorite board in Harvey Cedars
Irene was one of the big fun swell too
I too remember how good it was during 911, Surfer mag had lots of pics from that day in an issue

 

Somewhere on the internet there is a picture of sandy hook going off, with the towers billowing smoke in the background. its a pretty epic picture

 

I got it great at Ditch but felt crappy surfing while people were dying.

Beat ass back from Montauk to WTC to do body recovery, with some NYFD friends, for 3 days.

I'll remember that too...

 

Thanks! I was trying to remember what year. I remember it was August, and those two storms were makeing sweet love out in the O, and out past the end of the Juno Pier it was breaking DOH plus, but real gentle on the takeoff, then it would jack on the midbreak and just wall up for ever and ever and ever, then the inside it would throw, and it was barely offshore, and 90 degrees plus, and by the time you walked back to the pier you had to stay under the pier and suck up the shade for a bit and then it was wash rinse repeat. The best, glassiest, cleanest, most organized hurricane swell, and it lasted a week or so.

 

Isabelle, in 2007 maybe, at first it was a DOH gnarly window swell in Delray, then flat for a day as it passed behind the Bahamas. Then BOOM goes the dynamite. TOH Reef Road, and ultra crowded, total circus, photo sluts, kooks, kayaks, pros, wannabes, locals, Miami cholos,all on the first wave of the set, then maybe you could call off the shoulder hoppers on the next wave, usually had to straighten out and get annihilated by the lip. Too clean, too easy too well broadcasted so it was no problem to paddle out. Carnage. I have rarely surfed the spot since. But it was epic.

 

Now that I have reminisced, it seems if the swell lasts for over a couple days, it is all fun and relaxed due to everyone being surfed out, but on the first day of an epic swell after a drought, it is nutso with too much frothy stoke to get a decent wave without a total hassle mean mug paddle battle yell as you drop in over the ledge session.

 

had boards packed... couldn't go

 

Too young to remember 95 vividly, but in my opinion, based on my location and my surfing career, Hurricane Bill takes the cake.

For those of you who dont know, Rhode Island rarely sees this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjUzYMOSTU4

Bombs. Utter Bombs.... I didnt surf there that day...far too heavy for my skill set then and probably now. but it puts it into perspective. Some Canes are better for certain places along the east coast than others. Bill shined here on that particular day.

 

Bill for 2 hours in St. Augustine Florida. I was working and the wind switched. Missed the short event.

Irene before and after in Rhode Island. Surfed a hidden gem with a traveling friend all day long the day before and all the usual spots the day after.

And I believe the 08 season as a whole was a good year in North Florida.


This thread is making me realize that my memory sucks. Here's some pictures from my favorite swell events since I moved to Rhode Island.


Some December

Katia

Cape Cod a few junes back

Leslie at first light. It was like snowboarding

Another december day a few years back.

I have thousands of pictures of waves on my computer and only 5 that I like. Awesome.

 

Hurricane Gloria, 1985. Sea Bright , NJ. I was 16. Short swell window similar to 4th of July this summer.

 

Made the front page of the local paper back in 89

 

Thank you for the welcome picture. Any time you have Gary Busey, Keanu Reeves, and Patrick Swayze (RIP, bro) together for a motion picture, you know it's going to be good.

 

Agreed, but I surfed it in Nags Head. Pumping, double overhead lines for about two days. Tons of smaller swell on either side of that. Very clean.

 

Igor and katia in rhodie were both epic Kati's was the best waves I've ever ridden. We'll overhead to double over head for 200 yards only about a dozen people out. Biggest wave I've ever seen was during igor I just got out of the water and a massive wave cleaned up everyone out had to be 18-20 feet. I have a picture of it and can't get it to load to this site.

 

I would love to see that pic.

 

I'd have to say Hurricane Gloria ...September 1985...at home in Va Beach.

 

You can't just say you had issues with the local officials and not tell the story! The back story is always as interesting as the surfing. So, tell us about the issues....

 

im guessing he got arrested for going in the water while a hurricane was around.i read about dean randazzo in the paper a few years ago after he beat cancer for the 3rd time,said he always got arrested for surfing cane swells.I don't see what the big deal is.is surfing during the summer more dangerous than winter?sure groundswells have long lines so you have wide rips,but winter gets the same shyt.u go out in January on a big south swell id say its way more dangerous than a cane swell