i wouldn't generalize about either morning or afternoon, it depends entirely upon what the winds and tides are up to on any particular day.
any time it just depends on the tide. but i like to go in the morning and surf all of the morning go in take a nap eat a little then if its good afterwards go back out.
some of my best memories associated with surfing come from epic dawn patrol sessions, like that first day of bertha over the summer. Sick.
agh i remember the bertha swell i was in costa rica at the begginning but luckily i got back just in time on the second day of it it was nice though.
i think mornings and evenings are good..afternoons always seem to get mushy most of the time. During the time of bertha in south jersey, it would always be small during the day and then be firing in the evening at this one beach..strange
It has been said that as the sun rises in the East the wave size does increase. I generally prefer the early morning... just after feeding time. At many places the winds start going on-shore around 10am as the land mass warms relative to the ocean temp. In other places it does not matter because the waves are tide dependent (e.g., where there are 8'+ tide swings) - just hope for cooperative winds.
