who here has been surfing this week?

So we got the storm most of the day on Tuesday. By about 4:30 it had mostly moved out, stopped snowing/raining and was just a lot of wind. I decided to check a local reef, but I didn't bring a board because I think my wife would have had a fit if I tried to surf. It really wasn't good, big but the wind was onshore and it was just kind of gnarly. A lot of energy in the water, and while there were rideable waves, it looked like a real hassle.

Yesterday, Weds, I checked the same reef again in the mid-afternoon. Checked the cams at work and it looked like 1st and 2nd Beach were pretty destroyed, so I committed to the reef from the get-go. There were 3 guys out; one came in while I was watching. About as big as I've seen it there, maybe 8-10' faces on the sets. Again, a surprising amount of energy still in the water.

The thing is, I was friggin' cold just watching it. I was checking it for about 15 minutes, not to see if it was good, but to see if I could get some motivation to paddle out. Cold, gray water, gray sky, lots of wind...nothing really inviting. Even the surf, while big, was just full-on and the idea of ducking under that ****....no thanks.

I had pretty much decided to bag it. My hands and feet were cold while still in dry clothes. I got in the car, cranked up the heat, but while I'm sitting there warming up, I'm thinking, "man, everyone's going to be talking about this swell...just paddle out for a few minutes, get one or two, and then you can be part of the club."

I forgot my towels, so I had to wrap my boardbag around my noodle to change, standing on the ice and mud. Damn man, but I was numb before I even got to the water. Ended up surfing for about 2 hours, but I never got warm. My hands just started to thaw before they went painful numb again, and my toes never thawed. It was pain the whole time. But the surf was fun. The biggest waves weren't really the best ones; I can't explain it. But the mid-size waves would line up on the reef so nice. I got one, it didn't even look like much, but when it hit the reef it lined up so nice. I got to my feet, and my feet were exactly in the right spot on the board, I had my balance, and as I saw the wave just line up I thought, "well, you're right where you want to be, now do something." And I went up, hit that lip backside nice and slow and caaaaarrrrve around, no snap, just this full on carve...damn, the whole two hours was worth that 3 seconds or so of just everything being exactly right.

I don't know how Ruggles was handling the wind, but if it was, I'll bet it was epic. One of the dudes I was surfing with said he tried North Judith earlier and got full-on denied- never saw that much water moving out there.

Anyway, good day, for sure, but it took me until today to warm back up. I'm not sure why I got so chilled, the wind chill was 20 but I've been out in colder here.

 

Age might be getting to you there bud! It sure is to me and I feel colder than ever when I'm out!

Glad you had a good session though! It sure was cold on Tuesday with the snow (Which wasn't that bad on the coast in Jersey) and the freezing temperatures.

My friend sent me pictures of LBI, where he was surfing on Wednesday. Looked like a lot fun! I haven't surfed LBI in quite a while. My ex-fiance had family there and sometimes I'd park at her grandmothers and walk to Holyoke. Good times, but I haven't been there in like a minute, or probably 2 or 3, maybe even 4 or 5. Maybe even 2 or 3 years haha. I seriously don't think I've surfed there since we were together. I usually head to Ocean City when I'm traveling anywhere south of Seaside Park for surf. Once or twice a year I'll surf with friends from Sea Isle City and in Sea Isle or we'll hit OCNJ. Once in a while I'll go to somewhere on Absecon, and regularly surf Cape May, just because of family and friends that live there and I'll bring a board when I go, just in case.

 

It was freezing cold today, by Florida standards. The ocean was only 69° and the air was only 50°. Luckily, the sun came out and warm us up within an hour, so we paddled out.

The conditions were as poor as the weather. Sometimes it seems semi-clean and other times it was choppy. The waves were mostly knee to five high. However, there were enough waist high waves coming through to increase the fun factor.

After many failed attempts,I did score a nice waist high wave, and that will keep me for the rest of the day. Tomorrow morning the conditions look a little bit better and I can't wait to get there and surf with my friends

The one nice thing about mediocre conditions and cold water, at least by Florida standards, is that there are usually very few people on the beach or in the water.

 

lol florida standards,my cousin that lives down there I seen her complaining cause it was 60 out saying its freezing.

the thing that sucks with jersey waters is it can be 100 degrees outside and the waters in the low to mid 60s.june is our last month to possibly get some swell,itll be hot outside but u still have to wear a 4/3 or 3/2.early july the water is 69,it doesn't really get comfortable til late august but we still enjoy it lol

 

Awww...do I hear violins playing. In NH the water temps can be 55 in July, August. All depends on currents, upwellings, etc. The sun is a minor player. I see morons in the water in July with hooded wetsuits on, gloves, boots......poor babies....

 

Yeah. I do have one that I like to ride. I still like to primarily short board so if it is waist high that's what I do. I hear ya though, I am going to take it out the next few times just to get my groove back.

 

I'm goin surfin

 

Today saw 1-2' semi glassy, light offshore, some waist highs rolled in mid tide.

Best part was the water warmed up a couple of degrees. And just five most excellent dudes having fun on a beautiful Sunday. The sun and spray lined up just right throwing large spectacular rainbows off the bus spray coming off the tail of their boards

 

Good stuff Betty. Thanks. You epitomize true stoke. Now, I have to shake this Irish flu, get off the couch, and paddle out!

 

We are expecting overhead waves tomorrow with light offshore winds. I just waxed up my G&S Magic round pin board to use. Temps will be 40*F, both water and air same. That is a heat wave for us here mid march, especially the water temps, which should be 34-35*F by now.
Gotta LOVE global warming!!!!

 

surf free or die

o barry

 

snowboarders would disagree with that

 

Who cares--they are morons anyways........

 

Went up and shot some pictures yesterday right before dark. This was the best of yesterday's batch.

 

Paddled out extremely briefly right before dark in central Monmouth yesterday... bigger and less organized than it looked from the beach, and the current was trying to push me into a jetty. Got out with maybe 20 minutes of light left, realized I didn't have enough time to really get my bearings or get it figured out, and was kinda getting a bad feeling about being out there solo so close to dark. Caught a smaller sloppy wave to get halfway in and then fought the rips for 5-10 minutes to make it back to land (strong rip right next to the jetty that the current was pushing me hard into, felt like I was on a treadmill). Was hoping to bank a decent ride or two last night in case it goes to sh!t by the time I get out of work today, but in hindsight should've just stayed dry.

 

Winter time, alone, just before dark, is always a weird feeling. I feel happy just to get my feet back on the sand at the end of the session.

 

Nothing but lefts on the Delmarva yesterday. Got out in the afternoon for a nice long session, that would have been longer but my hands were getting cold in 3mm. gloves. Being goofy foot = so much fun in long rolling lefts. Got out a shot a few with numb fingers at around 6 p.m. Gotta love bright sun at 6 p.m. Did someone say first day of Spring!

 

rolling in from the upstate this morning to see the occ waist, long lines. Got in for 30, but minor chop a handful of waves. got to carve out a wall nicely on the LB. hi tide at 2 so not sure if it'll linger well after work. keeping my eyes out all week, supposedly the wind chop will decide things

 

I got out this morning. It was waaaaaayyyy smaller than predicted. But it was still fun until the stinkin tide came in and made it all mushy-like. I couldn't shake the cold for some reason either even though it was mild compared to recent days.
Anyone do OCNJ this morning? CJ?

 

NoMoCo was doin' it. Got a bunch of waves the first hour of my session, then for some weird reason I started getting calf cramps. For the next hour every wave was a new experience in pain.