who here has been surfing this week?

It's been busy here I finally got out today in chest high north swell with stiff onshore southeasterlies wonking it up making it bouncy sectiony but fun was had, went to the fabled Juno Pier, 10 people out but lots of drift and random peaks so crowd was zero factor, it was fun watching my buddy, the Pied Piper, give lessons to two wahines on springbreak, and a mini grom just tearing up the reform, and making everyone else look slow and clumsy in comparison. Like mini JJF. Busting airs, all two and half foot of him - it was awesome. So I wore myself out paddling, duckdiving, and catching randomme chunks of goodness. I feel much mo bettah now.

 

I noticed that Gulf Shores was doing better than here (VA Bch); although today we had 3-4, albeit windy. Wife and I will be heading that way next week. What's the water temp down there, 72?
Driving to Huntsville, AL on Fri to visit daughter, then down for a couple days near the Gulf. Have enjoyed that area since stationed in P'cola during early 80s.

 

Nice!

 

Glad it worked out for you, Yank, with the knee and all.

 

I almost didn't paddle out this morning but i'm glad I did. When I pulled up and looked at it, it appeared deep and barely breaking. I waited for 30 seconds - a minute and more of the same. As I started walking back I saw some lines off in the distance. I kept walking back toward the vehicle and as I looked over the wall I saw a set breaking perfectly across the bar in the waist / chest range! I had a little less than an hour so I hurried to grab my long boart and I paddled out right where I saw that set. I noticed a South - North drift and had to paddle to stay in position until the sets showed. I snagged a good 6-8 waves before having to run off to work. All long rides with turns, cutbacks, nose ride through flat spots and into the reform.

Wave of the morning was the last wave where I caught it right at the peak and got to my feet for a swooping bottom turn setting up a top turn which I ended up turning into a cutback the other direction and milked it for another 20 yards or so as far as I could until it petered out and I paddled in the last few feet to get out and hit the shower. As I was walking off the fog was setting in and it was grey. But when I was surfing the sky was blue and the sun was orange with some red, f'ing awesome.

 

Now that is a great friggin morning!!

 

Indeed, and to think I could have missed it...

 

Carpe waveicus

 

LOL Nice!

 

Last week was kinda lame, with wrong tides and the swell from the wrong direction. Mainly stayed in the little high-tide spot and caught short, weak, rights off the seawall for 2 of the 4 days. Early in the week I did the paddle battle against the longshores and caught a bunch of OH bombers off the point. That was fun and exciting, but it was only worth it one day out of the week. Tried to do the same thing at the end of the week and just ended up getting slingshotted past the point and flushed down to the seawall. The drift was impossible. Fast walking speed. Had to camp out in the eddy behind the seawall, standing in waist-deep water, fighting incoming waves trying to throw me up on the rocks. Then jump into the current and paddle like a maniac to catch incoming sets. Then ride to shore, run around, wade back out, and do it again. Got a few legitimate waves that way, and lots of exercise.

This week is way better. Monday was blown and junky, but yesterday cleaned up. The south is coming up out of the canyon and absolutely bombing on the spring sandbars. Got a couple of head-high barrels yesterday with the usual crew that shows up when it's good. One great left-hander and one outstanding right-hander. Lots more fun ones inbetween. Called my buddy into one closeout at the beginning of the set, then scratched outside when some OH++ bombs came through and watched him get destroyed inside.

This time of year, when they souths hit the sandbar off the point, they are heavy as sh!t. The wave jacks up on the sandbar simultaneously as it sucks out. It feels like the whole ocean is coming down on you. Sitting on top of that impressive hill of water and watching it land on the dudes inside is good times.
Today should be a rinse and repeat with less drift and maybe a bit less size.

 

Two sessions yesterday. First sesh - afternoon stiff offshores, 78 degree sunshine, pumping south windswell approaching head high on sets. The kind of afternoon where you look up the line into peeling barrels coming towards you and just mind-surf. Got a bunch, copped a couple of beatings, paddled a bunch, left exhausted.

On my way home, checked a (normally crowded) south swell spot just to see how the sandbars looked for the next swell Thursday/Friday. One guy out, waves solid and fun looking. Pulled on the soaking wet 4/3 and got another hour and a half. My face is fried. No pics....probably one of the most beautiful days i've seen in ages, but couldn't be bothered to shoot.

 

It's right at 70 now. It's been a slower winter for waves but the spring has given some small but fun rideable waves. I hope there's some swell when you're down in the area. If you're near the Destin area, PM me

 

fun in am before wind switch today at sp...much smaller.

 

Just got back from a pretty perfect session, although conditions weren't what most would call perfect. I believe the original forecast was for about stomach high, light onshores, and by the time i got out of work and in the water it'd be high tide. During my lunch break i checked the update, it was saying shoulder high. Sweet! Got out of work and shot home. While driving i checked the wind, it was still offshore. Awesome i might really luck out. Was originally planning on riding the mini since the original forecast was looking smaller but with what i was seeing, i decided to grab the 5'8.

I wasn't even going to cheek it. Was just going to go. All i was thinking about all day was surfing, flung through turns in my head. Well when i stepped out of the truck i felt that the wind was onshore. Still light though. Must of just switched. And i do enjoy surfing when its onshore, so I'm still going.

I had the spot to myself. One dude a little ways down. Paled out. My first thought was that i was surprised at the steepness considering the tide. For the first 15 min i was having trouble finding the right spot to sit. Everytime a set came through i was just a bit too far inside. Then a bigger set came right to me. Paddled in. I'm thinking to myself that i either caught a dud or the waves weren't as steep as i thought they looked. This thing was fat. Then just as i got my feet under me it doubled up and i got that steep wall. Took that high line right out the gate. Dropped down with tons of speed, two big lofty pumps, then gave the crumbling lip a nice little love tap. Dropped back down and got another hit on the end section that threw me towards the beach as i ride out of it.

That set the tone for the rest of the session. The bigger waves were the ones. Some tapered off pretty quick and only offered one section to really get a meaningful turn in. Others had a nice long line that seemed to constantly have a section in front of you just about to crumble, begging for me to hit it. I'm more of a turn guy. So conditions like this are just what i was hoping for.

Iv had the machado fin set in the 5'8 for a few months now but hadn't really had it out in conditions that really allowed me to open up on my turns. So today was the first real test on them, and they felt damn good.

Super stoked and so grateful for the amount of quality waves we've had the past few weeks.

 

Still a little swell hanging around out there in the waist - chest range this morning. I took the LB out with it being deep and coming off high tide. I saw my high tide bar was doing it's thing so I walked down and paddled out. It was breaking on the inside bar and occasionally on the mid bar when a set came. There was a stiff offshore / side-shore SW / WSW wind keeping things mostly clean and kept the lefts open for a nice ride. It was fickle with the tide / wind working against me on a fading swell but I was picking them off pretty easily once I found the sweet spot on the bar. Most rides were quick punchy lefts that were easily make-able and ended in a proper kick out each time but there were a few set waves that broke further out that I was able to snag and take for much longer rides. It was grey and dark storm clouds were rolling in. It started to rain toward the end but it never really let loose. Not a bad session, I'm happy.

 

Fun morning at the best wave in the world yesterday (16th Ave. belmar). I always wonder if I'm in mr. Belmars presence when I'm out there. It was fun chest high or so and got glassy around dead low. Some good rides and crowd fluctuated the whole time. Landed a little air on the inside too which will keep me happy till..tomorrow lol

 

How lucky to be able to surf mid week today. The waves were clean knee to waist high silvery-turquoise with occasional chest highs bowling through, longish interval, and warm. It was like a day in May. There were thunderstorms coming off the gulf in the distance setting up for light offshores, and great lighting.

My timing was off, and wave after wave rolled under me. No matter. It was just so peaceful to be saturated by the feeling on the ocean, surrounded by a dozen friendly locals.

And how lucky that a wave came right to me at the end of the sesh, a nice waist high miracle to pop up on and feel the floaty drop.

 

bro now I know why I am such a d1ck to you

you're channeling Emass

on a thread related note, I got about 20 minutes of empty rockies around 420, then by 445 it was pretty crowded, but shoulder to head hi runners, I was stoked to surf in trunks for an hour and half

 

Man, I can't believe the north shore is still pumping so late in the season.

Would love to get some warm water. Still in the high 50°s here

I'm so surfed out that I had to take a break this morning. Can't remember last day I didn't surf. Probably been two, maybe 3 weeks. We've had a good Spring run after a dismal Winter. Thank you Roy. Arms are tired.Slept in until 6:30. Looked at the cams and it was smaller than yesterday. New swell is supposed to fill in throughout the day. Maybe hit it up for evening glass off.

Is it just me, or is the evening crowd always more mellow than the DP heads?

#wakenbak

 

its not pumping per say (definitely no 'bombs' rolling through, lol) but easy just about head hi surf, looks like it will continue for the next two weeks

in my experience, sept is sparse, October starts to work
nov/dec/jan/feb/mar pump
april slows down, may is anemic and
june/july/august are flat except for hurricane and excessive ne tradeswell wrap with occasional out of season NW swell

still more swell on NS than east coast during the summer, in my experience

or just drive to town for ssw swells in summer, but who wants to drive an hour?
fkn not me, id just assume surf onshore tradeswell minutes from my house, but I do drive to point panics or china reef if its pumping down der

or maybe maili on a big SW