Anybody Surf?

[VECHKIN08 0]

Beach season is basically here and I was just curious if any MSHers do any surfing. I'm pretty stoked about it. I just bought a new board and I'm ready to tear it up. I have a house in south jersey so thats usually where i go. Anybody else? How are the swells where you go? I'd say on average the waves in south jersey range from knee to chest high. If we get a good noreaster or a storm up the coast the waves really turn up. Anybody else ready for summer surfing?!?

[Thockey17 1]

I surf DE/MD/NJ/NY depending on the swell/winds all year round. Its been one hell of a beginning to the season so far.

I'll be in Bali for 2 weeks in about a month to surf Padang Padang and maybe even take a boattrip out to the lineup at Chopes.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

We skimboard at wrightsville beach NC.. Some guys surf but its gotta be a pretty good storm in my opinion, whereas skimmin can be done pretty much anytime.

I suck but I'm learning haha :)

[Langenbrunner15 0]

I have a house in southern NJ so once schoos out I am down there surfing all day every day. Sadly I still have to wait about 3-4 more weeks. What boards do you guys have? I have a 5'9'' Al Merrick M4 and a 5'6'' Byrne both short boards.

[VECHKIN08 0]

I surf DE/MD/NJ/NY depending on the swell/winds all year round. Its been one hell of a beginning to the season so far.

I'll be in Bali for 2 weeks in about a month to surf Padang Padang and maybe even take a boattrip out to the lineup at Chopes.

Damn dude that's insane....I'm sure you'll have a blast....if you get a chance let me know how it went. I'm always eager to hear surf stories. If you think of it snap a few pics. Out of those 4 states who do you think offers up the best swells? I've only surfed Jersey. Ocean City,Sea Isle, Strathmere and in North Jersey Belmar,LBI,Sea Girt...there all the same to me. I like Belmar though you get some super clean waves with the offshore winds. How is DE NY and MD compared to jersey?

Yea I skimboard too. I just started last year but I got the hang of it pretty quick. It's all about the timing on the drop. It's a lot of fun though, keeps you occupied especially if there is a good shore break.

Boards: 6'7 local motion, just bought a 7'9 BIC board.....I was gonna go foam but this guy talked me into a BIC. Durable,cheap, and good sell back vallue. good enough for me

[Thockey17 1]

Damn dude that's insane....I'm sure you'll have a blast....if you get a chance let me know how it went. I'm always eager to hear surf stories. If you think of it snap a few pics.

It should be a great trip. I went with a few friends last year but didnt get the waves we were expecting, so im hoping it'll be better this year. I'll have tons of pics and stories to go around. I really want to take a boat out to the lineup at Chopes just to see that beast. No way am i getting in the water there, let alone paddling in.

Out of those 4 states who do you think offers up the best swells? I've only surfed Jersey. Ocean City,Sea Isle, Strathmere and in North Jersey Belmar,LBI,Sea Girt...there all the same to me. I like Belmar though you get some super clean waves with the offshore winds. How is DE NY and MD compared to jersey?

They're all great in distinct ways. I'd say Jersey brings the best out of almost every swell. However, all those states can really produce some gems with the right directional swell and winds. If you get the chance, chase a swell up the coast through all those states. You'll be surprised how good each place can get. The NorthEast is probably the most underrated surfspot(s) in the world.

[Langenbrunner15 0]

I'm all about Sea Isle City...and than if I go with down to some of my friends houses I go to LBI.

Thockey, i'd love to hear some stories, they're always the best.

[Thockey17 1]

Thockey, i'd love to hear some stories, they're always the best.

Heres a quick NE EC story.

3/11/04. Long Beach, New York. It was a cold morning at around 30degrees or so and the water was 34 degrees...tops. The Surfline report showed Shoulder to Head High + on the waves. Everyone following the storm days before could tell you it was going to be a good one, but noone knew how good it would actually be. I got my 6/4 hooded wetsuit, 6mil gloves and boots, and headed out to pick up a friend of mine at around 7-ish to hit the beach. We got there and heard what sounded like explosions and felt the ground shaking in the parking lot. Running over the dunes all you could see was a lineup of waves that looked like mountains just unloading down the whole beach. Easily the biggest waves i've seen in my life, and definitely one of the northeasts greatest. After much thought, we both jumped in only to have him chicken out only a couple feet into the paddle. I figured this is a once in a lifetime shot in NY, so i kept going. Whitewash walls atleast 8-10ft high just kept coming, and every duckdive produced a brain freeze. I got out to the lineup and was completely out of breath and scared as hell from the sheer size of the waves. There was no way to get back to shore(where i really wanted to be) without taking a wave so i paddled into one of the smaller sets i saw and proceeded down the face. I've never gone so fast in my life, it was like i was shot out of a gun. The barrel was so big you could've fit a schoolbus in it. Somehow i was able to make it to the shoulder and took it all the way in. I spent the rest of the day on the shore drying off and taking pictures. From that day i've respected mother nature so much more than ever. It was a day i'll remember forever, as will alot of NY surfers. Some say it was the best Long Beach ever, some say biggest and best L.I. is capable of. I'm not making any claims, but I dont think it could've got any better than 3/11. Oh yeah, the buoy hit 18ft that day. Unheard of on the east coast.

[godiogo 0]

I live in Southeastern Brazil, about an hour from the coast. I usually surf breaks on São Paulo's "North Shore". Though there are no world-class breaks here in this part of the country, you can practically surf all-year round in shorts in my area.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

I surfed for about 6 years before moving out here. Now I live in the DC area and it's too far to haul ass to surf.

I'm from northwest Ireland, so anywhere from Portrush up on the north/northeast coast down as far as Easkey in Sligo are all within 2 hours of me.

Usually we just surfed Fanad Head, Ards, Bundoran, all with 40 minutes of my house.

We used to surf a sandbar, set about 1/4 a mile out in ards, that gave a really long thick left (think J-bay long) on low tide, and worked ok up to mid tide.

It was best at 4-6 foot, and would get really glassy early morning with a light offshore wind.

It's also the wave I dislocated my knee on. Tore some meniscus cartilage, and haven't got it repaired. The kneecap still pops out from time to time, which is sore, but its infrequent enough to not be too much of a hinderance.

As far as size, my ideal size was about 1 and a half times overhead, with an offshore wind. But if surfing the peak at bundoran which is on razor sharp reef, and was so sucky, I didn't like to go in if it was any more than overhead.

It jacks up real fast, and it's such a quick drop if your timing is at all off, or you drag your knee, you are getting torn up.

This is easkey in sligo

http://www.beachwizard.com/photos/Ireland/easky15.jpg

This is the peak at bundoran

http://www.beachwizard.com/photos/Ireland/bundoran04.jpg

There is a show on at home call 999 (would be called 911 if it was on overhere), and they recreated a segment on my 2 cousins who were out surfing at Tullaghan. It was 4 days after I bust my knee, so thank god I wasn't there.

It was 14-16 foot full waves. The day started out about 6-8, so they paddled out, but then the swell hit as the tide dropped.

Mark tried to come in, but got hammered and bust his face off the board, cracking his lovely new Power Source board in the process. He paddled back out to his brother out the back.

Ritchie Fitzgerald (a friend of ours who is on the Irish surf team, or was then anyway) took a wave in, made it, and called the coast guard.

By the time they were in the water the boys were almost a mile out and light was fading. They eventually found them, but said they were close to calling off the search because of bad light.

I don't know that it ever aired, I only know they recreated it because they asked the boys to sign waivers to allow them to use their names and likeness in the segment.

Ireland gets great waves, coupled with the best guinness in the world at Blakes of the Hollow in Enniskillen (where my wife is from), are the 2 main reasons I miss home.

[Vapor 0]

I surf the interweb all the time, been to russia, china, etc. some sick shit

[Langenbrunner15 0]

Thockey, i'd love to hear some stories, they're always the best.

Heres a quick NE EC story.

3/11/04. Long Beach, New York. It was a cold morning at around 30degrees or so and the water was 34 degrees...tops. The Surfline report showed Shoulder to Head High + on the waves. Everyone following the storm days before could tell you it was going to be a good one, but noone knew how good it would actually be. I got my 6/4 hooded wetsuit, 6mil gloves and boots, and headed out to pick up a friend of mine at around 7-ish to hit the beach. We got there and heard what sounded like explosions and felt the ground shaking in the parking lot. Running over the dunes all you could see was a lineup of waves that looked like mountains just unloading down the whole beach. Easily the biggest waves i've seen in my life, and definitely one of the northeasts greatest. After much thought, we both jumped in only to have him chicken out only a couple feet into the paddle. I figured this is a once in a lifetime shot in NY, so i kept going. Whitewash walls atleast 8-10ft high just kept coming, and every duckdive produced a brain freeze. I got out to the lineup and was completely out of breath and scared as hell from the sheer size of the waves. There was no way to get back to shore(where i really wanted to be) without taking a wave so i paddled into one of the smaller sets i saw and proceeded down the face. I've never gone so fast in my life, it was like i was shot out of a gun. The barrel was so big you could've fit a schoolbus in it. Somehow i was able to make it to the shoulder and took it all the way in. I spent the rest of the day on the shore drying off and taking pictures. From that day i've respected mother nature so much more than ever. It was a day i'll remember forever, as will alot of NY surfers. Some say it was the best Long Beach ever, some say biggest and best L.I. is capable of. I'm not making any claims, but I dont think it could've got any better than 3/11. Oh yeah, the buoy hit 18ft that day. Unheard of on the east coast.

Oh man..that looks like a paradise. I'd shit myself if I was out there...but atleast i'd be a good shit.

That also looks like a bitch' to get out too...I get tired on 4ft waves half the time going back and forth, couldn't even imagine those.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

That also looks like a bitch' to get out too...I get tired on 4ft waves half the time going back and forth, couldn't even imagine those.

The beauty of a point break is you can go round the back without going through the break.

At bundoran it works near the rocks so you can use the curent to take you out even easier

[number21 3]

as a mid-westerner i have dreamed about surfing.

i was just looking online, because i have heard of people surfing the great lakes, and found a place a couple hours from here that has lessons on Lake Michigan in the summer. Pretty cheap too. I may have to try it someday, i know it will be nothing compared to ocean surf, but might be a good way to try it out.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

as a mid-westerner i have dreamed about surfing.

i was just looking online, because i have heard of people surfing the great lakes, and found a place a couple hours from here that has lessons on Lake Michigan in the summer. Pretty cheap too. I may have to try it someday, i know it will be nothing compared to ocean surf, but might be a good way to try it out.

One thing I heard about lake surfing is, it's all wind based, so sometimes the waves will roll over.

Patience and wave selection are much more critical if thats the case.

Go for it, it's an amazing sport.

I have a bunch of pictures somewhere from back in the day, must scan some and post them.

Ireland gets fantastic waves, particularly where I'm from. We had the worlds and the europeans in my home breaks.

I've also surfed with Shane Beschen and his brother Gavin, along with chris molloy

[Thockey17 1]

That also looks like a bitch' to get out too...I get tired on 4ft waves half the time going back and forth, couldn't even imagine those.

The beauty of a point break is you can go round the back without going through the break.

There was no channel to take out that day. The only way to get out was straight out into the waves. No matter how hard you paddled, you couldnt get out of those currents. It was scary to say the least.

[kosydar 0]

That also looks like a bitch' to get out too...I get tired on 4ft waves half the time going back and forth, couldn't even imagine those.

The beauty of a point break is you can go round the back without going through the break.

Great movie.

[Langenbrunner15 0]

I don't think i've ever had the luxury of having a point break...as theres only sections where I go that you can surf, theres no break.

Normally in late Augest is whe nteh waves are best for me. I head out early around 745-8ish and stay still late afternoon when the waves calm.

[flyguy1697 0]

Been surfing all of my life. Ride a Byrne 6' and a Rusty C5 5'6''. Those pictures are crazy. Last year I had a similar expierence. I got to the beach at about 8 in the morning in New Jersey and I walk onto the beach because it sounded like planes were crashing into the water left and right. I look on the beach and the swells were easily 10 +. Scared out of my mind and being the dumb teenager that I am I paddle out with one of my buddies. We get out in the lineup of almost and hour and a half of fighting the current and breaks and we see about 10 pro sufers and about 5 of the top kids in the world for surfing. Evidentally there was a 'quiksilver' tour coming through town and it just so happened to come on this day. I took one wave and one wave only and I have never been sent down the face of a wave so fast.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Been surfing all of my life. Ride a Byrne 6' and a Rusty C5 5'6''.

What height are you?

My shorty was a 6'10'' town and country

And a 12' longboard for the small days

[Langenbrunner15 0]

Been surfing all of my life. Ride a Byrne 6' and a Rusty C5 5'6''. Those pictures are crazy. Last year I had a similar expierence. I got to the beach at about 8 in the morning in New Jersey and I walk onto the beach because it sounded like planes were crashing into the water left and right. I look on the beach and the swells were easily 10 +. Scared out of my mind and being the dumb teenager that I am I paddle out with one of my buddies. We get out in the lineup of almost and hour and a half of fighting the current and breaks and we see about 10 pro sufers and about 5 of the top kids in the world for surfing. Evidentally there was a 'quiksilver' tour coming through town and it just so happened to come on this day. I took one wave and one wave only and I have never been sent down the face of a wave so fast.

Where on the Jersey coast, I remeber two days last year where there were torandos touching town right near my house and the swells were monster. The other day was late Augest and in the morning.