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The water is still awfully cold
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It seems that all of us possess different thresholds for pain. For instance, at any given moment from June through September, you can find at least 50 surfers at the most popular breaks in the area Even on days when the waves barely reach your knees, you will have to fight for every wave you catch Yet here we are in March, with a water temperature of just over 40 degrees, and the strongest swell of the year didn't seem to bring out the crowds. The limiting factor? Pain. Or in this case, the pain of duck diving in sub-40-degree water.
Don't get me wrong, I am certainly not complaining. It just seems strange to me that the crowds around the region seemed so light this past week given how crowded it has been at other times this winter. But let's face it, the water is still awfully cold. So cold, in fact, that I had to limit my sessions in order to maintain control of my fingers and toes. Maybe the crowds ran south to catch the amazing surf in the warmer waters of the Outer Banks, or to the even toastier waters of Florida. This past week saw a strong low pressure system that fortunately just seemed to sit off the East Coast While there have certainly been some fun waves this winter, this was the best swell so far. Most of the south-facing breaks produced big, clean waves. While cruising the internet, I was able to find some amazing photos of the same swell as it hit our neighbors to the north and south of us. It seems that the entire East Coast got a major dose of surf from this system. One of the coolest things I saw during this run of surf was a few guys doing tow-ins at Indian River Inlet. Though I was not able to see it live, I did see the video online of these guys whipping each other into some beautiful little barrels with their Jet Ski. I have never tried this myself, but their video clearly demonstrates the potential fun you could have with a Jet Ski and a couple of friends. You can check it out here: vimeo.com/10283994.
Though it is still a little early to say for sure, this week looks like it could have some more fun waves in store for us. As of Sunday evening, Tuesday should provide us with some overhead surf and clean west winds in the 5-10 knot range. Be sure to check swellinfo.com for a free updated report.
Speaking of large swells, I highly recommend that everyone check out the videos on sur-fline.com of the massive swell that recently hit Teahupoo in Tahiti. Every year I await the photos to come pouring in of surfers risking their lives at this spot, and year after year it never disappoints. These waves are so massive and thick, they seem to defy the laws of physics. It simply does not seem possible for that much water to be suspended over the heads of the men riding down the face. I am in awe of these men and the ca-jones they display in the face of such monster waves.
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