Given pond conditions in MassBay, decided to chase some SW waves coming up with a strong weather front. Went down to RI and found better than expected on Saturday. First time at this semi beach/point break. Wasn’t disappointed as lines of zippy shoulder to head high waves were rolling in and providing quick peeling rides. Pretty crowded break requiring quick sprints and good wave weaving control. All good waves were contested with two or three surfers sprinting for the same waves. However, whoever caught the wave closest to the pocket owned it and everyone else needed to peel off. Then you had to weave through the inner lineup of short boarders.
The break zone usually involved two or three breakers. A bit of a challenge and got flipped a couple of times for some rolling practice. Things got easier when I figured out the rip locations for a faster out. A rip can be clearly seen here in the flat foamy flat spot in front of the surfer.
Went for a dawn patrol this morning under chilly rains, with air temps of just north of 40 degrees, and a 15-20 knot offshore. Props to the Lil Rhody surfers who were out in force. We were rewarded with some steep quick zippy waves that offered long peels from outside all the way in. Lasted for a couple of hours before I started losing feeling with my ungloved hands, not so much from water temps but from the wind chill. Crappy pic of today’s cold, rainy and windy morning.
Yeah… Not “San Diego” crowded, for sure. But, we paid the price with much cooler to colder conditions than southern CA. I doubt the San Diego surfers would have been happy with the air temp of 40 and gusty northerly winds (from Canada) that we were getting yesterday. :#
We had our first freeze this morning in Boston. Can say goodbye to mosquitos for the rest of the year.
I need to take better advantage of RI, it’s an hour and twenty minutes away, and Little Compton/Westport MA are similar. I’m just not sure about the parking situation in Westport, seems a lot of it is private, and public parking would require a bit of a walk to the beach.
Been to Matunuck which is a bit further down and very nice, but a little out of my weekday range.
And often I don’t deal with going north because of the traffic, don’t get the time during the week to make it worthwhile. Also seems like places like Nahant need a bit of swell to get it pumping, and at that point Nantasket should be going as well. Used to motor up to the Hampton Beach area, but don’t get up that way anymore, now spending weekends with the wife and boy.
@Johnnysmoke said:
I need to take better advantage of RI, it’s an hour and twenty minutes away, and Little Compton/Westport MA are similar. I’m just not sure about the parking situation in Westport, seems a lot of it is private, and public parking would require a bit of a walk to the beach.
Been to Matunuck which is a bit further down and very nice, but a little out of my weekday range.
And often I don’t deal with going north because of the traffic, don’t get the time during the week to make it worthwhile. Also seems like places like Nahant need a bit of swell to get it pumping, and at that point Nantasket should be going as well. Used to motor up to the Hampton Beach area, but don’t get up that way anymore, now spending weekends with the wife and boy.
I used to surf Lil Compton and Westport pretty regularly on the “shoulder seasons” (spring and fall). Got kicked out of the a small town-owned rocky point break, when other locals complained to and about my local surfer buddy/connection. Also used to go Westport, in a spot just between Horseneck reservation and a private beach. The road leading to the gate separated the Reservation fence on one side and “haute” (hoddy-toddy) seasonal homeowners on the other side. There were about 6 or 7 spots of parking spots right at the gate, from which there is a 200 yard carry to the beach break. Had some good surfing at this place for several years. Then the town banned parking on that road and the cops started ticketing and towing. Apparently the homeowners didn’t care for surfing riff-raff, although we were parked on the other side of the road, along side a state owned reservation.
I love the point breaks at Point Judith and Matunuck. But, driving two hour drive for a session…? I just can’t justify in my head the time and gas burned for one session (a multi day surfari would be ok).
I still like “Rye on the Rocks”, Strawberry Point and Jenness in NH. Can get there – early in the morning – in slightly under a hour. I like surfing the mouth of Ogunquit River. The shifting sands there creates some really interesting breaks. Wells also has a nice point break right by the jetty. The NH places have public parking, albeit highly contested in the summer. ME parking is a lot more expensive.
Bottom line - surfing warm weather is a much more costly and tense proposition (searching/fighting for parking and a space in the line-up). The reason winter speaks to me is more storms and waves and almost never a problem with parking or a crowded line up. Just have to stay in reasonable shape and work your skills to take on the waves when they come. For sure, winter sessions offer less margin for those less skilled and/or out of shape.
But, we paid the price with much cooler to colder conditions than southern CA. I doubt the San Diego surfers would have been happy with the air temp of 40 and gusty northerly winds (from Canada) that we were getting yesterday. :#