Lots of flooding from the recent winter storm. Lots of waves as well. Yesterday’s waves looked great at 3-4’ with 11-12 second intervals. However, the strong offshore wind - 24 knots sustained, with gusts up to 30 knots - made catching and staying on the waves pretty challenging. Even after “catching” a wave, found myself being blown back over the top quite a few times, especially when going for diagonal runs. The wind would catch the boat broadside, slow it down, and the push it back over the top of the wave. Post-surf chat with a couple of the boardies reaffirmed they had an equally tough time dropping in. Also, no stand-up surfers out. Just too windy to stand upright out in the waves.
Anytime playing in the waves and coming back to shore safely is a good day. Mahalo!
When we here n the left coast get lots of rain, the sewage treatment plants end up flushing too much water out that is only partially treated (at least solids are removed). They are upgrading our sewage treatment plants, but stlll have a way to go.
A group of us this past year had a couple days surfing into a stiff wind. Everybody was experiencing the waves getting away from us. One of the things we realized is that the wind felt stronger higher up on the waves. The difference seemed significant where we were at that day.
Good question. For Greater Boston, this particular beach - Nantasket (well known surfing spot) - rarely ever gets flagged/posted for bacteria contamination. 'Tasket is located in a small town on the outskirts of Greater Boston and faces directly into the open Atlantic. So, it manages to avoid most of the run off contamination that is associated with Greater Boston beaches, especially close the inner city.
Nantasket is not as challengingly fun as my rocky homebreak on the north shore of Boston. It gets pretty crowded in the summer, especially with beginner and novice surfers. As such, “localism” is non-existent (but breaches of surf etiquette are common among beginners). For sure, after heavy rains, 'Tasket is definitely cleaner!
Definitely! Pretty much had to paddle and drop straight down into the trough in order to keep the wave. Not as aesthetically pleasing as diagonal runs and long loopy cutbacks, but one can at least get a ride of some length than otherwise.
And I drove to my put-in in virgin snow on my neighbor’s farm in my 4WD (it’s one of my informal duties to establish a foot path for the neighborhood with tire tracks…the farmer sometimes does it with a tractor). It definitely feels like you’re floating and with the deep snow and drifts it’s a solid adrenaline rush for sure.
Nice! We haven’t gotten good snow like that in recent years. I brought my waxless x-country skis down from the maine camp right after our
Boston’s “snowmageddon” in 2015, hoping to use them at the local reservation. Nope. Haven’t used it at all.
I don’t mind a good snowfall that also brings along the waves:
