East Coast Surf

[jackstraw]

Cape Cod.

I used to spend my summers, and then autumns in Maine. Winters in Albany, the. NYC. Rockaway was cold enough for me, and I worked seasonal jobs while in Maine.

Ah. It's not so much the cold for me as it's the wet suit I can't handle. I'm claustrophobic and I can't get out of the damn thing without dislocating my shoulder. 4/3 is pushing it for me.

On that note, do you use ear plugs? Cold water over time is not great for the ear canal. I cannot get my kids to buy into it...because they're invincible kids...and I get it, they are a pia. I wear them because I have to..water rushes in.

[WaistDeepGroomers]

Ah. It's not so much the cold for me as it's the wet suit I can't handle. I'm claustrophobic and I can't get out of the damn thing without dislocating my shoulder. 4/3 is pushing it for me.

On that note, do you use ear plugs? Cold water over time is not great for the ear canal. I cannot get my kids to buy into it...because they're invincible kids...and I get it, they are a pia. I wear them because I have to..water rushes in.

It's probably dealing with the 7 mm mittens that kills me the most, or nearly pulling my back out trying to get my suit off. However higgins' hot shower and these Wet Sox things have been game changers.

Also annoying is the hood on my 6/5 sits really high on my forehead so duck diving ice cream headaches are brutal. I usually won't go out on the days you're going to be doing that a lot in Jan and Feb.

[alev]

Finally getting my act together after a few weeks in Utah and being crazy busy at school to surf tomorrow. Looks promising for ME/NH. See if I can get out for an hour or so before my toes fall off. Psyched!

[Ottime]

Ah. It's not so much the cold for me as it's the wet suit I can't handle. I'm claustrophobic and I can't get out of the damn thing without dislocating my shoulder. 4/3 is pushing it for me.

On that note, do you use ear plugs? Cold water over time is not great for the ear canal. I cannot get my kids to buy into it...because they're invincible kids...and I get it, they are a pia. I wear them because I have to..water rushes in.

I don't wear plus, but should.

It was basically the wetsuits, my poverty and the fact this was 20 years ago. I bought a cheap used worn 5 mil to wear over my shorty, and a hooded vest, gloves, boots, etc.

I can recall one cold day in NYC. 22F air. Off shores about 10 mph. Water was in the upper 30s and was steaming. I jumped off the jetty at 92nd St, and got out with out duck diving. Took a wave. I went too far and it closed out, but I was able to barely pop off the back. But the next wave was a bit bigger and I had to duck dive it. I mentally could not get myself to push myself under water. I spun, let it hit me in the back, and bellied to shore. Ran out the jetty for a second. I was able to get three that way, and was then just done. Changing outside the bathhouse on the boardwalk worked well enough. The structure blocked the wind. One glove off, sheeps wool glove on. Then the second hand. Hood off, wool hat on. Boot for wool stocking. And the other. Pull the top of the suit down, towel dry quick, and wool sweater on. Bottoms off (try to keep those stockings on), dry and boxers up, then long johns, then jeans. Sweater off, t shirt on, dry fleece on, sweater back on top. remove stocking and put on proper socks and shoes. Roll the suits, boots, gloves, hood up in the towel, stuff it in the back (I used an old army surplus rucksack to fit all this shit). Grab board and jog to the train station where there was a heater. I once changed in the station when it was snowing.

Nowadays are easy. Tech wear, wool blends, down everywhere. And the fucking suits are amazing.

Still like it here where the water is almost always 56F.

[jackstraw]

That's classic Ott!

So yeah, they're saying 3-5 tomorrow here and potentially good for a few days. My oldest is still on break, so he's stoked. And the SC looks great right now. Mavericks is possible for Tues.

[alev]

forecast looks strong for this zone tomorrow...beats skidding around on ice!

[alev]

getting out of the water FKN SUX! surf was good today at LS but my fingers don't enjoy these pains. I unfortunately don't live close enough to the coast to wear my suit to and from.

[alev]

nice but brief session last night at LS. big, slow moving mush ball waves, mostly head high, semi organized, but fun. tide was nearly dead low and outgoing, and biggest waves were breaking WAAAAY out. Felt like I was a mile from my car at times. Still new to the winter surfing thing, so I find it odd to be sitting hundreds of yards off the beach by myself in the ocean in january. but I'm loving it. maybe some pinners in the snow today?

[WaistDeepGroomers]

Will be coming back to Maine Sunday stoked to surf after the holiday weekend in santa Barbara and santa Cruz. Damn it was nice surfing with 76 f air and 58 f water! Could have been okay riding head high points for another couple days...

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[jackstraw]

Yeah, I think we're on day 5 or 6 of decent waves.

I'm on day 50 or so with a swollen knee. Lost my mind about 10 days ago now.

[alev]

Couldn't get out yesterday or today, and may be flat for a few days, but another bump next week.

Wednesday was great. Good long period swell, moderate snowfall and no breeze. Good enough for a couple hours...Normally I would have been jonesing to ski, but my schedule this year is not conducive for skiing, and with the water much closer, I've definitely been taking advantage of it.

[WaistDeepGroomers]

Looks like a good week of waves comin' up... too busy today to get out there but looking forward to making time for it the rest of the week!

[alev]

Anyone get some today? FKNsickass waves out there. Jumped in the water at 450. Not a successful mission but had to try because the FOMO of not surfing woulda been worse.

[WaistDeepGroomers]

Anyone get some today? FKNsickass waves out there. Jumped in the water at 450. Not a successful mission but had to try because the FOMO of not surfing woulda been worse.

Got out for an hour twenty or so at Higgins. Beautiful rights coming in, about the most organized I've seen it there. Still, took about 30 waves to the head after being a fool sitting inside and was pretty frozen after that. Caught one decent one but was more of a JONG sesh on my part. Gonna try some wool socks in my booties tomorrow AM though... will be smaller but should be fun and clean!

[alev]

Ya I bet this morning was good. Couldn't do it.

I wear some thin smart wool socks mostly to get the booties on and off quickly and have something to stand on.

Hope this pic works. Not mine, not where I surfed, but this spot seems to do well on big NE swells at the correct tides.

[Ottime]

Looks warm.

You should retitle this the New England thread. No one else posts. Likely because you don’t have a lot of snow spotters south of NY. And besides, NE surfing is way cooler than anywhere else in the east.

[alev]

Looks warm.

You should retitle this the New England thread. No one else posts. Likely because you don’t have a lot of snow spotters south of NY. And besides, NE surfing is way cooler than anywhere else in the east.

You know, I've gotten used to the cold...at least for the first hour and change. New suit, quite warm. Fingers and toes get cold easily, but same with skiing. I do think about something you said...first duck dive is a rude awakening...second duck dive is hard...and the third duck dive is a mindfuck...can I do this? The cold water fucks with my head big time. It's a fun game

[Ottime]

Well, at least the cold keeps the salmonfisherboy at bay. And suits have improved drastically in the 20 years I’ve been out here. And I always liked it, knowing anyone else that was out, was as passionate about it as you.

[WaistDeepGroomers]

Put on my older 6/5 yesterday instead of newer 4/3 with hooded vest. Thick wool socks in the boots. Warmest I've been this winter, thank God. Still need to pick up some new booties thst seal better today but after that and gluing the hole in my glove shut I should be $.

Yesterday was super fun at higgins. Stomach to chest peelers, sunny, gorgeous sunrise.



Was having a much harder time than some of the stand up surfers getting speed to make sections. Hadn't thought about fins much, gonna try cutting down on how much is in the water to lower the drag. Took my smaller trailing quad fins, put em up front, and am cutting down the old pair of cheap trailers into knubs:





Still need to do some shaving tonight but psyched to try these out tomorrow, which should be another fun day.

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[alev]

why not just do a single fin?

[WaistDeepGroomers]

why not just do a single fin?

Something to try. Like having it loose for the occasional slash but have never tried single fin. I'll have to give it a whirl!

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[jackstraw]

Nice pic wdg. I could go for a waist deep pow groomer run right about now.
First time on a single threw me a bit. Pushes the board little differently...but I can't tell big differences being a kook an all.

[Ottime]

Thruster to single is typically slower. Quads can be fastest in hollow waves, but kind of have drag in flatter waves. I imagine shaving down those fins will make it a little faster due to a bit less drag, but much quicker rail to rail, so faster by generating speed and releasing fins. But they are way looser off the tail than a single. Singles pretty much track right on that fin.

[alev]

I typically only ride my log as a single, but that may be because i don't have the right trailers. should look into that, thanks

[Ottime]

Same here. I don’t like singles on short boards at all. Too sluggish. But I love my huge single on the log. It is great for large sweeping turns and for tracking out from behind the whitewater.