SURF does not SUCK

pkovo

Well-Known Member
Another decent, but smaller swell this past weekend. Definitely helping me get through my time off the bike. Forgot to take pics, but spent 30 minutes on my buddies Grain longboard which was pretty fun. My new wetsuit had me practically sweating in the 50+ sunny air temps despite the water hovering just above 40.

The Grain Mini Simmons got some wooden keels complete with wooden racing stripes. At this point it's about ready for glass once the weather warms a bit. I'm very eager to try this one; it's my preferred board shape/size for smaller waves. Kind of hoping Dave hates it, then I'll be forced to ride it more.mini simmons.jpg
 

icebiker

JORBA: Morris Trails
JORBA.ORG
For those of you that were into the earthbound form of surfing you might enjoy this short. It was dedicated to Hobie Alter. I was on the Pepsi team back then (late 70’s). There’s a picture of us on the upper left at 0:35. Other team pics are also featured around 2:30. Sims, Bones, Tunnel, Zephyr, Alva...all featured. Good times for sure.

 

extremedave

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
if a rank newbie wanted to try his luck where would I go? Longer mushburgers preferred over full send. Understand might be weird due to the storm. I’m north jersey so further up than down is preferable.
thx!
 

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
if a rank newbie wanted to try his luck where would I go? Longer mushburgers preferred over full send. Understand might be weird due to the storm. I’m north jersey so further up than down is preferable.
thx!

Right now the surf is a little much for a beginner. It will calm down in a day or so and then finally be back to normal summer waves by Wednesday.

Just a FYI - you want to shoot for low tide to time your trip. High tide means the waves won’t break, so you want to be hitting your spot closer to low tide on smaller wave days.

I have a bit of a drive and usually head to Spring Lake or Belmar, but there are plenty of other good beaches further north. Asbury Park for example.

My son has been bitten by the surfing bug so I’ve taken him on out on his first true dawn patrol recently. Waves have been a lot more active than usual this summer. Water is decently warm in the low 70s.
 

extremedave

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I tried Asbury this morning.
Wasn't a resounding success (broke my ghetto ass 30 year old leash and had to play fetch) but I at least figured out a time and place to start. Set intervals were tighter spaced than I expected and my paddling could use some improvement.

I was thinking evening low tide could work also with Covid non-traffic. I was there in about an hour or so.
 

seanrunnette

Brain Damaged Ray Romano
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Check out pro surf coaches
He's been at Lot B in Sandy Hook every time I've been there (3x in the last coupla weeks). Cool guy, very chill on the beach and in the water.
I've been haunting 1st lot (closed now for the nesting birds) and Lot B. Low tide is great, even though the sandbar is enormous. (It's just effing weird standing ankle deep in water after paddling ten yards.) And Fay was awesome, esp when the wind backed down a bit. I'll get down the coast a bit further, but I kinda dig trying to figure out this spot. And being from California, this is as close as I'm getting to a State Beach vibe this side of Island Beach SP, which is cool, too, but further and kinda zany.
 

rustynuts

Well-Known Member
message me if you want a great break right nearby where you are talking about.
I started surfing sandy hook in 99’ and it has changed a ton. Not much time to surf these days due to work and family. Riding takes up my free time.
It’s great to have an instructor. Besides shredding the gnar they really teach you about how the lineup works and safety. To many people are ignorant of the way the waves work and buy a board and just go.
 

extremedave

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Washington st in Avon was an awesome beginner spot last week. Tides are against me this weekend for an AM session but kid wants to try. Any place that allows surfing after 9 or so? Avon was great but by 9 the beach break was getting crowded and the lifeguards tossed the surfers out.
thx
 

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
Washington st in Avon was an awesome beginner spot last week. Tides are against me this weekend for an AM session but kid wants to try. Any place that allows surfing after 9 or so? Avon was great but by 9 the beach break was getting crowded and the lifeguards tossed the surfers out.
thx

Belmar right in front of the Eastern Lines surf shop and Spring Lake between Lorraine and Remsen. Prepare for crowds.
 

THATmanMANNY

Well-Known Member
I sold my last board two years ago. It wasn't the right one for my ability and was only good for higher swells.
What would you recommend for 5'9" 160lbs. beginner board.
length?
width?
style?
fins?
THANKS!
 

pkovo

Well-Known Member
Got out for the first time in a long time today after an injury forced layoff. Waist to chest occ shoulder high storm front runners. Really fun! Should build further and swell should hold out for a few days at least. Woohoo!
 

pkovo

Well-Known Member
I sold my last board two years ago. It wasn't the right one for my ability and was only good for higher swells.
What would you recommend for 5'9" 160lbs. beginner board.
length?
width?
style?
fins?
THANKS!
For a beginner board its hard to go wrong with a longboard. Full size, 9’ range. You can go with any fin configuration, but I am not a single Fin fan so I like a single plus sidebites over the traditional single

If not into a longboard, next best would be a funshape. Kind of a mid size in between a shortboard and a longboard. Tri fin is most versatile.

If you have a background in and are good at skateboarding and/or snowboarding, and you ultimately want to surf a shortboard eventually, you could start with a fish shape, and upsize it a bit so it has more float. Quad fin is my favorite here.

Personally I like the longboard approach because the hardest thing about learning to surf is catching waves and anlongboard is best for this. You cant practice getting up and staying up if you cant catch a wave. Second hardest part of surfing is balancing, and a longboard is a really stable platform
Making this easier. And the added benefit is, a longboard is a board that really belongs in any surfers quiver even if you are a shortboarder. Its just fun to longboard sometimes. So if/when you excel and move to a shortboard you’ll still use the longboard. Or maybe you stay with a longboard as many do and its a pretty suitable board for NJ where we dont gwt tons of big waves.

Also in the last decade there have been a lot of decent soft top longboards being put out. Odysea is a good brand, sister company wave bandit is decent and costs less....there are others. These actually surf pretty damn well. Ive seen guys rippingnin good surf on the Odysea boards. Take a peek at what Jamie Obrien does on one of those at pipeline; its nuts!

The hardest thing to start on is a traditional shortboard. They need a lot of push to catch waves on, and its just a really hard platform to try and learn on.
 
Last edited:

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
@pkovo coiodnt have said it better myself.

I have always had a longboard, had a few fun boards and just picked up a 7’9 mini this summer (for $75!). I can’t say enough at how useful a longboard is in 90% of NJ surf, especially for a beginner. Fun boards and minis are great because they are a little lighter, but more float = more waves generally.
 

pkovo

Well-Known Member
Surf was great yesterday..headhigh, with offshores compliments of that xmas storm.

Got myself a new wintersuit and yesterday was the first true test of its capabilities. I am absolutely blown away by the new technology. I was warmer in that silly wetsuit than I was layered up with hat and gloves on! Probably still some leftovers today.

Not my footage but pretty neat perspective from a drone

 
Last edited:

MMuller

Well-Known Member
I was in a few days ago. 1st time back in the 5 mil. Amazed when took off in the shower it was totally dry inside.
 
Top Bottom