East vs. West

ghost_of_lewis_samuels

Phil Edwards status
Oct 27, 2019
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If consistency is taken into play I think rincon still wins. I just don’t think there is any point break that is comparable in the NE. And the NE is dreadfully inconsistent for any kind of quality as well so it’s not like that zone irks out ahead based on that category.

even Malibu is going to be a longer wave than just about anywhere in the NE, albeit no barrel factor like the con.

100% agree about CA largely being overblown, which probably gets overlooked by most due to excitement of a surf trip and nspots.
you're not traveling far enough north. ... and i mean further north than this:

'
The wildest breaks were first surfed by Jay Speakman, who moved
from Maui, Hawaii, in 1970 to work as a lobsterman on Little
Cranberry Island, just south of Bar Harbor. Speakman, later
joined by his brother Chris, scouted offshore breaks while
hauling lobster pots on his boat. Their fellow lobstermen
overcame initial doubts (one threatened to summon the Coast
Guard if the brothers surfed) and began to call in wave reports
on the radio from their remote routes. On winter workdays the
Speakmans would drop anchor and retrieve surfboards stashed in
the engine hold. "Those winter swells were every bit as
challenging as the waves on Maui," says Jay, who now lives in
Oregon. "I guarantee we were the first to surf 90 percent of
those places." No wonder. Most were weed-covered ledges
accessible only by boat. The most remote of the Speakman
destinations was Mount Desert Rock, an island 20 miles out to
sea, inhabited only by seals.'

and good luck with the above.
 

ULUSURFER

Gerry Lopez status
Jan 2, 2007
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Australia
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New Hampshire is one of the few states on the east coast I haven't surf in, so I'll have to take your word for it. Always seemed to me to be flat and cold for weeks at a time then occasionally a very good day where everyone drives up to crowd a couple freezing cold spots. I don't surf nearly as competently with gloves boot hood so maybe I'm just too slow to realize the goodness.

California was very fun even on "small" days.
I think it has a ton of variety. Rye rocks when its good is really good along with the right point across the channel. It is inconsistent and cold as sh!t but gets good and crowded even. I was very surprised.
 
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GromsDad

Duke status
Jan 21, 2014
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West of the Atlantic. East of the ICW.
you're not traveling far enough north. ... and i mean further north than this:

'
The wildest breaks were first surfed by Jay Speakman, who moved
from Maui, Hawaii, in 1970 to work as a lobsterman on Little
Cranberry Island, just south of Bar Harbor. Speakman, later
joined by his brother Chris, scouted offshore breaks while
hauling lobster pots on his boat. Their fellow lobstermen
overcame initial doubts (one threatened to summon the Coast
Guard if the brothers surfed) and began to call in wave reports
on the radio from their remote routes. On winter workdays the
Speakmans would drop anchor and retrieve surfboards stashed in
the engine hold. "Those winter swells were every bit as
challenging as the waves on Maui," says Jay, who now lives in
Oregon. "I guarantee we were the first to surf 90 percent of
those places." No wonder. Most were weed-covered ledges
accessible only by boat. The most remote of the Speakman
destinations was Mount Desert Rock, an island 20 miles out to
sea, inhabited only by seals.'

and good luck with the above.
My family owned an inn on Mount Desert Island near Otter Cove until not that long ago. I'm unaware of any surf on Mount Desert Rock. Would be quite a mission. There are some small islands between 20 and 30 miles south that look promising but everything is rock cliffs and craziness up there. You'd need a boat, a lot of local knowledge and a really big set of ballz.
 

manbearpig

Duke status
May 11, 2009
30,003
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in the bathroom
you're not traveling far enough north. ... and i mean further north than this:

'
The wildest breaks were first surfed by Jay Speakman, who moved
from Maui, Hawaii, in 1970 to work as a lobsterman on Little
Cranberry Island, just south of Bar Harbor. Speakman, later
joined by his brother Chris, scouted offshore breaks while
hauling lobster pots on his boat. Their fellow lobstermen
overcame initial doubts (one threatened to summon the Coast
Guard if the brothers surfed) and began to call in wave reports
on the radio from their remote routes. On winter workdays the
Speakmans would drop anchor and retrieve surfboards stashed in
the engine hold. "Those winter swells were every bit as
challenging as the waves on Maui," says Jay, who now lives in
Oregon. "I guarantee we were the first to surf 90 percent of
those places." No wonder. Most were weed-covered ledges
accessible only by boat. The most remote of the Speakman
destinations was Mount Desert Rock, an island 20 miles out to
sea, inhabited only by seals.'

and good luck with the above.
I’ve tapped into that zone a bit, but admittedly not nearly enough as it’s such a complex set of coastlines. But I’ve surfed a few of the lesser known, non boat access spots, spots that are unreal waves.

it’s an area I might actually settle down in permanently.
 

One-Off

Tom Curren status
Jul 28, 2005
14,233
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33.8N - 118.4W
SoCal and Santa Cruz, yes. Elsewhere, the dream is still alive. I had a six people over 300 yards of grunty, HH+ good beachbreak. A glassy afternoon completely alone in chest high tapered runners. A sunny Sunday with 5-6 people on each peak, and the one I was surfing, I was the only person they didn't know by name, and I got every third left as if I went to Pre-K with them. They even waited in order during lulls vs re-scrumming for priority.
There is definitely surf in CA where a few other people are welcome. Being the only guest at the man in the grey suit's house is unnerving...
 

ghost_of_lewis_samuels

Phil Edwards status
Oct 27, 2019
6,467
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My family owned an inn on Mount Desert Island near Otter Cove until not that long ago. I'm unaware of any surf on Mount Desert Rock. Would be quite a mission. There are some small islands between 20 and 30 miles south that look promising but everything is rock cliffs and craziness up there. You'd need a boat, a lot of local knowledge and a really big set of ballz.
Cool! I've been up there many times, maybe even stayed at the inn. And agreed - winter surf explorations by boat up there are the way to go and kind of insane. There are so many potential setups but they require quite a lot to find/score
 

GromsDad

Duke status
Jan 21, 2014
54,794
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West of the Atlantic. East of the ICW.
The end of my street will offer this up once or maybe twice a year when the water is warm and about a dozen times a year when you need a hood boots and gloves. Its where I rode my first waves in 1982, took my first surf pics in the late 80s, watched my 3 kids turn into damned good surfers, made a million memories and where someday I will probably ride my last. Its not Rincon but I can walk to it or ride my bike to it.

22256481_10207707428322517_4047328659773538008_o (1).jpg

lopez.JPG
 

Subway

Administrator
Staff member
Dec 31, 2008
13,539
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LBNY
same. it ain't Rincon, but considering it's 400 yards from my front door, i aint complaining. I'm just complaining about this particular fall and early winter flat spell
simon NBE at Pacific.Elsaremnantswell.7.9.21.jpg
 

Sharkbiscuit

Duke status
Aug 6, 2003
26,678
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Jacksonville Beach
NSB inlet is south of there I guess
The wave I am thinking of will eat that spot for brekkie. NSB looks like a fun rippable beachie, but I’m talking barrels.
NSB can have some tubes on its day but the point of NSB isn't how good it looks a few a times per year.

The point of NSB is how stomach-chest it is when most everywhere is thigh high, and how it serves up shitloads of peaks all over the place, and how it wedges/bowls more than everywhere else.

If there's truly a bombing swell NSB is basically the last place you want to be. Maybe there would be rights inside the inlet, or maybe you'll get that surfline session that was featured with all the San Clemente pros visiting. But the sand shoal out the back usually turns into a maelstrom and it saps the juice.

Most days NSB is better than Ponce. But IMHO Ponce when it's on, if you snag one of the gem right bowl takeoffs out the back, you're getting a wave better than basically anything that's ever broken on the NSB side. The same would be true of almost any North/Central Florida sand shoal or Treasure Coast/Palm Beach reef when it's on.
 

oneworlded

Administrator
Jun 4, 2004
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Murrica
chrisdixonreports.com
I’ve tapped into that zone a bit, but admittedly not nearly enough as it’s such a complex set of coastlines. But I’ve surfed a few of the lesser known, non boat access spots, spots that are unreal waves.

it’s an area I might actually settle down in permanently.
Mount desert rock. Looks gnarly as it gets.
1643041988653.png
 

Swallow Tail

Billy Hamilton status
Oct 6, 2017
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Your Mom’s House
The best day of the year on the EC (in any given year) is just a day with waves on the WC. While it has moments, the EC in general just doesn't compare to any real-wave destinations. It's just not comparable given the bathymetry, lack of variety, consistency, weather etc. You can almost literally do more actual surfing (feet on the board) in one session at, say, K38 than you would in a month or more here. It's still fun, but good attitude is crucial.

You clearly don’t know WTF you‘re talking about you. I grew up on LI, NY; have been on CA Central Coast over 20 years, and have done a lil bit of traveling.

EC is WAY less consistent of course, the windows are much shorter when there is swell - but there are still MANY VERY good days if you know when and where to look.

The exception would be if you’re into bigger to XL waves- then there really is no comparison.
 
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Mr Doof

Duke status
Jan 23, 2002
24,932
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San Francisco, CA
im not going to name spots but NH has right and left points, and just south has pumping beach break that rival the majority of west coast beach break
Since this has turned into a friendly debate, I’ll disagree with you on that NH beach break.

The secret is out!
1643043421795.png

PS
Am of firm belief that every non-world class spot has its day when it is way better than an average day at a world class spot.

PPS
I think we need a NORCAL vs SOCAL thread, now that it's 49ers vs Rams...
Socal wins the surf off. Nothing to see north of Santa Cruz.
 
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ULUSURFER

Gerry Lopez status
Jan 2, 2007
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Australia
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The secret is out!
View attachment 123063

PS
Am of firm belief that every non-world class spot has its day when it is way better than an average day at a world class spot.

PPS


Socal wins the surf off. Nothing to see north of Santa Cruz.
hahaha thanks for blowing up my spot! even though i don't live that way anymore...im sure the locals are going to happy when the whole erBB shows up when its on!!
 

Sharkbiscuit

Duke status
Aug 6, 2003
26,678
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Jacksonville Beach
The secret is out!

PS
Am of firm belief that every non-world class spot has its day when it is way better than an average day at a world class spot.

PPS


Socal wins the surf off. Nothing to see north of Santa Cruz.
Unless I'm mistaken the beachbreak they're talking about (and these since-recolonized by seals Maine spots) have seen an absolute population explosion of shark food with sharks now catching up. Cape Cod in hurricane season is becoming a good place to get killed, and that lady in Maine in 2020 done got 'et.

PS

I've seen some pretty good Spaniel and and some pretty good Mayport and some pretty good Vero sandbars.
Give me a rando Tuesday at G-Land in July.

PPS

SoCal wins the surf off. Nothing to see North of the Ranch. Except Santa Cruz. Shteamer's Lane.