East vs. West

menobrah

Gerry Lopez status
Feb 28, 2021
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Just me and another guy at a jetty with some fun head high waves until the low tide turned it into closeoutaway
 
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LifeOnMars

Michael Peterson status
Jan 14, 2020
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Hey @LifeOnMars whats going on?
pixel evidence or it didn't happen. and define "pumping".

because I've been out in the water near Subway land when it was waist to head high, mixed up with light offshores and some yokels said it was "pumping"

pumping to me is at least head high with some juice behind it and without too much warble, not your average EC windswell day with offshore conditions. I get that when you haven't seen a decent wave in months anything halfway decent is a relief.
 
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i_ride_spinnaz

OTF status
Aug 19, 2020
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OK. I take back my comment about 1 foot. One of the most magical moments I've had surfing was at 1 foot Mailbu First Point. I actually really like small winter days because you can get it with no crowd. One morning after a long flat spell the waves were knee high. The water was crystal clear. At a certain point the sun came up and the low raking angle made the cobblestones glow under water. Cruisng for 20-30 yards over glowing cobblestones was mind bending.
sounds like the time i surfed a small north of Sb pointbreak on mushrooms. It was a gorgeous summer day, no one out, about 2 ft, truly mindbending. Felt like I was dancing across water. Then I went in and absolutely facemelted while staring at low tide exposed reef and rocks covered with muscles from like 6 inches away. I must have looked like a fuckin weirdo
 

Swallow Tail

Billy Hamilton status
Oct 6, 2017
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Your Mom’s House
I find it fascinating how we all describe surf conditions, and a number of people out at the same time will give varying descriptions.

For some, how they’re session went has an overly strong influence on description of conditions; others will call a wave shoulder high that someone else would say is overhead, n forget about using feet as a descriptor- many around here tend to use something akin to Hawaiian scale - 4ft will me waves waves w well overhead faces and decent energy.

so you need to know the person‘s general perspective on this stuff to have any clue what the conditions are really like. I know some guys that if they use the word “pumping“ its fckn go time, and I know other guys that if they use that term it means it’s high quality “fun zone” waves.
 
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LifeOnMars

Michael Peterson status
Jan 14, 2020
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Not everybody can be a world travelling cyrpto baller who shreds, why **** on others parades?
looks like a good day for NY from the photos, just been the water visiting there while it was "pumping" and it was nowhere close. I know that area gets good, just doesn't happen very often. Good on you guys for getting out there during the middle of winter, I'd want no part of it
 
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mundus

Duke status
Feb 26, 2018
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looks like a good day for NY from the photos, just been the water visiting there while it was "pumping" and it was nowhere close. I know that area gets good, just doesn't happen very often. Good on you guys for getting out there during the middle of winter, I'd want no part of it
To be honest I am getting sick of the winters, and if it makes you feel better the surf NJ was ruined by wind, still surfed.
 

LifeOnMars

Michael Peterson status
Jan 14, 2020
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To be honest I am getting sick of the winters, and if it makes you feel better the surf NJ was ruined by wind, still surfed.
predominant offshores are W, so you guys definitely have better days more often. Also a wider swell window, I'd say NJ probably has more surfable day per year than NY. And you also aren't trapped on an island bordered by one of the largest cities in the US
 

mundus

Duke status
Feb 26, 2018
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predominant offshores are W, so you guys definitely have better days more often. Also a wider swell window, I'd say NJ probably has more surfable day per year than NY. And you also aren't trapped on an island bordered by one of the largest cities in the US
Not recently, we hardly ever get a straight west, I would say NJ and NY are about equal in suckitude. Although NY has better top end, without even considering the east end waves. NJ closes out of over a certain size/period whereas NY holds bigger because the swell generally hits on an angle.
 

Subway

Administrator
Staff member
Dec 31, 2008
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LBNY
Of course the word pumping is all relative to the particular surf spot or even region. It’s an entirely subjective term after all

if I see chest to head high low tide hollow thumping makeable a frame barrels down the block, that’s pumping. If I’m in Nicaragua or Hawaii, it’s fun, not pumping. If I’m surfing double overhead Hanalei, that too is pumping.
 
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Subway

Administrator
Staff member
Dec 31, 2008
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Not recently, we hardly ever get a straight west, I would say NJ and NY are about equal in suckitude. Although NY has better top end, without even considering the east end waves. NJ closes out of over a certain size/period whereas NY holds bigger because the swell generally hits on an angle.
The worst is when its just west of NW, and Blowing 20+, that really sucks because both western Long Island and northern jersey coast are both side chopped to chit most likely. That seems to happen a lot, where neither the 5 minute option or the 5 hour option looks very appealing in February. That’s when you build a fire, roll a fatty, and watch olympics
 
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