Skipper's Surf Review: Is it time to stop hating?

Sharkbiscuit

Duke status
Aug 6, 2003
26,766
19,713
113
Jacksonville Beach
I'll have to paddle out soon. I tend to really like those March/April stomach high clean up days we get sometimes when the wind goes offshore. Paddle muscles are gonna be super out of shape but it is what it is.
Well unless it's really consistent, at which point punching up onto, and then across that sandbar is a bitch and a half, you're in luck because that paddle is really short, at least compared to the low tide paddle. And until the last moon you really haven't had to worry much about high tide paddle, because at high tide you were pretty fucked if you didn't want to surf the Pier or the very mushy and very packed outside at the Poles.

blowing up spots?!
:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

That'd be like putting a yard sign that says "Free Dog sh!t" in the grassy bit between sidewalk and bike lane along 1st Street in Jax Beach. It's a no sh!t sherlock and a nobody wants it scene.

Last time I surfed there, I went to Mayport first thing in the morning. Weekend. It was coming up on mid, incoming tide. The outside was soft and packed, and the inside was closed out and packed.

I drove to Guana and there were like four people. Most of the time I go there on the weekends I'm surfing more or less alone, or maybe some kid's parents let him paddle his Ben Gravy board out if I'm within call for help range.

Mickler's will have 174982317498641 people parked all over the place.
 

EastCoastBrah

Legend (inyourownmind)
Nov 16, 2020
510
468
63
Well unless it's really consistent, at which point punching up onto, and then across that sandbar is a bitch and a half, you're in luck because that paddle is really short, at least compared to the low tide paddle. And until the last moon you really haven't had to worry much about high tide paddle, because at high tide you were pretty fucked if you didn't want to surf the Pier or the very mushy and very packed outside at the Poles.



:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

That'd be like putting a yard sign that says "Free Dog sh!t" in the grassy bit between sidewalk and bike lane along 1st Street in Jax Beach. It's a no sh!t sherlock and a nobody wants it scene.

Last time I surfed there, I went to Mayport first thing in the morning. Weekend. It was coming up on mid, incoming tide. The outside was soft and packed, and the inside was closed out and packed.

I drove to Guana and there were like four people. Most of the time I go there on the weekends I'm surfing more or less alone, or maybe some kid's parents let him paddle his Ben Gravy board out if I'm within call for help range.

Mickler's will have 174982317498641 people parked all over the place.
until the nocatee hordes figure out there's closer surf and stop making the longer drive to the poles
 

Sharkbiscuit

Duke status
Aug 6, 2003
26,766
19,713
113
Jacksonville Beach
until the nocatee hordes figure out there's closer surf and stop making the longer drive to the poles
In that case I'll print fucking leaflets and hand them out. Although I don't think there are really Nocatee hordes, and from what I can tell, a serious part of Northern St. John's County has a serious wannabe elitist stick up their ass about being in St. John's County.

Amusing considering Ponte Vedra is basically corpo skybox seats at the Skynyrd concert compared to similar places in Central/South Florida.

I surf the Poles like five times per year. Always cold and blown and usually raining. I can't remember the last time I surfed there I wasn't wearing booties and the air was over 50.
 

bobwarren

Nep status
Feb 24, 2016
839
125
43
Neptune Beach FL
In that case I'll print fucking leaflets and hand them out. Although I don't think there are really Nocatee hordes, and from what I can tell, a serious part of Northern St. John's County has a serious wannabe elitist stick up their ass about being in St. John's County.

Amusing considering Ponte Vedra is basically corpo skybox seats at the Skynyrd concert compared to similar places in Central/South Florida.

I surf the Poles like five times per year. Always cold and blown and usually raining. I can't remember the last time I surfed there I wasn't wearing booties and the air was over 50.
Most people that actually surf in Nocatee/PV seem to have moved from down south so they are usually happy to get any kind of semi regular swell. But yea, not too many outside of that, which is a good thing considering.

I miss the Poles but I got sharky vibes in the winter time there all the time on those cold foggy mornings. Much more so than I ever got anywhere in NB or Jax Beach or north of the river. I know there were/are some monsters out there with the river mouth.
 
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EastCoastBrah

Legend (inyourownmind)
Nov 16, 2020
510
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In that case I'll print fucking leaflets and hand them out. Although I don't think there are really Nocatee hordes, and from what I can tell, a serious part of Northern St. John's County has a serious wannabe elitist stick up their ass about being in St. John's County.

Amusing considering Ponte Vedra is basically corpo skybox seats at the Skynyrd concert compared to similar places in Central/South Florida.

I surf the Poles like five times per year. Always cold and blown and usually raining. I can't remember the last time I surfed there I wasn't wearing booties and the air was over 50.
or they'll move down the street from micklers. there's hordes of people from there surfing somewhere. rather not have them aware of one of the few uncrowded areas left in LA East.

Just dont get why youd take a spot you have fun at uncrowded and tell the world about it. theres a billion surfers here
 

Sharkbiscuit

Duke status
Aug 6, 2003
26,766
19,713
113
Jacksonville Beach
or they'll move down the street from micklers. there's hordes of people from there surfing somewhere. rather not have them aware of one of the few uncrowded areas left in LA East.

Just dont get why youd take a spot you have fun at uncrowded and tell the world about it. theres a billion surfers here
This is a social media dead end. It's a disposable income metric on a spreadsheet. It's embedded in page 9 of a Yuri thread. Everyone that surfs in Duval and St. John's Counties, especially the ones that posts here, knows about those spots and never surfs them. Because the Pier to the North and another place to the South that now has a surfline cam are generally considerably to comically better on the same conditions, and closer. And you don't have to have three dollars cash or risk getting a ticket. To say nothing of the half a dozen other named spots between A Street and Amelia Island. It's not some good spot that nobody knows about. It's a very, very mid spot that's kind of far away and redundant to closer mid spots. Like Mickler's. And it's a park in an undeveloped area. It doesn't belong to anyone. Nobody with two legs and no wings is a local there.

It's not like I'm submitting a photo essay to 911 for clout. One 40-something idiot's impression of a spot nobody goes to on a message board almost nobody reads ain't the problem.

LA East is six hours down South. The primary uncrowded fun in LA East is fishing canals for tarpon and snook and exotics/invasives. This is San Diego East if there ever was one.
 

EastCoastBrah

Legend (inyourownmind)
Nov 16, 2020
510
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This is a social media dead end. It's a disposable income metric on a spreadsheet. It's embedded in page 9 of a Yuri thread. Everyone that surfs in Duval and St. John's Counties, especially the ones that posts here, knows about those spots and never surfs them. Because the Pier to the North and another place to the South that now has a surfline cam are generally considerably to comically better on the same conditions, and closer. And you don't have to have three dollars cash or risk getting a ticket. To say nothing of the half a dozen other named spots between A Street and Amelia Island. It's not some good spot that nobody knows about. It's a very, very mid spot that's kind of far away and redundant to closer mid spots. Like Mickler's. And it's a park in an undeveloped area. It doesn't belong to anyone. Nobody with two legs and no wings is a local there.

It's not like I'm submitting a photo essay to 911 for clout. One 40-something idiot's impression of a spot nobody goes to on a message board almost nobody reads ain't the problem.

LA East is six hours down South. The primary uncrowded fun in LA East is fishing canals for tarpon and snook and exotics/invasives. This is San Diego East if there ever was one.
there are lots of lurkers of this forum, including the person this thread is about. it only takes a couple people telling a couple other people telling a couple other people and then the whole town knows. seen it happen multiple times just in the past 6 months here.

not that it's some great spot anyway, but it's nice to have uncrowded options.

i just dont see how you can complain about the kooks then two posts later tell em about this cool spot

you do you though, it's a free country and you're right, no one own the spot. i just prefer to keep it to myself so it's still hopefully uncrowded the next time i show up.
 

Sharkbiscuit

Duke status
Aug 6, 2003
26,766
19,713
113
Jacksonville Beach
there are lots of lurkers of this forum, including the person this thread is about. it only takes a couple people telling a couple other people telling a couple other people and then the whole town knows. seen it happen multiple times just in the past 6 months here.

not that it's some great spot anyway, but it's nice to have uncrowded options.

i just dont see how you can complain about the kooks then two posts later tell em about this cool spot

you do you though, it's a free country and you're right, no one own the spot. i just prefer to keep it to myself so it's still hopefully uncrowded the next time i show up.
You have seen multiple times in the last six months that the erBB blew up a spot in this zone? I have missed these threads and missed the crowds as well.

The Pier's busy and not because of me. Hanna Park busy and not because of me. I am not telling anyone about this cool spot. I posted about the worst, most fickle spot from Nassau Sound to Crescent Beach. I didn't burn a neighborhood rip bowl. I name-dropped 20 miles of featureless dogshit surrounded by better options.

If it's not a Saturday/Sunday hurricane swell, you aren't surfing in a crowd anywhere other than the two spots above between JTB and the St. John's. And most of the places with any contingent at all, Surfline has a cam pointed at.

Let me put your mind at ease. Basically no surfers are driving five extra minutes from Mickler's (or 15 from Gate Station) to pay $3 and not have showers.

Hopefully Yuri will show up. After his duck diving grade of a board that can't really be duck dove much anyway in waves not even worth turning turtle on, I am really hoping he'll feature NORTH BEACH GUANA RIVER PRESERVE in review videos for the Pyzel PuertoPadillac and 7mm drylock lobster claw gloves.

I miss the Poles but I got sharky vibes in the winter time there all the time on those cold foggy mornings. Much more so than I ever got anywhere in NB or Jax Beach or north of the river. I know there were/are some monsters out there with the river mouth.
For me it's the late summer after work sessions. Coming up on sunset, when the mullet start looking more nervous than normal.
 
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bobwarren

Nep status
Feb 24, 2016
839
125
43
Neptune Beach FL
You're good Sharkbiscuit. Guana isn't even a "spot" in the traditional sense. Regardless, everyone knows about it yet few surf it. It's too fickle and the next closest "spot" to the south would be Vilano. So Guana is sort of on an island with the only other close spot being Micklers. It's all beach break anyways so it is what it is.
 

nada2looz

OTF status
Mar 16, 2016
240
242
43
lol as someone who grew up surfing this godforsaken surf zone. ponte vedra to vilano will be a seawall in 10 years. get it while it lasts! haha
 

EastCoastBrah

Legend (inyourownmind)
Nov 16, 2020
510
468
63
You have seen multiple times in the last six months that the erBB blew up a spot in this zone? I have missed these threads and missed the crowds as well.

The Pier's busy and not because of me. Hanna Park busy and not because of me. I am not telling anyone about this cool spot. I posted about the worst, most fickle spot from Nassau Sound to Crescent Beach. I didn't burn a neighborhood rip bowl. I name-dropped 20 miles of featureless dogshit surrounded by better options.

If it's not a Saturday/Sunday hurricane swell, you aren't surfing in a crowd anywhere other than the two spots above between JTB and the St. John's. And most of the places with any contingent at all, Surfline has a cam pointed at.

Let me put your mind at ease. Basically no surfers are driving five extra minutes from Mickler's (or 15 from Gate Station) to pay $3 and not have showers.

Hopefully Yuri will show up. After his duck diving grade of a board that can't really be duck dove much anyway in waves not even worth turning turtle on, I am really hoping he'll feature NORTH BEACH GUANA RIVER PRESERVE in review videos for the Pyzel PuertoPadillac and 7mm drylock lobster claw gloves.



For me it's the late summer after work sessions. Coming up on sunset, when the mullet start looking more nervous than normal.
when did the rule go from "dont blow up spots"

to "don't blow up spots unless sharkbiscuit deems them to be bad spots, then it's ok"

regardless i'm not going to argue with you anymore, no one on the internet ever changes their mind or admits to a mistake.

sorry if i offended you.
 

casa_mugrienta

Duke status
Apr 13, 2008
43,810
18,369
113
Petak Island
No need to say the quiet part out loud …. But since we’re here I find SD to be quite gag worthy and a full on LOL as a surf destination.
To be fair "gag worthy" describes the majority of surf culture in the USA.

Lots of huge egos and lots of mediocre surf and people taking themselves very seriously. Snobby elitist attitudes on both coasts unless you have something to trade/favor to offer for civility. *I think the NE might be a bit different in this regard - the cold temps cool the ego and makes people more human - but maybe things have changed (?)