Best waves ridden on the East Coast?

That def looks like it was a fun day!!

 

If were talking personal best waves, for me was one Dec afternoon in 93 whaen a front just passed through. DOH+
bottom turned so hard under the curtain into a gaping tube that my line went high on the wave and I had to pump twice inside just to correct my position. The wave was that big where i could pump up and down the face. Once my line was set the wave barfed and I got fully spat out.
Later that week I ran into one of the older guys who used to live in Hawaii and said he saw that wave and gained he a whole new respect for me.
If were talking best waves, well too many days to count up here when sand, wind, swell magnitude all came together for all day overhead, offshore, tubing, long rides with not a drop outta place.

 

Cool thread! I'll try and post later.

 

Maybe not THE best day ever, but definitely ONE of the best days ever here in NJ.
[video=vimeo;88961836]https://vimeo.com/88961836[/video]

 

Agreed, lol...

Best day was the first day, simply because it was the first day, and it was in Florida, at a place I will not mention. Impressive swell, and I stayed on the outside, merely playing around for it all, while the boys carefully watched out for me, and there were many of them. I also took photos, managing some rather nice ones, as well as one epic one of two of the top dogs at the spot that day, which ended up making it look as if they were gay, completely humbling them into submission by all the boys; that was epic, as well, because they were ribbed over that shot for years, occasionally still to this day, lol, and my journey into sports photography was simultaneously born, LOL.

 

So hard to gauge "Best Day Ever", so many factors come into play. So many "perfect" days, none of which share many similarities except maybe size of hollowness. Many days logged into the memory bank, but one in particular always comes immediately to mind: Thanksgiving Day 1978.

It was my first year on a real board, as I was introduced to the ocean as a body whomper, then boogieboarding the La Jolla shorebreaks during the summer breaks from school. Me and some buddies decided to go to Blacks Beach for a DP sesh. Long walk down revealed glassy 2'-4' peaks, pretty mellow with a smallish crowd. Paddled out and was picking off some decent ones.

As the sun slowly rose above the cliffs, revealing those renowned Crystal clear aquamarine waters, the swell started picking up. Within about 20 minutes, the swell jacked to absolutely flawless 4'-6' A-frames with hollow, spitting barrels left and right. If you've ever surfed Blacks or even seen the pictures, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

Well, I was still a young grom and had never been out in surf that big or powerful before, not by a longshot. Caught a few smoking insiders until I was in position for THE WAVE, the one that me and my bludz still talk about today.

So I'm sitting at South Peak when a perfect left comes steaming my way. Didn't look too big, until I was about to commit...then I got a little skeered, but went anyways. Solid 6' Blacks peak, maybe 10' on the face. If you've ever surfed Blacks before, you'll understand what the takeoff can be like...double corniced hooks. But I made the takeoff cleanly, nerves still jumping around in my stomach as I make the big bottom turn.

That's when it happened.

I'd been "tubed" before, if you count 3' days at Crystal Pier and Law Street as tubes lol. As I see this big powerful wave hooking hard, a split-second thought process makes me decide to either straighten out and take a huge beating, or continue riding and take my chances. The whole thing threw over me to the point where I was easily 6'-8' behind the curtain. All I could hear was that combination of deafening silence and exploding water getting compacted behind me.

I was scared sh!tless.

After about 8 seconds, I came flying out of the tube as fast as I've ever rode, almost running over my best friend who was paddling back out. His eyes looked like dinner plates when I came up next to him as he yelled, "Dude you were SO far back in that tube!!!"

Surfed some more, got out of the water, took the long steep hill out and proceeded to burn some Thai Stick on the way back to the Valley lol.

Just one of my Best Days Ever. And I'm still having them. I feel sorry for people that don't surf.

 

Best backside wave (right) happened this past fall. Two of the smoothest cutbacks that've ever been cut. That one is definitive for me.

The best wave I ever had on a sponge I can relive in my sleep. Barreled, then an air that took the wind out of me. 1995, Hilton Head of all places. I can relive it in slow motion.

I don't have a best wave of all time, but i have a weird vivid highlight reel in my head (thanks LSD) of some of the better moments.

I splurged on a kook-pro because after a lifetime of solo sports without photographic evidence, I just had to see what it was like. Nobody had a waterproof camera in 95! Turns out I have a Michael Jordan tongue-out thing going when I surf. But its like chasing bigfoot when I bring that thing out--I'm almost always guaranteed to get skunked.

I have a few best sessions ever...

Rye NH on a chest high day that was called at 1', wind was brutal and it was cold and fast, happened to bring a Simmons and it all fell into place.



La Jolla on a crowded chest high day. Every peak just happened to come my way. Dudes probably wanted to stab me my wave count was so high.

OOB by the pier on an LSD Tex, a week before Xmas 2015. Chest high and perfect, one of the snappier sessions of my life.

Playa Grande, over towards the river mouth, Casitas. More for the aesthetic. Apparently we got circled that day and I had no idea till I was talking with some people at the hotel bar that evening. "This guy is from Oregon, he doesn't even flinch. We headed in, he stays out like its nothing." "Um.... sure...." Killed it the next day while day drinking at Tamarindo. A waist high session came out of nowhere and I had the football field between the rocks to myself for two hours before the lightning came.




Best ride of my life was a chubby girl from Vermont. I probably posted about it when it happened. To this day... I mean, I wouldn't go out in public with her because she is easily 75lbs overweight in all the wrong places, but a neck-up 10 with a vaginal skill set sent from the Valhalla.

And this too:

 

Nice write-up. People who don't surf feel sorry for others who don't do what said people do; that is life. As for Blacks, I recall the first time that I was there, and I did not get in the surf that day, due to time constraints. I was on my way north, my little red rental jeep had some tire issues, and so I took it into a shop for repair, so that I could get on the road.

While at that place, just up the hill from Blacks, I met one of the mechanics at the shop. He was oldschool, had a beautiful baby blue classic, and he strapped his old longboard to the top, telling me to follow him to the beach with my cameras, while the other guys worked on my rental (I was provided with a beautiful classic, as well). I took videos of our drive down the hill.

After we got settled, he then headed out and proceeded to do headstands for me, but unfortunately the shots did not come out well, simply because the place was packed, it was late in the afternoon, and due to such, all were silhouetted; however, we certainly shared one beautiful afternoon on the beach, and I met many additionally cool people through him while there, before heading on my way to yet another surf spot.

 

yep

 

Ahhhh how I miss the 90's before the internet and cellphones, where alot of times is was damn near impossible to find someone to surf with on those big perfect winter swells.

 

I don't remember all of my best waves ever ridden, but I do recall several all time sessions. There have been like 3-5 sessions at Ponce Inlet in the 6-8ft and perfect range. There have been countless in the same range at New Smyrna. And then there are countless days in the same range all over Brevard.

I think the most perfect were Ponce and Satellite. Ponce probably being the best I can recall. Just machine like wedges breaking off the jetty from way outside and just reeling forever. One wave was enough to fill the stoke bank for weeks.

 

Great thread and epic posts. My mind is fluttering through old images of pristine surf. Here's one: Right before the start of turtle nesting season, March 1, there was a dredge parked just north of Pumphouse, maybe 100 yards or so north of the jetty, with booms deployed to keep boaters away. So it was the last day of February a few years ago, a rainy, calm day where the sea and the sky blend into a slate grey palate. Totally calm. I walk over the dune, and look down the beach, and my buddy Doug is there too,and he says to me, dude those aren't pelicans sitting out there. Then a set rolled in and broke off the north side of the dredge, and would just ricochet off the thing and it bounced back into a perfect OH A frame that barrelled right, after a easy take off like butter. We ran, actually raced each other to the line up and it was surreal. One perfect set after another, usually six waves or so per set,enough to clear out the whole pack, everyone got the goods. All smiling and hooting each other into tube after tube. Till dark. The next day the dredge was gone, the swell dropped to chest high. Was it a dream?

 

This is what came to my mind immediately when I read the initial post.

 

I can't think of one specific time over the years - but have had a few stand outs every year- if we are measuring by "best"/perfections and not size.

My fav have been when we get those south swells at my local break when no ones out. I remember a thanksgiving swell about 2 or 3 years ago that was perfect- over head and peeling and the only one out- until some other guy paddles out .... but happen to be an old friend! Perfectly peeling waves all the way to the beach- you could Easily get barreled on each wave multiple times... if you wanted to lol I just remember starting to laugh while waiting for the next wave...it was that good!

Actually had many memorable times this summer- at dawn, waist hi longboard waves. Peeling to the beach. Only one out.

About 3 summers ago had a handful of nice south swell dawn patrols. During the summer these older dudes (like 70 to 80 yrs old)would hang out and body surf while I was surfing. They where there every morning. Old buddies- They are actually local surfing legends with amazing stories to tell. The waves where pretty good -but hanging with those guys and the stoke they had -pretty much made the waves perfect. Some great memories of that summer

 

A good crew can make a good day great!