I’M TIP-TOEING BACK IN HERE… Please accept my apologies, I am now back and alive to deliver photos, video and socially unacceptable comments when appropriate, oh, and also, Surf Reports when an actual Swell is coming 🙂
OLDWAVERIDER – PHOTO GALLERY
These photos were taken by my buddy Mike Melito from Lakeland, on a fun waist to chest high day back in late May 2012. They were shot at 4rth street North behind his Condo.
(See full rez/size images down below slideshow, to click n full screen)
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We may have some knee high longboard surf in the morning with some strong offshore winds, (20 to 30 mph SSW), but the chances are , okay let’s go with 50/50 on that one 🙂
The rest of the week, we have the remnants of Debby that may jump over the state by Thursday and create a slight groundswell for us, very close by out at sea, so no chance of much power, but heh, we have been blessed now with almost 3 years of consistent surf.
May 2012 groundswell, 4rth street North, photos taken by Mike MelitoFun left, Oldwaverider, Image 1 of 3Oldwaverider on a fun left, 4rth street North, Image 2 of 3, photos by Mike Melito
Oldwaverider, Image 3 of 3, fun left on 4rth street North , May 2012 groundswell
JUNE 15 I WILL BE DONE REMODELING MY HOME. THEN I WILL GET BACK TO MY REAL JOB, JOHNSON AVENUE SURFERS! MY APOLOGIES, BUT I HAVE LIVED LIKE A SLOB FOR TOO LONG, AND THAT IS ALMOST OVER 🙂
Sunday morning Surf……..
Sunny? February 22nd, 2012, 5 ft ENE swell at Johnson Avenue, photo by Oldwaverider
TS Beryl or whatever it is, is gonna throw us some waist high waves at the Cape and Chest high bigger sets in Satellite Beach. Winds should be in the 5 to 10 mph WSW range, and turning onshore sometime around Noon to 1 PM. Low tide is around 7:03 AM, so if you can get out at daybreak, that may be the best, else, whatever time you choose to wake 🙂
The waves today at Satellite Beach was really fun thigh to rib high with some really workable walls. Not glassy, but not choppy either, slight onshore winds when I went out at 9 AM.
The photo I think is Sunny, in a nice head dip, almost barrel, if it’s not Sunny, then it sure looks like his style 🙂
Perfect small glassy lines today at Johnson Avenue!
DON – PHOTO GALLERY
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A perfect knee to thigh high crusier, backside line, Don taking this one all the way in. Image 1 of 7 shot sequence. May 16, 2012 Johnson Ave. Photo by Oldwaverider
TO SEE THE FULL SIZE 17 INCH WIDE PHOTO, DON’T FORGET TO CLICK ON THE SMALL IMAGES, AND WHEN IT POPS OPEN, YOU MADE WANT TO CLICK IT AGAIN IF YOU SEE THE PLUS + SIGN WITH YOUR MOUSE FOR FULL SCREEN VERSION…
This 7 shot sequence of Don, was this morning around 11 AM today at dead low tide. Perfect glassy lines, almost looked like a ground swell, but it was a crazy 1.5 foot at 8 second swell, with offshore light winds until just before 12.
Don, perfect left. Image 2 of 7 in sequence, Wednesday morning. Photo by Oldwaverider
Update at 10:20 Pm Wednesday night, it just hit 4 feet at 12 seconds at the 120 buoy, so we may be in luck if it keeps pushing in.
Upcoming surf for Thursday morning, a new piggyback swell, seemed to be forming a ground swell, for like 1 foot at 12 seconds as the charts show. It hit 4 feet at 8 seconds at the 120, and was a 2.5 foot swell at 12 or 13 seconds at the 20 mile buoy, also at 8 PM.
Don, cruising backside forever on this perfect left line. Image 3 of 7.
I have seen a 1.5 foot swell at 11 seconds deliver chest high waves at Perkins this time of year. But…………..
I give a 60 % call for some knee to thigh high sets up North here, and waist high down South in Satellite Beach. The swell angle is 72° which isn’t to steep from the North and mostly East, so we could have some fun waves.
Don, just like the battery………………….Image 4 of 7, photos by Oldwaverider
Mid-tide of high going low is around 8:50 AM, and with west winds light, I don’t think it will blow it flat at all, as long as the swell does actually come all the way in 🙂
Don, image 5 of 7, Johnson Avenue, a day that should have been no waves 🙂Don, still showing off to the Lady in Black 🙂 well, maybe he’s not, but I would have been 🙂 Image 6 of 7.He closes the deal, and takes it in on the perfect left of the day; a fine day at Johnson Avenue. Image 7 of 7 shot sequence.Don, calling it a day. And a fun day it was. May 16 2012.
Hope ya enjoy the pics from today, and the waves on Thursday if they deliver!
I will be getting more consistent again on posts and photos. I confess that a few new and cool factors in my life have taken me away a bit, but we are slowly getting focus back 🙂
Rib high rail grabber, fun left late drop. Friday April 20, 2012 glass was really fun. Photo by Mike Melito
SUNDAY NIGHT LAZY UPDATE FOR THIS POST . The peak of the swell was delayed for Tuesday, Meaning the Size of the Swell and the Swell Period don’t arrive until Tuesday. But we should still have rib to shoulder high waves from the Cape to Satellite Beach for Monday, but the form may still be a little weak, until the 7 second power of the swell hits. Then it may have a little more shoulder form to it. Below is Friday nights info that I posted.
Nice size SE windswell coming (as if no one knew). More on that in a sec…
Last Friday, we caught some really fun, waist to chest high waves at 4rth street North. Brother Chad, my buddy Mike from Lakeland, another buddy Ken and Myself.
Fun glassy left, Oldwaverider, April 20 2012. Photo by Mike Melito
Mike took these shots of me while he was nursing a shoulder injury. A couple of lefts, which most of the lefts for the day, were late drops due to the swell, so rail-grabbers were a requirement, if ya wanted to keep the ride.
Very very late left, but a hand on the rail, going backside, will make for a fun ride 🙂
It should show something for us Sunday morning, the winds actually look light right now, less than 7 light onshore winds. But wind swells are a little harder , no way harder to predict.
When a leash wraps around your but on a big day. My buddy Mike took this shot last summer, from my leash wrapping around my but and leg. (no skin, this is just leg). I limped for a week.
Anyhow, it appears that we will have some rib to head high plus waves going from the Cape to Satellite Beach, Sunday afternoon thru Wednesday, maybe Thursday.
Friday morning power , size , form and well I guess glass is part of form……….Is looking good, almost great!
Friday, I still believe we will see rib high glass at the Cape, Chest at the Pier, and Chest to Shoulder high shoulder sets in Satellite Beach. Winds are looking to be 5 to 10 mph SSW, until 11 ish. Then the storm winds start, turning onshore for the rest of the day.
Saturday, I we should have some leftovers, but with super strong South winds that may be climbing up to 20 mph in the mid-morning.
Tuesday Night Surf Update below following this awesome video, By the way, check out the Swell Period chart I added below for Friday morning at 6 AM. Very powerful, very uniform period, and you can see the fetch (width of distance wind travels over water to create swell) of the swell is as wide as the U.S. almost..……………….This is a video covering the two big massive Paddle In Sessions at JAWS/PEAHI, from January 4rth and then January 30th, 2012, Yes, this year. THIS VIDEO IS SO INSANE! GREAT DROPINS, WIPEOUTS THAT LOOK LIKE DEATH. You will be amazed at Jeff Rowley and his wipeouts, and perfect ride of the year.
Many of the big name Surfers are in this including a not so big name, Dave Wassell who may have the respect of the biggest wave paddled into EVER!. Possibly 60 foot face paddle in. Also Albee Layer, Shane Dorian, Greg Long and a host of others, including some names we may not be familiar with. Jeff Rowley paddled into a 50 to maybe 55 foot face and is nominated for The Ride of the Year nominee for the 2012 Billabong XXL Awards.
The moving Swell "Period" chart for Friday morning, 4-20-2012 at 6 AM. It appears to be an almost perfectly uniform shape. Very rarely seen like this. Closeouts may not be as bad as other long period swells. Complliments of Magicseaweed.com
Upcoming Surf! Thursday late afternoon or evening an Easterly swell rolls in, so in Satellite Beach some waist high waves may come in with South to SSW winds, maybe. The way the period is lined up, it may not be to bad on closeouts.
Friday morning awesome glass!,models have been indicating for a few days in a row of providing us a 3 foot at 11 or 12 second period ground swell. With offshore winds up until late morning. Easterly swell, so we could see some waist to rib high sets at the Cape or at least the Pier, and Chest high plus down South in Satellite Beach.
Saturday could have some knee to rib high leftovers going from the Cape to Satellite respectively. Winds maybe brisk South, maybe a tint of offshores, but hard to say right now. Late Saturday a South weak wind swell rolls in for a couple days, but don’t expect much form or anything but slop chop.
That’s if for now. Get excited about Friday folks. Sorry for the back log on updates. We have been blessed for having to burn the midnight oil to get jobs done. Such is life. Thursday night we’ll confirm the Friday wind situation.
Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards Nominees 2012 Video plus Lazy Update Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 PM , Thursday may have some leftovers, but the offshore winds are blowing west out at the 120, so I wouldn’t count on much Thursday morning. It shows a 1.5 foot ground swell which I have seen a swell that size produce chest high at Perkins, but in this case, I go with knee to waist high, North going South. Saturdaysome time the big wind swell starts pushing in, bring big chop waves for the Easter Surf Fest, yeawwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday big overhead chop, Waves should be here thru Monday still overhead with reduced onshore winds for Monday, and maybe some Tuesday rib high glass.
Everything below is from Surf Report that I did on Tuesday April 3rd.
Upcoming Surf for maybe Wednesday waist high somewhere and overhead windswell for Sunday , Monday ………….in a moment 🙂
BIG JAWS/PEAHI PADDLE IN SESSION VIDEO WITH JEFF ROWLEY
This is spectacular video footage of Jaws, from one of the two big paddle in sessions, this one on January 4, 2012, this year. Wave size was 45 to 60 foot faces, approx. The music, the insane rides and drops, totally awesome, especially from Jeff Rowley, the newcomer to Peahi, who is from Australia. Jeff is nominated for the Billabong XXL Ride of the Year award.
Surf Update; Tuesday night a maybe ground swell rolls in, and for Wednesday morning, possibly thigh to rib high waves and brisk offshore winds.
Thursday morning leftovers probably, and then flat till Sunday for the most part.
Sunday could be some overhead chop down south and maybe some chest high stuff at the Cape. The swell angle is NE, so we will get some blockage, how much, can’t say 🙂 We should have more big chop with winds backing off on Monday to under 15 mph possibly, but we’ll know more definite on Saturday night.
Knee to thigh high at the Cape , Waist to Rib high in Satellite Beach. Winds are still showing offshore, around 5 mph SW for CCB at daybreak. They do turn onshore by noon + or -, and low tide is around 7:10 AM. Also, this swell will be gone by afternoon, so hit it at dawn patrol or early anyhow.
Nothing else in view down the pipe, so get Wednesday (TODAY!) while it’s biggest, we did get blocked out here at the Cape by the angle of the swell , but it still looks like it should roll in some more for us by tonight. Why? Because it is still showing 6 feet at 11 seconds at the 120 buoy as of 1:30 PM, , which means big waves (okay, fairly big for us ) !
What’s down the Pipe on our local incoming Surf?…………….In a sec :), a great Big Wave Video of 6 time Billabong XXL Award winner Shane Dorian.
In 2010, Shane took a severe wipeout at Mavericks, and returns to the place of destruction again, Mavericks. He is 40 years old and doing Big Waves strong as you’ll see in some probably 40 foot face waves. Hope you Enjoy!
Incoming Surf; Tuesday, high winds starts bringing a ENE swell, that should turn into a ground swell by Wednesday morning, and on Thursdaymost likely giving us the glassy Waist high surf at the Cape with some decent power, and rib to Chest high sets in Satellite Beach. This is a 1 1/2 day swell, but it should be big Wednesdaychest to overhead, going from the Cape to Satellite. The winds will be onshore Wednesday, but it looks like they start to lay down to 10 mph onshore Wednesday afternoon. We won’t have accurate winds until Monday and Tuesday for Wed and Thurs surf.
Thursday is looking to be the classic day, so Tuesday and Wednesday we’ll update, to see if it holds true to the models.
And……..get excited, it’s a ENE swell without the cold air! Water temps around 76 ° , I went out the other day, around 10 AM, and there was absolutely know reason for a wetsuit no matter how long ya stayed out.
It is not a clip that shows the long magical rides and drops at Mavericks. It translates the feel of a huge wave wipeout, and what it’s like to come close to drowning after a 2 wave hold down, etc, spoken from the best Big Wave Surfers on the Planet (minus a few like Laird Hamilton).
I’ve had my near drownings in 3 places I can remember, and it was only 6 foot or so overhead waves; Ponce Inlet in the 80’s (getting sucked into the bolders by the most powerful rip I ever felt), Acapulco in the 80’s (getting sucked out to sea in a part of Mexico that I had never surfed before, about an hour or so from Mexico Pipelind/Escondido) and Wrightsville Beach, NC in the 90’s (also surfing alone and getting a hold down and then sucked out to sea from a fast building swell 😉 . So thus I share the extreme of Mavericks near drownings with big wave surf and for the two very special Big Wave Surfers, one Sion Milosky whom we lost a little over a year ago, who left a beautiful wife and daughter behind in Hawaii. The other was Mark Foo, in the early 90’s, also from Hawaii.
Surf Satruday; I give it 70 percent “gut” chance that we will have knee to thigh high semi-glassy surf at the Cape, and thigh to rib high surf in Satellite Beach and glassy, with 8 to 12 mph SSW winds that will probably end before noon.
There were some chest high waves today and very fun for a longboard at Hightowers.
The waves today were solid waist to a few chest high sets, almost glassy, but mushy, longboard only. Really fun, long clean glassy rides, totally carvable, though it was 6 mph SSE winds. The 3 short boarders out, got maybe 50 to 100 foot rides with a lot of pumping required. Here is a couple of shots from today at Hightowers. For short boards it was waist high for where they could catch them, and maybe a drop and one cut. Longboard waves had a few chest high sets, and some fairly long rides. But , when I got out of the water, there were only 3 short boarders out 😉
There were some chest high waves today and very fun for a longboard at Hightowers.
Beyond that, nothing to mention, except the 1 or 2 day possible big ground swell in the middle of next week.
Johnson Avenue Surfers 