Hurricane Ophelia wave, the unknown Gator Girl (U of F colors:), I shot this on Johnson AVe. Hopefully we'll have something close to this in size Friday.
The power of this ground swell hit 15 seconds at the 120 a couple times today in the 10 foot range between noon and 7 PM!
The Cape will have glass, but we may have daybreak morning sickness (sort of), cause we may have SSW winds until 7 Am ish. That’s sideshore for us. But by 9 Am we ought to start seeing some glass, hopefully before. Low tide is around 9:30 Am.
Satellite Beach is aimed perfect for SW winds before daybreak and that’s total offshore there. They should see some 1 foot overhead perfect glass waves, but by 9 or 10 it drops down to head high; who’s complaining? The Cape, I am praying that we will have stomach to chest high shoulders (some shoulder high faces), but a few chest high shoulders ought to roll thru. This swell had like a 70° angle which is more East than NE, so that’s why we got some good size waves today, and though dropping, we ought to have some really nice waves Friday.
The winds are gonna kick up fast. 2 days ago, it was looking to be 5 to 8 mph, but now it’s looking 10 mph SSW at daybreak, and SW winds by 8 Am, so it may take till 9 or 10 Am to turn mirror glass. By 10 Am, we could be seeing some 15 mph windsso don’t sleep in late or you’ll be taking a wind spray shower in the FACE!
Saturday morning late the new swell starts hitting the beach while the old one leave. Before lunch it should be overhead down South, 20 mph plus onshore winds, and by dinner, some 10 foot faces South, and hopefully chest high to head high at the Cape. This swell angle is like 52 ° which means the Cape gets blocked out a bunch. We’ll just have to see how much we get. Because the storm is massive, we should get some head high stuff but not double overhead like Satellite Beach will see on the huge set waves Sunday. (hah, like who is gonna paddle out into 10 foot plus chop slop and actually make it out? 🙂
Full size images below if you want to click on them and see full screen.
Image 1 of 3 shot sequence. Unknown woman on a really nice shoulder high, backside wave. Hurricane Ophelia round two October 2 2011, Johnson Ave. Photos by oldwaverider 🙂
Okay, it’s a no brainer that we’ll have big, most likely overhead waves for the next 5 to 7 days…I surfed by the Jetty on Monday afternoon at high tide, for an hour, caught some 20 mph N to NW winds on some stomach high waves, and it was fun. Only got 2 or 3 rides, it was just nice to have a semi-functional set of lumbars working around 60% 🙂
The photos are some more that I took from October 2nd, when Hurricane Ophelia gave us round two. Someone please let me know who the woman is out there on these photos. That day there were 4 or 5 unknown people in the water except Dr. John. The photos are a 3-shot sequence of woman on a nice shoulder high backside ride.
Image 2 of 3 shot sequence. Someone let me know who this is, thanks. oldwaverider
Okay, back to incoming surf…
This is what’s exciting, this NE ‘str wind swell stuff turns into a ground swell late Thursday afternoon.
Friday is setting up to be overhead waves and glassy. Solid overhead. The winds, well I won’t know for sure until Wednesday morning.
Image 3 of 3 shot sequence. Hurricane Ophelia round two, Oct. 2nd, Johnson Ave.
Wednesday morning, we should see a foot or more overhead in Satellite, so we should expect some chest to shoulder high sets at the Cape. The angle of the swell isn’t too North, so I think we’ll keep our nice size waves here at the Cape. Winds aren’t supposed to be too bad. 12 mph NE winds in the morning and afternoon so that looks pretty stable. So if you could paddle out right at high tide, the paddle out is easy, and the shoulders are fairly clean. Low tide, a washing machine most likely.
Thursday, the waves are bigger, maybe 2 foot overhead down South, and solid head high at the Cape. The winds look to be very light, NNE to NE around 4 mph, so there could be a shot of offshore winds up North 🙂
Fortunately, there wasn't too many jellyfish to dodge here.
Friday, is looking like the EPIC DAY, potential. (gotta have that lawyer disclaimer in there, though my surf brethren around here go easy on me if I’m off a foot on the size 🙂 It may be 3 feet overhead in Satellite Beachwith West to NW winds around 5 to 10 mph until noon at least. (BUT, that’s a wind call out 3 days, and I won’t know about the winds for that 80% call until Wednesday night). The Cape ought to see some head high plus waves and with West to NW winds, it should be epic here.
Saturday still looks overhead, but with very light East winds, maybe around 5 to 8 mph in the morning and increasing throughout the day. But, we’ll have to see Thursday for that iffy wind call.
That’s all for now. Still more waves probably, but I’d be totally speculating past this point, hah.
Full size images below if you want to click on them and see full screen.
Sunny, very hungry for some barrels...the tide was right and the waves were sucking out on the mid-break. Image 1 of 3 shot sequence. Photo by oldwaverider
SUNNY – Photo Gallery and 1 barrel shot of Dave L., Sunny’s Dad 🙂
These photos were shot at our point break…
(the point sticks out on our sand dunes halfway to the water from some recent hurricanes, though it doesn’t affect the surf in any way, but still it is a point break at high tide)
on Johnson Avenue on Wednesday, October 19 2011. We had a wind swell that actually kicked up to 13 feet at the 120 buoy, although at only 8 second period out there, and when it hit our beach by 9 Am it was 3 foot at 7 second period.
This is image 2 of 3 in the sequence, and as I recall, Sunny got 4 barrels in the 1 hour that I shot photos. If you were willing to duck and tuck, you could find them.
When we have offshore winds upon even a weak wind swell and some other factors of which I am totally clueless about on this occasion, there was some decent power to be had. And there was definitely some juice to these waves. (though I say this from a beachviewers perspective 🙂 the #4 lumbar was wreaking revenge on me again, ha 😦
Some of the other barrels didn't have the ceremony of the chase...this one he had to look for it and pounce it, but others were barrel first, then ride the shoulder after. Image 3 of 3 shot sequence. Photo by oldwaverider
Anyhow, Sunny and his old man Dave had a great surf session, and you may want to take humorous note, Dave is eyeballing Sunny rather competively in a couple of the pics I took of Sunny, and since Dave has always been called “Dave the Ripper”, it is possible that Sunny may be catching up to the old man 😉
A backside barrel in number #4 , no doubt! Oops, but my bad…during the wait for the next chance to snap pictures, that is Sunny’s old man in the barrel down below.
You’ll notice in some of the pictures when I get them up online from this day, the old man is eyeballing Sunny’s skills and his chase for the tuck. Dave will probably tell you he’s proud, but I’d be willing to bet a slight edge of competitiveness is hanging on the rim out there, right beside that proud thing of course 🙂 (it’s fun to make these profound observations out loud anyhow)
I’ll throw more pics up here, I have a lot of catching up to do, since we’ve had some really nice swells that played out great on our humble, and yes often smaller waves breaking at Johnson Avenue.
But my bad, this was Sunny's Dad in the very next shot I took that finds his chance to tuck. Image 1 of 1
My barrel days are far and few, after cracking a rib just south of 16th street on that world famous chest high shore break down there, I found the epoxy on my 10 foot board was totally unforgiving 🙂
Full size images below if you want to click on them and see full screen.
Dave taking advantage of an overcast, drizzly, windy day at the Cape. Image 1 of 4 in sequence. Photo by oldwaverider
DAVE L. – Photo Gallery
Dave L. had a really nice right here, threw some nice spray after the drop in, and set up for a great re-entry. Man Dave rips!!!
It was a solid waist high plus today at Johnson…It depends on whether your leaning over or not <:) I would have had some chest high drops for sure.
Image 2 of 4 in sequence. Dave the Ripper setting up...
It actually hit 13.5 feet at 8 seconds at the 120 buoy and hit 6.5 feet at 7 seconds at the 20 mile buoy at 2 PM today!
An occasional distraction came along 🙂
A wind swell , definitely not a ground swell, but with 15 mph plus SW offshore winds (kind of offshore for the Cape) starting this morning, there was actually plenty of fun barrels and peaks to be had. Sunny and Dave L. had a great session.
Dave makes it look so easy 🙂 Image 3 of 4 shot sequence. Photo by oldwaverider
I took about 45 minutes of photos, to try and test out my new found knowledge on the Sony cam 🙂 After, the field session at Hightowers/RC’s for “No Name ENE swell” with 10 foot plus wave faces last Monday October 10, and a camera out of focus, that was pretty painful ;(
Surf Report for Thursday. FLAT
Tuesday it appears to be a swell coming in in the 3 to4 foot range, so when it starts getting close we’ll keep ya updated.
Anyhow, I’ll be putting a Sunny Gallery up right after this one.
A nice re-entry in place. Image 4 of 4. I wish I got more shots on this wave, but I ran out of film 😉
Pefect glassy face, and as you can see, she was about 5' 8 (we saw her walk down the boardwalk), and she still has 6 or 7 feet more to go to the bottom of the wave. Sorry, I blew it on the focus, so only 3 pics will I show out of all 150 taken.
Tuesday morning surf.Chest high at the Cape, maybe some shoulder high sets, but only on the rogue sets. Satellite Beach, overhead up to maybe 1 to 2 feet.
Winds are showing SSW at 5 to 8 mph at the Cape and for Cocoa Beach Tuesday morning.Satellite Beach is showing SW winds.
The girl on the wave. Sorry for blowing the focus on all 3 pics 😦
Butthis morning meaning, Monday morning, my wind weather plugin check for the Cape, CCB and Satellite Beach showed South winds at 15 mph, butwhen I woke at 6 AM, the plugins changed to SSW, but when I went out at Hightowers/RC’s, the winds were WSW at less than 5 mph, so this storm has been very iffy, much more than any other Storms or Hurricanes, so we may have the same gift Tuesday morning 🙂
Maybe it will be solid SW winds at the Cape instead of SSW at 7 mph.
Way on the left side, you can see the 6 or maybe 7 feet overhead on the guy for the drop, The massive whitewater to the right, kind of makes it easy to picture the size before it broke. Last of the horrid blurry pics that I will show. The rest I will cyber burn.
HOW THE WAVES WERE TODAY…….Man, did I hit the wrong focus button today, I took 150 pics, but the view finder is so small, I assumed the focus was set from the day before, and the bright sun kept me from actually seeing it, …Notttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, I’ll only show you 3 of the 150 pics from Hightowers today just so you can see the 6 foot overhead on the drop waves.
Hightowers was solid 9 to 12 foot faces, with an occasional rogue/freak set that broke 60 yards outside completely before it got to us. Crazy. One guy had a jet-ski to pull his friend out at RC’s side of Hightowers. It was still double overhead on the faces for the large sets still when I left at 12.
Johnson was like 2 foot overhead and the pier 3 foot overhead on the big set waves (as I was told 🙂
Johnson Ave, Hurricane Ophelia day, Sunday October 2 2011, photo by oldwaverider
9:30 PM Sunday night update from the 7:30 report. It has hit 22 to 23 feet at the 120 mile buoy at 11 seconds from like 6 to 8:30 PM, and for the last 7 hours (from 12 to 7 PM) it has hit 21 feet at the 20 mile buoy. So when the 120 rolls in about 4 Am to the 20 mile buoy, that buoy could hit 24 feet which might mean 15 foot plus wave faces sizes in Satellite. This is rising way above the models, but ya never know if it really means anything or not. We will let ya know in the morning. Back to the 7:30 PM report just below here:
Monday morning surf report 🙂 The winds are being really flaky, but……..
Size in Satellite Beach, should be 10 to 12 foot faces plus at daybreak until probably 11 or noon, and then start dropping off slowly. Winds, South from 7 AM until 1 or 2 PM in the 15 to 2o mph range. The Cape should be head high to 2 or 3 feet overhead on the bigger sets. Winds are also South after 7 AM at the Cape which is onshore winds, so North is not a good call.
The winds are supposed to slow down 30 plus mph ENE at 8 PM tonight to 17 or 18 mph SSE around 4 AM. They switch to South by 7 AM. If it does clean up enough, it will take 3 or 4 hours. Playalinda or Melbourne Beach to Sebastian are the places to be because the winds would be 22 to 32 degrees offshore at those surf breaks.
Hightower Beach, South winds are around 10 degrees offshore and at 15 mph plus at 10 or 11 AM, it won’t be glassy, but it could have some fairly clean huge shoulders. (huge for Florida 🙂
High tide is around 7 AM so 10 Am paddle out time, is a good time, for tide and wind to mellow out the chop.
If we receive a gift, maybe it will turn a little SSW for a couple hours, don’t count on it, just hope for it.
North or Patrick AFB (technically N of Minuteman Cswy) will be chop city since South winds are onshore up North.
Full size images below if you want to click on them and see full screen.
Nice shoulder high left, Image 1 of 3 sequence, Johnson Ave - Hurricane Ophelia- Sunday Oct 2 2011, photo by oldwaverider
Sunday afternoon, Cape Canaveral waves; Slightly windy and clean medium size lines…….hah, in some other part of the world 😉
Today its big, it’s choppy, the wind will blow the hat right off your head, but the dark sky and intense ocean were really cool…
Nice shoulder high left, Image 2 of 3 sequence, Johnson Ave - Hurricane Ophelia- Sunday Oct 2 2011, photo by oldwaverider
Back to surf update in a minute; The 3 photo sequence are from Johnson Ave at the Cape on Sunday October 2nd 2011 Hurricane Ophelia, round two. The size jacked up a foot or two on the face from about 10 Am to 11 :30 Am, and these pics I took at around 11:40. I don’t know who the guy is out there, but he looks like middle-aged, and he knows how to surf well.
Today around 11 AM or so, It looked like 8 foot plus faces outside at the Cape, but since no one’s out there, that’s just a guess. I do know that it is at least 4 foot bigger on the face in Satellite Beach. At 25 to 40 mph ene winds, who cares ? 🙂
>>>At 9:15 PM tonight (Saturday), the 120 mile buoy reading showed a climb to 16.5 feet at 10 seconds in the late afternoon, and 15.5 at 8 PM.At 6 PM the 20 mile buoy hit 19 feet at 11 seconds, and 17 feet at 11 seconds at 8 PM, so we ought to see some double overhead waves in Satellite Beach for sure on Sunday.<<<
Same wave, Image 3 of 3 sequence, Johnson Ave.
Monday, right now the surf site models are conflicting with the weather channel, but there’s always a 6 hour lag on huge swells. Monday is showing a possible offshore SSW to SW winds day of 10 feet at 10 second period for Satellite Beach, which translates to 10 to 12 foot faces. The winds look to be in the 12 to 15 mph SW range.
Playalinda, would be the place to be, because the weather channel model shows South winds at daybreak turning SSE, and S winds are totally offshore at Playalinda (32 degrees), which is the equivalent of NW winds at the Cape.
Tuesday looks to be 1 to 2 foot overhead in Satellite Beach with light SW winds.
KEEP THIS NOTE FOR COMPARING SURF SIZE OF SATELLITE BEACH TO THE CAPE ! :
The surf models from Surfline, SurfGuru, Surfer, Magicseaweed all reflect Satellite Beach. (no they don’t actually say that) And Never the Cape and really never Cocoa Beach. Why, because 97 % of the time, South Swell or North Swell or East Swell, Satellite Beach receives the best angle of the swell. So even for South Swells you’d think the Cape would reflect better, but my rule of thumb is take the face size of Satellite Beach and mulitply it by .60 and you get the face size at the Cape. Some may argue this. But I sit here 5 times a day looking at data a many sites, both swell data, wind data, moving storm models; then I get in the car, and look at Hightowers, Hangers, O’ Club/2nd light and sometimes one of the streets, the Pier, and then the Cape. Visual is the best data source that I know of. I also try to take pictures of Satellite Beach and then come North and get Cape pictures witin the hour (when I can do this work permitting), so we can all learn the differences. Sorry for the long wind, but since this is a blog, and a school of learning for me perpetually, I want to post this information also for the world to see 🙂
Have a great Sunday, if you want to hear some kind words about Grace, Peace and Forgiveness, then check here: My Church 🙂
Hopefully, we’ll have our massive offshore winds day on Monday!
Full size images below if you want to click on them and see full screen.
This guy got a killer left from O' club on into 2nd light territory. Image 1 of 6 shot sequence. Thursday, September 8 2011, photos by oldwaverider
The 5 to 7 day ENE swell coupled with Hurricane Philippe is rolling in slowly and may increase a little in size for Friday, but Saturday morning is when the size gets huge and the power starts rolling in. (huge for Florida standards :)……….
But, before I wail into the incoming swell…about the photos;
Image 2 of 6 sequence. The same guy on a killer long left at O' Club. Hurricane Katia, Thursday, September 8 2011, photos by oldwaverider
The photos here I took at O ‘ Club on September 8, the 2nd big day of Hurricane Katia. As you heard me mention in a couple of other posts. My buddy Ken and I first paddled out around 8 AM, and it was a solid 3 to 4 foot overhead with some bigger rogue sets. But by 12 or so, the Hurricane was dropping and the size had dropped to head high with occasional overhead waves, but were still nice and glassy and powerful. We were surfing at the 2nd light border of Officers Club break, and the photos in today’s post, were of a guy actually in the North end of 2nd light. The zoom was on full, and the surf was still 250 yards out.
Image 3 of 6 shot sequence. Longboarder on a sweet long left. Hurricane Katia, Thursday, September 8 2011, photos by oldwaverider
MY APOLOGIES FOR USING THE LEVELS FILTER SO INTENSE ON THE FIRST PHOTO. It was so faded looking I had to jack up the contrast quick. Plus, the washout effect on the other photos is a little heavy also. L.M.A.O at my own Anal-OCD ishness. It’s late and I’m fried;)
Friday, probably shoulder high at the Cape and Overhead in Satellite.Winds looking to be ENE to NE, 15 to 20 plus increasing past 15 by mid-morning.
Saturdaycould hit double overhead chop down South, so I imagine we’ll have some extra visitors that want to make it in 2 foot overhead wind chop up here 🙂 Plus the winds ought to be 20 to 25 mph ENE at daybreak and increasing thru the day. But, at dead High tide, there might be some fun short-board peaks, and some long, continual reforming longboard waves.
Same guy, I had to make a little camera adjustment. A rookie 🙂 Image 4 of 6 sequence.
Sunday I’ll go with similar to Saturday.
Monday morning at daybreak, but this is iffy and the models for big storm winds can change every 6 hours, but I’ll say it anyhow; could be double overhead , glassy, with 15 mph plus offshore winds, with the size dropping to 3 foot overhead by 9 or 10 AM, winds staying the same. Size looks to drop to a 1 to 2 feet overhead by dark. Also, Saturday thru Monday we’re looking at a swell period in the 10 to 11 second range, dropping to 9 on Tuesday, so the power of the swell could be rockin !
Image 5 of 6 sequence. O' Club, Hurricane KatiaWhat a fun ride this guy had. Image 6 of 6 sequence. I ran out of camera time or I would have taken this ride to shore with him. O' Club, Hurricane Katia. photo by oldwaverider
Keep your stoke up, know that models change, but what I get high about from models, is hoping that they play out.
Full size images below if you want to click on them and see full screen.
Image 1 of 6 shot sequence. The Florida Gator Girl rips a shoulder high backside left. I don't know her, but she tore it up out there. Hurricane Ophelia delivered some beautiful waves for the Cape and Johnson Avenue, Sunday October 2 2011. photos by oldwaverider 🙂
WEDNESDAY NIGHT UPDATE! No update 😉 Not really, I’ll go with whatever I wrote below. Good news on the offshore winds day. It should be 12 days from today ;( no, Just kidding!
But, Saturday and Sunday both like they have a potential to be double overhead days depending if your willing to do a session in Satellite Beach, and paddle out into 20 to 30 mph ENE winds 🙂
I have no doubt that with a few of the days that its a little smaller, like 2 feet overhead, and a paddle out right at dead high tide, there could actually be a fun session with especially long rides (more of a longboard type session mentality that is saying this 🙂
Anyhow, no changes in the report.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE CAPE CANAVERAL FRIDAY FEST THIS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7TH. 6 to 10 PM.Live entertainment will include “Mo Geetz” on Taylor Avenue & “Lonnie & Delinda” on Poinsetta Avenue.
Thursday morning, looks like chest high at the Cape with some shoulder to head high drops, getting a little more mellow in power toward late afternoon, winds are showing at the Cape to be less than 20 mph ENE before Noon. Realistically, I make the call that a 2 PM paddle out would be the most user friendly paddle out getting close to High Tide with winds still less than 20 mph. (provided the Thunder Showers don’t kick in around then)
Monday nights report from 2 days ago starts below….
From Monday…Huge ENE swell starts rolling in Tuesday night which should show some substantial stomach to chest size waves on the beach by Wednesday morning at the Cape. More on the incoming swell in a moment…
The photos here are from Johnson Avenue Sunday October 2nd (for archiving purposes the date was yesterday) taken at 2 times, around 10 Am and then after church around 12 PM, from round two of Hurricane Ophelia. We had some waist to stomach high waves early to mid-morning, and by 11 or 12 the size jacked up with some chest high waves with a few bigger rogue sets, here at the Cape and Johnson Ave.
Image 2 of 6 shot sequence. Little bowl section behind the Florida Gator Girl. Hurricane Ophelia brought beautiful waves for the Cape and Johnson Avenue, Sunday October 2 2011. photos by oldwaverider 🙂
Most of the folks in the water were unknown to me except Dr. John who was out during my 10 AM photo session, whom some of you saw his photo gallery posted Sunday afternoon. Most of the shots I got were from the 12 PM session, 3 people including some girl dressed in Florida Gator colors, an older guy (at least he looked older , like me :), and one other person. Some shortboarders were riding the shorebreak but the waves barely broke 50 feet before total dump closeout.
My apologies to any of the shortboarders, the waves just weren’t breaking for any even halfway decent quality pictures to show up. (quality as far as wave, not the surfer ability or photographer 😉 At least the winds were NNW to NW, and stayed glassy until Noonish.
Image 3 of 6 shot sequence.
Okay, Wednesday, waves should be waist to chest high at the Cape and head high down south, and building thru Thursday morning with NE onshore winds 10 to 15 mph; then it gets weird. The period of the swell weakens, and changes from ground swell 12 seconds to a 6 second period. The size builds Friday and Saturday to possible double overhead down south, and a little smaller at the Cape. The power of the swell starts climbing late Friday night and on Saturday and Sunday to 9 seconds.
Most of that was meaningless I know, because the winds will be mostly NE in the 15 to 25 mph range from Thursday into the weekend, and mostly less than 15 mph on Wednesday.
Image 4 of 6 shot sequence.
Once we have an idea of when the winds may turn offshore we’ll fill ya in on that. For now, enjoy the huge chop, and try to catch it, around high tide , a couple hours before during and a couple hours after. At least the paddle out will be most gentle when it’s close to high tide.
Image 5 of 6, The Gator Girl continues on her long glassy wall...Image 6 of 6, The Gator Girl ...A little reading and Solitude?Image 1 of 3 shots. A nice wall and the KSC in the background, it doesn't get much better for a place to be 🙂 oldwaveriderJohnson Ave has its great days , 2nd shot of 33rd shot of 3
Full size images below if you want to click on them and see full screen.
Dr. John on a really clean right, Image 1 of 3 shot sequence. Johnson, Hurricane Ophelia round two, Sunday, October 2 2011, photos by oldwaverider 🙂
DR JOHN PHOTO GALLERY
Really nice waves today, I had the next best thing to surfing them…taking photos. My back wasn’t working, oh well 🙂
Anyhow, our Surf Report yesterday said we had a stomach to shoulder high depending on the spot, and I would say we had waist to chest high at the Cape today, with some shoulder high drops. Probably a foot or two bigger down south, but anyone will tell you, these waves were really nice.
Dr. John , Image 2 of 3 shot sequence. Johnson, Hurricane Ophelia round two, Sunday, October 2 2011, photos by oldwaverider 🙂
There were quite a few people out, though a lot of faces I didn’t recognize, except Dr. John. I took shots at 10 AM and then came back after church at 12 PM, and man, the size kicked up 1 to 2 feet on the face size, the shoulders were holding up a little better, but both sessions were really nice for a glassy wave, beautiful sunny, cool day at the Cape on Johnson Ave.
Anyhow, enjoy the pics of John, and in the next few days, I’ll be posting some more pictures of some unknown faces, including the Gator Girl (who wore orange and blue, and she looked athletic, she got some really killer rides).
Beautiful waves, and a lot of closeouts. Image 3 of 3 shot sequence. Dr. John enjoyed the sweet spot of this wave before taking his exit.John slotted perfect. Image 1 of 3 shot sequence. Hurricane Ophelia provides a nice one day round two at the Cape on Johnson. Photo by oldwaveriderJohn working the wall, Image 2 of 3 , Hurricane Ophelia provides a nice one day round two at the Cape on Johnson. Photo by oldwaveriderDr. John, Image 3 of 3John obscured by the morning sun, Image 1 of 3 shot. Photo by oldwaveriderJohn, trimming the top of a mid-morning gem, Image 2 of 3 shot sequence. Photo by oldwaveriderThis gem seemed to hold up for the duration:) Image 3 of 3 shot sequence.