This is my 2nd favorite Big Wave video. The sounds that go with this 1 plus minute video, and watching the footage they get from the back of the wave heading towards shore. The back is like 25 to 35 foot back, so you can imagine the front.
This one called “Passing the Torch” in Jaws, Maui, from January, 2010, and this one is my favorite Big Wave Video.
Laird Hamilton (around 46 to 48 years old) the mentor for Ian Walsh (around 30?), and they are both mentoring Billy Kemper (early 20’s?). The music by Guerilla Jazz is pretty awesome, and kind of ironic for a video of some incredible 50 foot tow in surf at Jaws.
I put both of these online in the last year, but if you have a nice screen to watch these, crank up the tunes and watch these, totally awesome.
This is called Kelly Slater @ Jaws & Rob Machado @ Pipeline
Thus endeth my obsession for the day of huge wave video.
Full size images below if you want to click on them and see full screen.
Like I mentioned Friday, the lefts were more hollow and faster, but the rights were great too. Image 1 of 5 in sequence. Photos by Oldwaverider, Friday Nov. 4rth Perkins n Hightowers.
Perkins, Hightowers and RC’s all had the perfect wind and a great exiting ground swell that delivered some hollow barrels and long makeable chest to head high lines on Friday. Unfortunately, up North at the Cape, the swell just didn’t cooperate 😉
I didn’t get to take many pictures Friday, cause I just shot them quickly before I surfed, so I used up the only head high wave shots in yesterday’s post. These shots are mostly chest high.
Image 2 of 5 shot sequence. Satellite Beach.
What’s up with surf? I’m sure you guessed a no brainer. Sunday, look for double overhead powerful ground swell chop in Satellite Beach and the Cape it’s impossible to call since the swell angle is so sharp, it’s hard to say how much we’ll get. This morning by 10 Am, I would have thought I’d see at least chest high waves coming in at the Cape, but it was just leftovers from the leaving ground swell on Friday.
Image 3 of 5 in sequence. Photos by oldwaverider, Satellite Beach
Monday thru Wednesday, it still looks like big overhead chop, but Wednesday morning may have a chance of North winds, which is slight offshore for the Cape.
Thursday is still shaping up for overhead and glassy in Satellite Beach and by then perhaps chest high and glassy at the Cape.By Tuesday, we’ll have a handle on the swell entrance and wind for Wednesday and Thursday at the Cape.
Image 4 of 5 in sequence.
Have a great Sunday and enjoy the Air Show!
Here’s the Air Show Sunday schedule or team of participants:
Image 5 of 5 (a little camera adjustment, my bad)
12:00 n till 2 PM ? approx. Cocoa Beach Air Show – Lori Wilson Park
• 101st Airborne Screaming Eagle – Flag Jump and Show
• GEICO Skytypers
• F-18 Hornet demo
• 920th Rescue Wing CSAR demo
• John Black in the Super Decathlon
• Rob Holland in the Veterans Home Loans MX-2
• F-16 Viper demo
• F-4 Phantom 3-pass demo
• USAF Heritage Flight
• Navy Seals Leap Frogs
• Heavy Metal Jet Team
Beautiful lines coming in the background. Perfect glassy right.This longboarder had a really good style...and a nice long ride. Image 1 of 4 in sequence.Same guy same wave. Image 2 of 4 sequence.Image 3 of 4 sequence.Just a nice mellow backside long ride. He just happened to take one that wasn't throwing out real hard and hollow. Image 4 of 4
Full size images below if you want to click on them and see full screen.
Nice shoulder high wave behind Perkins, Image 1 of 3 in the set. Photos by oldwaverider. This was a 4 foot 12 second period ground swell from the ENE.
Close to Epic surf today!Unfortunately, something was happening that hammered the form of the Waves here at the Cape,but Satellite Beach was crankin!
It was consistently chest to shoulder high waves, with an occasional 1 foot plus overhead set that rolled through, but not many. I saw a few 2 foot overhead drops on shorter people 🙂 j.k.
Image 2 of 3 in the set. Shoulder to Head High left behind Perkins.
Anyhow, the lefts were totally hollow, and many 100 yard rides were available. The rights weren’t as hollow, but 100 yard rides were just as plenty. Probably 50-60% were closeouts so ya just let em roll by, and they were pretty predictable, so other than the fact that you had to wait a while for long period swell set waves to roll up, it was pretty awesome. We’ll know by tommorrow if the totally hollow chest high shore break right that I couldn’t resist riding all the way in, whether or not it did crack a rib or just bruise it; but heh, its been 13 months since I cracked a rib on shore break, so I guess I was due 😦
Image 3 of 3 in set.
The pics I took at Hightowers I zoomed in too much, but the set I took at Perkins, was zoomed way out, so , it was just of those days 🙂
Saturday surf; this massive NE swell has such a sharp angle (like 52 ° whichcould completely block us out until Sunday, a 90° swell means it comes straight from the East, so 52 ° with the KSC property sticking way out could block all the size unless you do the Pier. And even then, you may have to drive 4 miles South) Anyhow head high down South and then bigger after noon, up North here, we’ll have the best
Well it looked like a sweet, Head High right..........not 😉 Image 1 of 3 in set. Hightowers break, Nov. 4rth Friday. Photo by oldwaverider
winds for surf, they should be NNW winds till 7 Am and then go North, but maybe…they maybe will keep a little NNW for another hour, like maybe till 9 Am. Mostly North winds from daybreak on, in the 15 mph range until 10 or so, and then it starts kicking up over 20 mph.
Barrel ? Image 2 of 3 in set. Hightowers.
Sunday, there will be some 12 foot plus faces in Satellite Beach with 20 to 25 mph NE winds. So, if you wait till exact high tide, and paddle out up North, you may find some head high to two foot overhead chop with some shoulders to play around on.
For now, the first window for offshore winds is showing Thursday November 10th, head high stuff, maybe better, but when it gets closer we’ll tighten up on the wind forecast.
The water was 1 degree warmer then up North anyhow 🙂 Image 3 of 3 in set.
I hope ya enjoy the pics from today at Hightowers, and maybe you got lucky and surfed 2nd light or better yet, RC’s.
Saturday or Sunday I’ll throw some more pics from today.
Enjoy the Friday Fest street party and the Air Show!
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? 🙂
I try to keep the Titles of my posts brief and to the point…;)
What can I say? A lot of stuff going on, such as my OBSESSION WITH BIG WAVE VIDEOS, when YouTube and/or Magicseaweed.com release the Mid-Year highlites for the Billabong XXL Awards (2012 now) I gotta put that one on the front 🙂
Surf report update in a minute…
In case y’all don’t get to keep up with the contests on the regular normal wave ASP tour, or keep up with the XXL Big Wave tour, this has been a record year for the world’s great big wave surf breaks. Teahupoo (of whom our local legend Kelly Slater won the ASP event), and the fact that he skipped the J-Bay event offering 6 foot waves in order to catch some 30 to 40 foot plus tow in surf at Fiji for the epic 50 year storm, 49 foot swell on the charts, that swept into the Tasman Sea. That storm hammered Australia, and brought the most incredible waves to Cloudbreak, Restaurants and Tavarua Fiji.
As I mentioned in previous posts, Kelly skipped the J-Bay event and got the best warm up session in Fiju that probably gave him more confidence to nail it at the Teahupoo ASP event where they had to shut down the event, and let the tow in guys have fun, until the waves hit a normal 10 to 15 foot for the regular contest event. (not like he really needed confidence, but surfing Teahupoo takes more character than any other surf break on the planet, not diminishing Mavericks in any way 🙂
Okay, the long wind ceases, surf in Brevard………………….
Today (Wednesday), a foot or so overhead in Satellite Beach and chest high plus at the Cape. (probably a few head high sets here at the Cape). The winds should be in the 10 to 15 mph NE direction, so right at dead high tide (around 2 PM), you can catch the easiest paddle out, the cleanest time of day for the faces, the best shoulders while it is high tide.
Thursday, probably a foot bigger down South maybe some 2 foot overhead waves, and with a lot more power because the ground swell rolls in after midnight Wednesday night/Thursday morning. We ought to see some head high waves at the Cape, and the winds ought to be mild onshore, like 5 to 6 mph NE all day. So it could be real fun Thursday.
Friday, still looks like the epic day!Head high to maybe a foot or so overhead in Satellite Beach and solid chest high plus at the Cape. The swell does drop off a bit late Friday but not much. If the wind models hold out, it looks to be 4 to 6 mph offshore winds out of the West to SW. Yowwwwwwww!!!
Saturday, a new swell piggybacks the departing Friday swell with strong North to NNW winds, probably 15 to 25 mph. but it could be head high and semi-glass up North in the morning, and by dinner time, we may be seeing some 8 to 10 foot faces down South.
Sunday morningought to have some large sets come in with 8 foot faces at the Cape, and probably some 10 foot plus faces down South. But the winds (as a guess out of the 48 hour window), are looking to be NNW and over 20 mph, but it could be really sweet at the Pier and the Jetties.
I don’t see any drop in swells for a week out, so eat well, bring a rash guard at least for Friday morning, because it may be around 62 to 64 degrees in the morning, not cold, but with the water temp lingering only about 2 degrees above spring water temps, it may be a little chilly.
The next Friday Fest is scheduled for November 4th from 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm. Activities will include a variety of food vendors, an assortment of novelty & craft vendors, children’s activities including bounce houses, a giant slide & games, live entertainment along with beer & wine.
Live entertainment will feature “Entasy” on Taylor Avenue & “Lonnie & Delinda” on Poinsetta Avenue.
The fun will take place on Taylor Avenue & Poinsetta Avenue.
I do need to add one more video link here. Andy Irons, one year has passed. I could quote some of what they say, but just check it out here.
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.
Massive swell hit Nazare, Portugal on October 17 2011. Billabong XXL 2012 contender. See the article at Magicseaweed.com
Big Wind Swell coming Sunday!Offshore winds for Saturday morning , possibly rideable…But before we do that…
Y’all know I love big wave stories. It’s kind of a surrogate release for me knowing that I’ll never get the big waves I want here, and if I did, I’d most likely break myself anyhow 🙂
The photo below is from a massive swell that hit Nazare, Portugal on October 17th, 2011. It may be a swell that has an entry for the Billabong XXL 2011-2012 contest.This swell on the charts showed 9 ft at 15 seconds! And the funny thing is, they have another on the way for Sunday October 30th, that clocks at 14 feet at 16 seconds at the exact same swell angle. Check out the article at Magicseaweed.com here.
Saturday, if the 120 throws a little more our way, (at least 3.5 feet to 4 feet with a low period), then we may have some thigh to waist high waves down South with West winds everywhere, light like 4 to 8 mph. WSW to NW until 11 or 12 with some early showers to keep you cool. Slim chance, but there is a chance.
Sunday morning we should have some shoulder highchoppy N and NE winds at 20 mph plus, and maybe chest high on the big set waves at the Cape. The swell is coming out of the NE, so we may get blocked out some.
Monday, same big chest to shoulder high chop, 20 mph plus winds ENE.
Tuesday, big winds , maybe some North winds, waist to shoulder, the Cape may block the winds some early in the morning. (just a guesstimate since its more than 48 hours out, and I only can have 80% accurate wind direction 48 hrs in advance)
Wednesday, the next possible huge swell starts rolling in on top of the former one. This swell comes in with a longer period starting at 9 seconds and kicking upt to 12 seconds. BUT KEEP IN MIND, RENA MAY NOT DO MUCH, AND THE OTHER 2 TD’S MAY OR MAY NOT MATERIALIZE.
So for now, just enjoy our big wind swell that should last 3 to 5 days.
Full size images below if you want to click on them and see full screen.
Image 1 of 3 in set. An unknown surfer charging a perfect glass backside Head High wave at Officers Club. Photos from September 8 2011, Hurricane Katia . Photos by oldwaverider
SUNDAY NIGHT, 8:30 PM UPDATE!
The winds turn offshore at midnight tonight instead of late morning, still NNW, but lighter, like in the 7 to 9 mph range. I don’t believe that would be enough to blow the windswell flat. I think, it may take until 8:30 or 9 AM for the swell to have it’s full period and thus power, which works out well to be mid-tide with high going low. Also, the winds may stay offshore till Noon or 1. By 10 Am, they are up to 11 mph and increase now up close to 20 mph North on until dark. Back to my forecast that I gave this afternoon today>>>
We have 3 back to back wind swells on the way………..
The photos here are more from the 2nd Big Day of Hurricane Katia after the swell had dropped 2 to 3 feet from the morning. (photos taken around noon to 1 PM) These were taken at the South end of Officer’s Club and the North end of 2nd Light. When Ken and I first paddled out, it was 3 to 5 feet overhead on the drop with an occasional double overhead set that came in 🙂 But by late morning it dropped to head high to 2 foot overhead on the set waves. That’s when I came in to take pics.
Image 2 of 3 set. The drug of Surfing, the speed of the bottom turn 🙂 Officers Club/2nd Light, Hurricane Katia swell dropping. Photo by oldwaverider.
Back to incoming surf;Monday morning we have a small ENE swell blowing in, and we should have some stomach to chest high waves in Satellite Beach probably around mid-tide 8:30 Am when high is going low, so the Cape I believe should see some thigh to waist high waves, and the winds are looking to be NNW around 10 mph, so my guess, we will see some NW winds for a while, mostly NNW until 10 Am ish, then turning North before 11. Guess it’s a no brainer where to surf based on the winds, not the size 🙂
Image 3 of 3 in set. Trying to get or stay under a barrel. Perfect , backside left. Hurricane Katia.
Then the winds ought to start blowing N and NE increasing to 15 mph and on throughout Tuesday, and bringing in the 2nd swell late Tuesday. Waves should be choppy, head high South and waist to chest at the Cape.Onshore winds all day Tuesday and Wednesday.Wednesdaysize should be the same as late Tuesday.
Thursday morning, the winds could swing around to the South and maybe SSW during the day, my guess is 8 to 12 mph winds, but I won’t know until Tuesday night for 80% accurate winds. Size, chest to shoulder high in Satellite Beach, waist to chest at the Cape.
Friday morning could be waist high and glassy down South, size at the Cape, probably knee high plus.
The 3rd swell, a distinct NE ‘ster, starts blowing in after dark Friday, and should provide some shoulder high big NE chop by late afternoon. By Monday or Tuesday a week out, we may have a fun big glassy day in there. BUT TO THINK THIS COULD BE ANY MORE THAN AN ESTIMATE WOULD BE HUMOROUS 🙂
Okay, get stoked about some chop and a little mixed glass, and some fun chop while high is going low tide.
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 😉
Johnson Avenue Surfers 