- Brother Rockman

Delsurf Mitchell's Report & Pics:  "I was wrong - it was bigger than waist high. Consistently chest high with the occasional bigger set from about 7:30 - 9:30. These pics don't do it justice but shows how the super high full moon tide fatted out all the smaller sets. Sorry no surfing shots... when I took these the only two guys out were way down the beach and i was in a rush to paddle out."
http://www.geocities.com/capehenlopensurfer/surfsup-feb-7-2004.html

Kirk "I Didn't Blow It" Mantay: Paul called it right. 3-5' occ. 6' ESE swell. A good number of closeouts and water was muy frigido. We got there at 8:00 as conditions were barely starting to deteriorate, supposedly dawn was flawless, windless lines with no sketchy drops.... I didn't have a great session but don't feel too bad b/c I only backed out of 2 waves in 3 hours, missed a bunch of others due to increasing (howling) offshores, and missed some due to inconsistent peaks. Whatever. Nice to be out in the water on a sunny day with friends (ASC and DE locals), but not too many friends!  Paul successfully made one of the most hairy (successful) dropins I have ever seen in person. Took off on a LOSER of a set wave... just barely under head high. Launched down the face AFTER it started to pitch, board not really touching the water and nearly vertical, somehow made it to the bottom, beat the closeout barrel section and made it another 50 yards. Mike, Chris S., and Jeff showed up later and represented the longboard consistency. Their performance sort of mirrored ours.... few great waves, few bad waves..... lots of missed / closed out / unmakeable waves. Can't wait until it gets warmer (like, 45F instead of 35F) and this whole "50kt offshore wind" situation disappears for a few months at least.  Fun day, just GREAT to be out after all this nasty weather, nice to meet Jeff and hopefully Mike is hanging in there.

P.S. Swell was down to 2-occ. 4' weak and inconsistent by 11:00am. Shrank to 1-2' occ'3-4' and we left....

Marlow Detects Some Surf:  It WAS a good day for surfing. It felt good, getting out again after being dry for so long. Couldn't do much with the cold water and strong offshores. By the time I felt confident having caught the wave, it was past the time to be making the section. Had some 
lovely "over the falls" sets. A few "stand up and have the wind blow me off the back" waves. My favorite was the slow motion, "leap up into a sitting position" on the way down the face. I had no form and felt stiff. Felt good to be paddling and getting wet though. The cold water exercise at GP gave me a shoulder ach and I chose to watch Mike and Chris continue their session at 138th. Truly a day for the committed...or maybe should be committed. On the last set of the day, Mike is walking up the beach, Chris is paddling to catch a wave and looks like he missed it. Then he realizes that he has it and stands long enough to ride all 11'2" of his Walden to the bottem of the falls. He looked like he was going to stay out, then walks to the shore. We still thought that he was going back out, because he took a few minutes in the shorebreak. He casually strolls up the beach sporting a bloody mouth and split lip. No time for pictures to show you girls what real injury looks like...bruises, we don't need no stinking bruises. A few more hours at the Berlin hospital and Chris can do a decent impression of Stacy Keach. My surfing sucked, Chris got hurt and I didn't get any work done at home as planned. So why am I smiling? Because I get to say "You really missed it". I did get to meet Kirk and was told later that I was standing next to Paul. I couldn't recognize any of those rubber coated men that I was flailing around. 

Foon Report(s):  Oh what a tasty treat the Delmarva served up for the hearty, well insulated, and surf hungry after one of the most miserable winter nights of fog and heavy rain. At first light (6:30am) consistent but slightly ragged lines of long gray humpers came in from the mist. The lines were a bit lumpy but that changed when the winds came up ever so slightly offshore. By 8:00 am the sun had broken out, the wind had groomed the sets into more ruler edged peelers and the surf was, at waist to chest plus, as good as I've seen it since last fall. It was spectacular to watch as 7-9 wave sets would come in. Looking South at one time I saw no less than 5 continuously peeling SE swells moving up the beach along some offshore bars at the foot of 130th street.

A few guys came by on their way downtown and took a look. They said State Line was not nearly as good as 134th but they heard 48th was going off. The wind and outgoing tide did take their toll though the wind did not come up as strong as forecast. By 11:00 am the size was half of the morning and the wind was blowing wave tops in the air. Still, I saw 3 longboarders attempting to make waves and quite a few noserides were completed. For their trouble of taking fire hose spray in the kisser on each takeoff several great rides were had even as the tide approached dead low after noon.

Curiously, at this late hour (5:00 pm) the wind has dropped a bit, the tide is again coming in and the ocean is still giving up very ridable but very cold looking waves as the swell remains consistent and strong. Frankly, I'm surprised by the staying power of this swell. I would have guessed it would be gone by now. Congrats to those who made the effort, I'm sure your numb faces are more than offset by the wave counts.

Sunday. Anyone who came to town to day for surf got a pancake breakfast. As in flat as a pancake. Nevertheless, it was a crystal clear, sunny, breezy and cool day in the hood. Certainly a contrast to the summer months. A good day to buy furniture, appliances and art. Do your taxes and get a nice refund to buy some warm weather equipment.

Chris "7/11" Smith Reports:  First of all I have to object to Kirk classifying me as being with the longboard contigent at Gordon's Pond, I was riding a 9'0", doesn't that qualify as a short board?  I guess I will repeat all others frustration with my performance on Saturday, I missed a lot of waves and charged into even more close outs.  But it was great to get out there and try with some of the ASC crew and a few others, that didn't get the word we owned the beach that day.  There were some nice rides had by a few of those out and I know my few were not epic but satisfying none the less.

It was fun to read Foon's post and knowing that Mike and I were two of three mentioned for the afternoon session.  It was also nice to hear that my little ol' 11' Walden didn't stand out, just another longboard.  I saw Mike get one really nice one and was going to paddle up to try that peak but he didn't paddle back to it, so I stayed where I was.  It was another frustratingly fun session for me.  Highlighted by my last wave.

I was going to paddle in as it looked like Mike was calling it a day, but as I started a swell caught my eye.  I decided to go for it and thought I had made it, but realized I had not quite gotten into it.  So I dug for it again and realized I was about to get dumped so I pushed my board away from me.  Good plan, but the offshore winds kept the board right there and when I came up for air gravity was working perfectly and the fin gave my face a push back (I guess my board doesn't like getting pushed around).  Right after that a second wave in the set came rolling in and took me over backwards and when I came up for air the second time gravity worked again bringing the board down on my head.  I managed to get most of the way into shore spitting blood with every breath. The problem was that I was having trouble remembering how to stand up and walk.  I was eventually able to get out and make my way back to the beach and to some help from my compadres.  A few hours later we were leaving the hospital with my having a minor concussion and three stitches.  This was also my first opportunity to eat since more than 12 hours earlier.

Many thanks to Mike and Jeff for helping me get packed up and taking me to the hospital.  I was at least successful getting rid of the cold I had and keeping Jeff for the painting he was dreading.

Thanks to those of you that sent inquiries yesterday also, I was tied up at a different hospital, Peggy had some minor surgery.  The funny part was her surgeon heard about my surfing incident and had to see if it was true.  First that this idiot was surfing in the winter and that my injury was not minor.

Today I have had many folks come up and tell me that something I ate stained my lip and then they see the rest and walk away quickly.  Sorry Rod there will be no pictures for the website.  I am looking forward to getting the stitches out and getting out with the crew again soon.

Chris S

PS  Sorry Neal decided to make the same mistake Jeff and I made on wed. and stay home.  Don't let the naysayers get you down, go for it.

"Walking down the beach with any of our boards can be challenging in gale force winds.  Strong offshores on a longboard do make it much more difficult to catch and drop into the wave based upon my many decades of experience and observation.  And, somebody like our good buddy Jeffy is likely to find hisself half standing up when the board catches the wind, cranks the board sideways and right back into his cutey face!!!  It would become even UGLIER :)"