New Jersey has been more like Pipeline than Pipeline this week......at least so far and just a wee bit colder. As I type this the wind chill is hovering around 0. Came across this picture a local photographer snapped on Monday of NJ surfer Raven Lundy about to get worked in waist deep water. There should be some good pictures to come from this swell.
With all the money spent on wetsuits Surfers in the North East could afford flights to tropical waves. ; ) Yes i am a sarcastic wise azz from of all places South Jersey.
An old pal of mine, Brian Fitzpatrick, had a shop at 12th Ave. in Belmar, NJ, one icy, offshore wind morning the break in front of the shop was a good 8-10 feet.
It was still the no leash era and on the way out he came face to face with a wave about to break right in front of him, not wanting to swim, he slid off the side and reached across his board to hang on.
The lip landed just in front of him and the rebound came up under him board, blasting it into the air with his arm across it, his arm was dislocated at the shoulder and his hood spun sideways across his face.
Now it was a swim with a bum arm and getting the hood back to where he could see and breath, he said it was his closest call to winter drowning.
The blowing off shores couldn’t kill him, but the blow did. God rest his soul
I was tellin’ a few guys there were some sets here Monday with solid 10’ faces, and got funny looks when I said I rode my new 7’0 (which worked great, by the way). Glad to see somebody took some pics to prove it.
Monday was truly heavy, I got denied twice trying to paddle out, almost gave up but made it out on the third attempt and got some bombs (by east coast standards).
Artz, when I think about buying a new winter suit I compare the price tag to the cost of a plane ticket…tough choice.
I did the same when living in Jersey. There was at one time cheap flights out of Newark to PR on a small airline can't recall the name. Of course back then Wetsuits were not as good as they are now. Better wetsuits do make a difference.
I just bought a Hyperflex. Might as well give a NJ company some of my hard earned cash
One tremendous difference between this and Pipe is the water temp. The working from the 1st pic that is about to unfold in 36 degree water will be unpleasant.
Great shot of Raven!!!!! I am so glad I wasn't him right there. It just goes to show for every sick barrell you make it out of... mother nature makes you pay, heavy. I know that one probably hurt from the inside out.
One correction though, New Jersey can't claim Raven. He is a Billabong wave gypsy based out of Viginia Beach.
Somebody please tell Santa I want waves for Christmas!
Here is one of our local boys, Zach Humfries in a New Jerzy Cavern.
Speaking of Pipeline, there should be a rule that the Pipe Master can not be held in conditions smaller than NewJersey in the same week. The Pipe Masters should be like the Eddie where it can't be held until its at least double to triple overhead. Particularly the final day.
Here is one of our local boys, Zach Humfries in a New Jerzy Cavern.
Speaking of Pipeline, there should be a rule that the Pipe Master can not be held in conditions smaller than NewJersey in the same week. The Pipe Masters should be like the Eddie where it can't be held until its at least double to triple overhead. Particularly the final day.
Is he wearing a wetsuit coz its cold, or to stop the tonnes of sand from going up his butt crack if he wipes out haha. Man that looks seriously shallow, hope he made it!!
Zach is the real deal. I wouldn't be surprised if he did make it. If he did....and even if he didn't its likely on film as those guys are filming every big swell. He is part of the cast of Dark Fall which is a surf movie every surfer should watch. If you watch this movie you will see a lot of similar waves and you will see that these guys make a few. They also break a lot of boards along the way........durring a recent swell I know they broke a total of 8 boards in one day among the guys working on filming the sequal.
Figured I'd pass this shot along even though its a couple of weeks old. This was taken by one of the Dark Fall photographers at the end of my street here in Ocean City, NJ. Surfer is Matt Rink.
