I was off to Philly on the Metroliner (100 mph+) from Penn Station at 34th,  and a little tired. Had I known I would end up down there, I would have brought my luggage and gotten off at Newark, for a New Jersey session! Oh, well. On the way back to New York, I passed through Trenton, ("We make...the world takes") New Jersey. Business people all talked loudly into their cell phones throughout the trip. What a drag! I wondered if any of these people  are aware of the conditions just over the horizon on the Jersey Shore! 

Back in New York's Penn station I got a map of Long Island and New Jersey. I noticed that the closest place that any train comes to the ocean is at Long Beach, so that's where I decided to go! Besides, about a year ago I met a freshman from the Univ. of Chicago who told me that Long Beach is a quality surf spot. Blue Magazine had also recently featured Long Beach in an article about surfing.

The Long Island Railroad trip cost $7 (peak)each way.The traind went directly to Long Beach, although one sometimes has to transfer trains at Jamaica Avenue in Brooklyn. 

I knew I had been heading in the right direction when two shortboarders got on the train in Queens. Both had just returned from South Beach in Miami...they had just had the waves of their lives!  They were just as stoked to get out to Long Beach!  They were also super-friendly and one of them told me that one needs to pay at the beach. He gave me one of his passes! 

A businessman sitting nearby was also a Long Beach local surfer. He told us that the cleanup had begun that morning. He had been out at 6AM or so and described conditions as head-high and very clean. He said that Dennis had cooled the ocean off quite a bit and churned up some seaweed and jellyfish. 
 
 

Finally getting in the water, I had a chance to feel the wave power relative to last week. I had been up Long Island last week and had been out to Point Smith on Fire Island. Wow, things have really died down! That was just as Dennis started hitting Long Island and New Jersey and the waves packed quite a punch. Now the waves were getting a little mushy. The waves build up to a nice lip and peeled right over, some sets being head high. At times it was a little difficulty to get outside, but the rip was not at all pronounced as it had been at Smith Point and down at Manasquan a few weeks ago. 

This was only the second time in my life I have gotten anything off of a hurricane. A few years ago I had been in San Diego for Guiermo (sp.?). These waves definitely did not have that kind of power, not last week at Smith Point and definitely not yesterday evening. Nor did the waves  have that kind of size. 

I ducked quite a few and first rode some whitewater into shore, and I tried to figure out about where stuff was breaking. I wanted to sort of get a feel for a "path" to the outside. In addition, I hadn't been there long enough to really see any big sets come in, so I wanted to see what was up before heading out. It didn't want to be stuck in the impact zone. And, I didn't know anything about underwater hazards such as bulkheads. I was at National St. and on both sides there are rock jetties. And, there are these buoys that are attached to the shore via ropes, that are underwater for a ways. I hadn't seen it and sliced up my leg a little bit.The locals had  given  me a pretty good indication of what to expect. And, they said it had only started cleaning up just that  morning.  

Feeling more comfortable with the setup, I duck dove under some larger ones coming in and got talking with quite a few guys out there. Feeling pretty good about the approach, I rode one from the early on break, all the way into the shore.   I tried a few tricks I am working on. The waves were so nicely formed and forgiving, that I can say that these are some of the best conditions I have had in the year. In fact, I think I had my ride of the year yesterday, as I caught probably a chest high wave just just on the lip, riding all the way in. 

I stayed out until dark and caught a late train back, after a few cold brews and a half cold lobster...... 

craig 

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