Here are numerous spots* and places and restaurants and places where surfers tend to congregate in Ocean County.
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*Including the best one’s of Monmouth County
Forecast for Casino Pier
Sunday November 22nd: 3ft, choppy conditions
Monday November 23rd: 4th, very windy, sloppy conditions
Tuesday November 24th: 5.5ft, the waves will have the same conditions as yesterday.
Wednesday November 25th: Swell energy still increasing, topping off today at just around 6 feet. Will be a bit cleaner toward the end of the day.
Thursday November 26th: Around 4ft, nice conditions in the morning, and later in the afternoon, just not around the early part of the afternoon. The Thanksgiving surf is good for the fifth or so year in the row- it’s strange how it continues early.
Friday November 27th: 3ft, clean all day.
Saturday November 28th: 3ft, slightly choppy. Swell energy, and waves, may increase toward the end of the day.
We went to the premiere of “The Drifter” Thursday. It was a pretty fun night. We got to the theater 2 hours early to make sure we got good seats. And ended up waiting an extra hour for some reason. A good amount of people ended up showing up, the line wrapped around the building I heard. But it was interesting to see some of the people I’ve encountered all the years surfing. We even saw Gordo, from last weeks article.
Once the doors opened though everything went to hell. They had opened every door, not just the main one, so it didn’t even matter where you were online. So there was no reason to have showed up as early as we, and 8 other people, did.
Once we got in, the “show” automatically started. First with a little concert put on by Rob Machado and John Swift.
Even a banjo was included
Soon after the movie started, which was great. The way director Taylor Steele described it was “[this movie] is in a genre all its own.” I have nothing from the actual movie, because I think that’s illegal. BUT you should buy it. I’m glad I got to watch it. I got some of the craziest goosebumps and adrenaline rushes I had ever experienced watching Rob get barreled wave after wave in Indo.
After the movie ended Taylor and Rob had a Q and A that lasted much longer than they expected.
The night ended with another little concert again, concluding the night like so:
Ahhhhh!!
Sunday: Find a south facing beach! Do it, if you can, you can definitely expect big waves at long periods. Possibly twelve feet at over 10 seconds. DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!
Monday: Still great left overs if you can find the right break. Probably 3 or 4 feet less but still just as long.
Tuesday: looking like Monday.
Wednesday: Still nice but beginning to fade, around 6 feet in the morning, falling to around 4 feet toward the end of the day.
Thursday: Small surf this day, compared to the last couple days. Around 2 feet, still clean and long periods.
Friday: No surf.
Saturday: No surf.
Longing for a DeLorean already.
This Thursday, November the 12th, the Rob Machado autobiographical film- “The Drifter” will be coming to New Jersey. The movie has currently been making its rounds across the country and will be stopping in Manasquan at the Algonquin Theater. There will be a question and answer period, as well as “jam session”, and of course the movie. It’s all free and doors open at 7pm, so make sure to get there early, because seats aren’t guaranteed.
Trailer for “The Drifter”
Everyone is feeling the pinch, or so I’m told; personally, I’m rolling in money from my Ponzi scheme… I’m my dreams. Like the people that support them, businesses are also feeling their bank deposit pouches thin out. Over the course of this past week I set out on a sexy adventure to figure out how our beloved local surf shops have handling the financial crisis this year, and if it’s been comparable to prior year- before the bulk of the shittiness hit the fiscal fan.
Different shops, like shoppers, are hit in different ways, so I tried to covered a number of stores based on different parameters; They’re location, size, and mainstay.
BraveNewWorld:
The biggest of the stores I hit for an interview (and a premier ticket to “The Drifter”). Brave has three branches; one in Toms River, one in Point Pleasant, and one in Little Silver. I got an interview with Gordo, the inventory manager, at the Point Pleasant location- their main one.
- Gordo on: Their “Condition”
- Gordo on: People, Boards, and Plans
- Gordo on: Love
CosmicSurf
Cosmic has been around for awhile, it’s been in Toms River for almost 40 years. Frank, the owner, was on vacation so I caught an interview with a manger, Chris.
WaveJammer
I had hit up Wave for an interview, but as I found out, I was about 2 minutes to late. I was not sure of their hours now that they had moved and “re-consolidated” all their shops in to one main store in Lavalette. I decided to try again today and I gave them a call instead, since I was at work. I scored an interview with the manager, Doug, who was most helpful in answering possibly the worst phone interviewer I had ever heard- myself!
Epilogue:
I have a love for all these stores, each store has contributed to me as a surfer. From Cosmic I purchased my first board and wetsuit ever, from Brave I purchased my two first high performance boards (the 2nd is the main staple in my quiver), and Wave was there to sell me the gloves, boots, and hood I needed when I decided I’d turn in to a real Jersey surfer and surf through the winter. I never noticed from the outside driving past them, on my way to various surf spots, but the the atmosphere inside was slightly different now than it had been in years prior. I plan on making a big purchase at each one over the next few months, just to add to their business. I know alone I can’t keep them afloat, but if it helps pay salaries to keep them open for a day- it’ll make me that much happier.
I ran across the Quiksilver Cypher PS+ Heated Vest while reading about it in a Surfline article. It seems awesome! Basically, it is what it sounds like, a heated vest. Unfortunately they don’t harvest the power of magma to heat it, but it’s still a great idea. This isn’t the first heated suit idea, Ripcurl’s been doing it with their H Bomb wetsuit, and there’s other companies that are doing it too. The Cypher vest heats to a crazy temperature on high (130 degrees)!
It’s fairly cheap too, only $200. But I found a 6/5/4 for the same price from Billabong. With the suit at least all of your limbs will stay pretty warm, I don’t think you’d survive in a 3/2 with the vest on. I’m really tempted to buy it though. It seems like it’d be Shangri-La in the wetsuit with that vest.
If I ever get bit by a shark, it’ll be a mess of words. I hate them, particularly this one. But I hope it never happens. My friend was telling my how some gent yelled really lowed in the line-up yesterday and everyone thought it was a shark. I would have just thought he had turrets.
I would not be as humble as other people who have been bitten by sharks. They typically say something along the lines of “I’m not angry, the shark was just doing what it was programmed to do- eat. It probably just thought I was something else. I was in it’s territory, my bad.”
Though those are true, I’d be a lot angry and my reaction would be more along the lines of- “I’m going to kill that shark bastard, or better yet. I’m gonna bang his shark wife while he’s working at the Shark Family factory producing shark memorabilia for other sharks. Then when he gets of and drives home in his giant whale, he’ll open up the door and see how I’ve gotten revenge and how his life has now crumbled. Then I’ll steal his wife and neglect her… And that goes double for their shark kids! I’m gonna punch you in your shark nose you shark bastard, your dead meat!” I’d be a bit less understanding, but I think I’d much rather say that so the interviews would have something to play with. People like conflict, and what’s better than extra marital shark affairs used for revenge against a shark?! Exactly!
As much as I hate and fear them though. I get a load of satisfaction when I pretend to be one… Which makes me think that they might do it for the same reasons.
So far this weekend has been pretty fun for surf. Friday was a great day (besides having to run back and forth up stairs to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters), too bad I had work and by the time I got out it was dark… Today was looking pretty good until it hit low tide an hour ago. Here’s the forecast of Seaside Heights.
Saturday October 31st- This morning was looking fun, and so was the afternoon until the tide went low, now the waves are just looking really drained. Hopefully once high tide comes back (around 6.30pm) the waves will pick up a bit. Considering there is a developing swell off to the south east that is drawing nearer, it should. But conditions might start to get crappy like they have been the past 2 weeks as a swell approached. To add to that, the wind is supposed to pick up a considerable amount later toward the evening. I hope it’ll be good, so I can get out and take some pictures, but I’m not sure yet. The (wind) models have switched twice today. And I’m not sure if the swell will look like the past two. Just keep watching the cam, I THINK I’d go out- as of right now. It should get in to the chest to chin region, is just hard to determine how clean and ride-able it will me.
Sunday November 1st- Did you remember to set your clocks back an hour? Probably not, like anyone else you were chugging out of a pumpkin and forgot to. That’s a good idea Sam Adams, listen up and give me credit it. It’s really a horrible idea, I hate pumpkin. Anyway, the swell came and went rather quickly, the surf this morning will still remain (compared to nothing), it should reach about 2.5-3 feet, winds will be light and might get close to off shore so we’ll see if that will help. All in all, it might be really fun in the morning if conditions stay clean. They probably won’t though, there is possibility for an obnoxious current. I’d give it a go though, especially if you want to laugh in Jesus’ face about how you can glide through water, and not just walk. The earlier the better as the waves will fade in to nothing as the day progresses.
Monday- Tuesday November 2nd-3rd- surf will be minimal. Why don’t you go to work instead? You’re right I hate that place too.
Wednesday November 4th- There’s something out there, I suggest going and taking a look, but go sooner than later as it’ll drop slowly- not much, but the bigger the better. The waves should be in the lower chest region, or for you bigger boys- the under-tit region! But conditions should be clean, a light unnoticeable wind and waves going head on with the shore should make for a fun day… Too bad I have school. Best around the early afternoon, definitely before the evening, which is now 4pm because there’s no such thing as god…
Thursday November 5th- Smaller than yesterday, in fact a lot smaller. The surf drop around 10-11am in to the knee high region, but before that it might be fun as conditions will be more than decent. After that? Forget it, it’s going to stay low.
Friday November 6th- Remember where yesterday left off? That’s where today picks up. Surf will be in the knee high region, but it’ll build slowly at the end of the day. Nothing good in time for sunlight however. But it might leave something interesting for Saturday, we’ll know as the week progresses.
That’s your forecast for the week, hopefully it’ll all get better. Like 3 feet better on top of what I predicted… But it won’t since I’m never wrong. infallible
I was all gun-ho last year about surfing all-year round, not anymore. I’m not sure what happened this year, but I feel really old. I freeze, I feel tight, I shower at the YMC…Well, not yet.
I was thinking of ways I used to stay warm and figured I’d pass them on to you.
+Stay low- Stay closer to the water, it’s more comfortable, plus the water is warmer than the air.
+Layers- You add layers when you’re out of the water, why not when you’re in. Last year I made a poor man’s winter suit; two 3/2mm suits, and a vested hood. It kept me warm and the water in the outside suited helped insulate and heat the water in the inside suit. Balls had never hung so low in such cold temperatures.
+5-gallon bottles- I don’t remember where I heard this idea, but it’s genius. You pour hot water in to a 5-gallon water bottle, wrap it, and put it in your car. When you come back from the session the water won’t be scolding hot anymore and when you pour it on yourself it’ll wash off the dirt and feel good.
+Kill the environment- Run your gas as soon as you get to your car, it’s going to hopefully warm up enough that you can start to feel your feet once you get in. Best used in combination with changing outside. By the time you’re finished changing, the car is warm, you’re dry- and you win.
+Stay wet- You can always just not get out of the suit, it’s going to be warmer in the suit during the drive than it is changing in the cold. It just depends how fast you can get home, and how fast your car warms up.
+Nom-noms- Eat a decent amount before you go out. You’ll burn calories and warm up.
+Move that fat-ass- Just keep moving, goes without saying.
+Shots, shots, sha-shots- I haven’t tried this, but taking queue from my ancestry and the Myth Busters, alcohol will make you feel warmer at least. I’ll experiment and let you know how it works.
There are a few hints on getting through the winter. Hopefully it won’t be a cold out.
