Franklin, Idalia, Lee, Margot, Nigel, and Ophelia... all of these storms delivered waves to the east coast this past September. It has definitely been a month for the record books. Truthfully, the waves were primarily walled-up and closed-out around town, but the shoulders and corner sections were there if you were up for the paddle. Winds were an issue in the afternoons, so mornings were the best option. You just needed a little bit of patience, stamina, and luck to be in the right spot and get your reward.
There were a couple of days from Hurricane Lee that got sizable in Satellite Beach, with a few bombs coming through on the bigger sets. Check out the photos and archives of Lee on Surfline, Raw Surf and Gulfster, especially from Big Thursday showing just how good some of the spots in east central Florida can get... and the many rippers that frequent the waters. As for us mere mortals? Well, there were plenty of opportunities to score waves, especially during the windows with better tides and winds. In total I've had 21 surf days since rolling into town a couple of months ago, with 10 of them in September. I could have probably had double that, if I wasn't nursing a bad rotator cuff and sore back. But I managed a fair share nonetheless, 218 to be exact. And that's pretty epic for a 51 year old in Florida during the summertime.
UPDATE 9/23/23 Below is a montage from a quick session on the 9'2 Vec Quad Log. Shot during late Hurricane Franklin/early Idalia combination swell. It's every wave that I caught, good or bad, in a half-hour. I cut the clips to some Viagra Boys and I think it meshes nicely. I'm not sure if I'll admit that I'm starting to become more of a longboarder these days, but I won't deny it either.
I was unable to secure the beach cam for several surf sessions in the middle of the month, but still managed it for others. My wife snapped a few iPhone shots as well. The tides have been extra high due to the storms, and the water has been up to the walls, leaving me few options for clamping down somewhere. I need to find better camera positions in general for my local spot. I'm just not getting great angles. UPDATE: video 9/29/23 Below is a sequence of waves on my 6'3 Lost Puddle Fish. The last ride you can see me aggravate my shoulder at the top of the wave. I haven't paddled out since this session, even though there were great waves on the last day of the month. I just need to give my shoulder a rest for a week, or so. We'll see how long that lasts.
Below is a picture gallery for September, with a couple shots of my friends and neighbors old and new. I also say keep 'em waxed n ready boys n girls, because there's still potential for more surf days before this season is done. For you newbies and beginners reading the blog, be sure to bookmark my newly updated FORECAST PAGE. I've embedded and linked all of the interweb tools that I use for forecasting wave conditions in the east central Florida area. I've included a bunch of free beach cam links so you can checkout conditions live before heading for a surf. Know before you go. And as a reminder... if you're traveling in from out of town, surf the spots with public parking, be friendly, and respect the locals. I hope you're surfing where you are!
SEPTEMBER STORMS GALLERY UPDATED 9/30/23
