olas y pintas en la fiesta de San Patricio

Waves and pints on Saint Patric's day.
This was one of the best Saint Patrick's Days evah! Especially after the shitty day before.
OK - nothing seriously epic, it was so damn cold! One could almost feel the warmth of the sun through the neoprene - almost. But the sun was especially bright and you just have to stay in that kind of light it as much as possible. And not too many people can do that and be on the water and on every month of the year and with good company.
above: the Gloucester Turbines loom in the far distance.
No corned beef & cabbage sorry to say, but did you know Saint Patrick freakin' loved fluffernutters? So if you're saving Ireland or just surfing they won't let you down.
Oh yeah - a pint, or four, until a someone went off a barstool onto the floor and the EMT's showed up. Too bad they work so hard at the Rhumb Line, and despite its notoriety, the Rhummy's not that kind of place. It was a school night anyway so, while I hope he's ok, it was time to call it a day anyway.

tweet from yesterday and still buzzed!

Cheater fives! we have new sandbars & rode maybe a perfect left into the sunset.No pics but ill take that session to the grave.

— John M. Hintlian (@johnhintlian) March 14, 2013

Storm Leaves Primaeval Beaches

We wandered about dazed by the erosion.

The ocean took away two beaches but dropped off two other, different ones.




Here the sand level is down 8-10'. The gods took a planer the size of Cape Ann itself and mowed the beaches down and down. Beaches just churned and boiled in a 20' water/sand/gale mix. An engineering project could take years to to the same thing the ocean did in 20 hours.


The shipwreck (an 1850's ? sailing ship named Surprise) is GONE! Gone to her final, final resting place out there. - Any details on this ship? - please sound off - don't matter no how, she's gone!

Photos: Joe Kelly, Ice Cream Headache: me

Everywhere two solid days of cloudbreaks miles out, new sandbars pumping, old sandbars obliterated, and deeply protected nooks peeling amazed.

Yours truly attempted a local spot for dues paying session in God-damned coldest water we have ever experienced. Anyone else all set with the ice water? Bouys had been reading 39°. Again, dues paying, there's no avoiding it, and no satisfaction without it. But 39°?
What's in store now that the geological clock has been pushed back 10,000 years?

Clean slate with out new primaeval beaches!

very exciting

OK, Surfline: 5-8' on Sunday? - I'm holding you to it!

massive erosion forecasted

As seas build 15-25' offshore, and 25-30' east of Cape/Islands, pounding surf delivers severe beach erosion

— Matt Noyes (@MattNoyesNECN) March 5, 2013

treasure islands

They seek it here, there seek it there
those surfers seek it everywhere.

Is it in heaven? Or is it in hell?
That damned elusive winter swell

OK no more poetry, promise. The bottom of a shipwreck shows up occasionally - treasure seekers on the beach and in the line up.


But the day's destination was an untried (for me) beach up north, where a rapidly filling tide flooded out the break (below). So onto the next beach up - Now I knew better, but still paddled out. This was a fundamental mistake amplified after having learned the smart treasure seekers at the next beach up scored the pure nuggets.


Finally back home - driving an hour in a wet wetsuit isn't all that bad.

That's Spencer- he let me ride his Kookbox - a very, very nice board.

Just keep on keepin' on as they say, it's a process. No pot o'gold but happy for the fun rides and the stronger March sun.

good advice for all of us

"I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was." -Muhammad Ali