Hampton in Spring 09

Day 1

Well Corran and I made the drive down to Hampton for a Spring swell, the swell models were saying 10 to 12 feet plus but when we got there it was really coming in from the North. So it was doing this wierd close-out thing at the wall so we headed a bit North to check out Rye on the Rocks. ROR was pumping and sucking up big time so we suited up and headed out, it was crowded on the outside so Corran and I picked off a few on the inside. This spot was really hard for me as it would seem like the wave was unrideable then it would jack up at the last second and I miss another one...Getting frustrated and always missing the big ones on the outside, I decided to paddle out deeper and sit just inside the longboarder wait for a bomb set, let the longboarder grab the first one and pick off a nice one after. My plan was perfect, except the next set was a clean up set, and as I paddled for my life as I tried not to get, well, cleaned.. but I didn't make it over the last giant which was at least 12 to 14 feet. I went over the falls backwards on my 6'8" and just GOT BEATEN, and I mean BEATEN...I took at least 3 on the head and where I ended up was very dark, very cold, my ears where ringing, I had an ice-cream headache like no other icecream headache, oh and I was running out of air. So I pulled on my leash till my board reached me, way down in Davey Jones' locker and I rocketed to the surface got a great great breathe of air then took another one on the head(lol). But this one more or less just slammed me around and ripped my mitts off, and pushed me towards the beach/rocks. So i walked back to the car beaten battered nd bruised and of course got no sympathy from Corran who laughed at me cause I looked like hell.  We got a room at a fleabag motel ate and went to bed...

Day 2

We were supposed to meet Jimmy today but with a brand spanking new baby he just couldn't get away. The waves were closing out again at The Wall so we headed to Jennesse Beach to check it out and to our surprise the waves were rolling in so nicely, not as big as the day before but much much cleaner. The waves were jacking up to about 6 to 8 feet. Corran and I went out but as I made it through the inside the toggle draw string on my hoodie(which I hadnt pulled tight) fell off and I got a head full of cold water which went down my back. So I boogied to the beach and decided to give the SUP a try, which will keep me out of the water a bit more and I could get some practice in. I made my way through the inside on my knees and paddle  and paddles trying to make it outside...after about 45 min of struggle I finally made it outside and took another hour of practice before I statred to get a feel for it. I chit chatted with some longboarders who were awesome and started to catch some outside waves then i'd back off  and try again. I was sitting way way outside when all the longboarders started whislting and yelling, which meant a big set was coming through.  So I turned the SUP put the paddle in and paddled hard, while the longboarders hooted and hollered.  And I dropped in to the biggest wave I've ever surfed on the east coast. It was at least 4 or 5 feet over-head and the SUP heald great as it peeled behing me, it was a left so I switched hands with the paddle and dropped my knee and rode it for about 100 yards it was so awesome. After that wave at about noon I walked to the car got changed and sat on the beach reliving that great wave. That wave made the trip...

Last thing I took some pics of a local surfer we met, Dan, dropping into a nice wave at The Wall.

D