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The Great North Swell of 2006 (new pics)

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:27 am
by Joshie
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Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:35 am
by cptnkirk
Awesome shots joshie :D Was the guy in red shorts ever seen again or did he just get a suit full of sand? We had waves like that in November 2008 they were a blast felt like the Outerbanks X2 :D Those waves in 2006 are Outerbanks X3 sure some peeps got hurt that day.

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:21 am
by stjdeb
I was there at the end of Feb that year, it was crazy scary! In water no deeper than my knee, knocked me flat on my a**! Great shots, thank you.

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:33 am
by traveler22
Joshie,
Thanks,those waves looks like the Jersey shore in summer. I was there two years ago at the end of January and it was like this for 2 days, I was in my element body-surfing.

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 8:24 am
by DELETED
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Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:06 am
by jmq
Cool shots. Agreed that a sharp break like that in shallow water like that will pound you, even if the face of the wave is not that big.
Also dangerous to body surf when waves are breaking too shallow because you can and will get driven into the sand head first and get a neck injury if you dont catch the wave just right.
You will also get very turbulent "backwash" if you make it out just beyond the break that can cause you to lose your feet.

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:27 am
by Chet
LMAO! Excellent photos. The guy in the red suit gets a sand enema! Don't stand in the impact zone. And don't bodysurf in shorebreak. Whiplash, broken wrists, and neck injuries are a very real possibility.

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:08 am
by RickG
Scary memories, in November 2002 we had a huge north swell. The waves at Cinnamon were washing up to the palm trees and were breaking well of the beach with beautiful 10-12 foot faces. As a Maryland boy, this looked perfect - I knew the beach, where the reef was and had plenty of room to stay out of trouble.

The first wave I body surfed was perfect and I had a great ride. The second wave I caught, I looked at my friends and realized that I was coconut level on the palm trees. We left, that was just too big.

On the way in we saw a couple we met on the ferry who were on island to get married. They were excited to spend the day relaxing before their wedding later that week. On the way out, the bride was sitting down holding her bleeding face - facial fractures and lacerations from bride vs. coral.

We spent the rest of the week on the south shore. I haven't gone out in waves since.

Cheers, RickG

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:15 am
by Joshie
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Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:21 am
by ScottB
Isn't March a little late for the northern swells? I always thought they were more Dec/Jan time frame. I'd be a little bit bummed to pay high season prices for accomodations, and experience that on the north shore!! Typically, can someone tell me when the north shore beaches are (usually) at their calmest?

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:28 am
by Gromit
When we typically travel April - July the water is very calm.

Lately we've also been heading down in December and the water is noticably colder and the tide seems higher-- there's less beach than in the summer.

But honestly in all my trips down to the VI since 1996 I have never seen waves like the ones Joshie posted. We typically stay around 10 days sometimes sess sometimes more.

But I have never seen waves like that on island.

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:32 am
by DELETED
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Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:39 am
by ScottB
SJfromNJ wrote: Nice pictures Joshie. Did the woman keep her top on?
I was thinking maybe she would lend it to the dude in the red shorts!! :lol:

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:46 am
by DELETED
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Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 11:07 am
by RickG
Last year, the week before Easter, waves were breaking across the road at Maho Bay. Believe it.

Cheers, RickG