TOW IN SURFING IN FLORIDA???

[ricki]

You learn something new everyday. I had NO idea that guys were tow-in surfing in SE Florida. So if pictures don't lie, here's proof. It is portion of a high res live cam shot that shows about TEN guys under tow by wave runners in SE Florida, USA.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album101/1_G.jpg
This is just a component of the overall image.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album101/2_G.sized.jpg
A thumbnail of the full image.

To see the full image, which is pretty nice and shows the surf piling up on the shore and all the tow-in guys. It is worth checking out, click:
http://www.evs123.netfirms.com//Forums/nfphpbb/viewtopic.php?t=36
(second photo)

EVS has a number of stations in Florida and elsewhere with high res. live cam images, weather data, etc. Good stuff!
More at: http://video-monitoring.com/

According to the date stamp it just happened too on April 17, 2005. I just checked ikitesurf and the winds were 30 to 45 mph for about three days!

This is the windgraph for Friday, April 15, 2005 as this nuking cold front came on.
http://www.fksa.org/albums/album101/windArchive.gif
http://www.ikitesurf.com/

I was wondering where the hell I was when this incredible wind was on? In Colorado, how soon they forget. This was the time when Neil messed up his leg and another guy got wrapped and cut in lines to the north of this area. Well, at least you picked some incredible conditions.

[ricki]

I found a video clip of what may be the same action at: http://www.surfline.com/video/vids/2005/apr/jsps/southflorida_dl_wm.cfm

[ricki]

http://www.surfnrg.com/images/SoFLA2005jpgs/KechFrame1.jpg
With the caption: "The Day of Days? April 17, 2005. Is this the
heaviest wave ever ridden on the East Coast?
You tell us if you've seen anything knarlier
and if so forward the photo or video evidence."

Checkout all the images from this day at:

http://www.surfnrg.com/SoFLA2005.html

[ricki]

I found out about some more shots of this area:

http://jupitersurf.com/PeteGibson/2005/aireal3.jpg

http://jupitersurf.com/pumpB.jpg

http://jupitersurf.com/PeteGibson/2005/aireal15.jpg

From: http://jupitersurf.com/

[ricki]

I found out about some more shots of this area:

http://jupitersurf.com/PeteGibson/2005/aireal3.jpg

http://jupitersurf.com/pumpB.jpg

http://jupitersurf.com/PeteGibson/2005/aireal15.jpg

From: http://jupitersurf.com/

[ricki]

Some comments about this post on kiteforum.com:

Nobody wanted to paddle on this day...why would they...when you could tow and catch 50 waves a piece.
If you were even lucky enough to catch one wave paddling you would of been done for the day after you got rescued by someone with a boat or ski.
There were some meaty barrels coming through that inlet and the boys wanted them and they got'em.

Oh! I forgot. One guy did tried to paddle after he sat on the beach all afternoon trying to get a tow, couldn't get one and decided to paddle his 8' gun out to only get rescued. The guy that rescued him gave him a tow and he rode one wave only and was done for the day.

It wasn't paddleable or CJ Hobgood would of been...Believe it!
It wasn't so big that you couldn't paddle, it was just a combination of things, the way waves was munching on the waist deep sandbar, the north current ripping south from the swell and howling sideshore winds, the currents ripping in and out the inlet, and on and on. Oh! And the sharks doing backmobes in the lineup, they might not be big but they're in numbers.

If you were there, you wouldn't be talking shit.

The photo of the wave in Miami that was posted was not from that swell. It was from one of last seasons hurricane swells...Francis I believe.

Scott

[ricki]

Some comments about this post on kiteforum.com:

Nobody wanted to paddle on this day...why would they...when you could tow and catch 50 waves a piece.
If you were even lucky enough to catch one wave paddling you would of been done for the day after you got rescued by someone with a boat or ski.
There were some meaty barrels coming through that inlet and the boys wanted them and they got'em.

Oh! I forgot. One guy did tried to paddle after he sat on the beach all afternoon trying to get a tow, couldn't get one and decided to paddle his 8' gun out to only get rescued. The guy that rescued him gave him a tow and he rode one wave only and was done for the day.

It wasn't paddleable or CJ Hobgood would of been...Believe it!
It wasn't so big that you couldn't paddle, it was just a combination of things, the way waves was munching on the waist deep sandbar, the north current ripping south from the swell and howling sideshore winds, the currents ripping in and out the inlet, and on and on. Oh! And the sharks doing backmobes in the lineup, they might not be big but they're in numbers.

If you were there, you wouldn't be talking shit.

The photo of the wave in Miami that was posted was not from that swell. It was from one of last seasons hurricane swells...Francis I believe.

Scott

[ricki]

and

Yeah, that's a heavy place. I've surfed there, and I've surfed Reef Road, on the other side of the inlet.

I've surfed Reef Road at double-overhead plus, and Pumphouse (where they were towing at head high.

Trust me, those guys couldn't have been bothering anyone paddling.

Nobody belongs out there paddling around at Pumphouse on a day like that. Pumphouse is outside the north side of a jetty, and this day was a hard north swell and north winds. That translates to super current.

If you COULD have paddled out (which you couldn't... I wasn't there, but on these types of swells, the wave period is too consistent and the sandbars are too shallow to make it out) you SHOULDN'T have. There's no way you could hold your position in the lineup. And if you caught a wave you'd be headed to the rocks in that swell. The only way in would have been to paddle across the inlet to the south side in that swell. But then you're stuck. You just got off one island, with no way back to it.

We have some unreal surfers in Florida. But nobody belonged out in that stuff except the guys who were doing it... the Hobgoods, who are the best in the world in these conditions. Both twins made the quarterfinals at 'Chopes last week, the most evil wave on the world tour. And both are sitting in the top six in the world in surfing.

They can handle it. I can't. And they can have it!

Damien Hobgood made the finals versus Kelly Slater at 'Chopes, but the wave broke on him so hard, it dislocated his shoulder during the final.

Man, that's some heavy stuff.

http://www.billabongpro.com/tahiti05/mens/default.asp

I have nothing against them towing that swell at Pumphouse. With the hairball conditions all around (the rocks, the currents, the boat traffic, the shallow sandbar) I'm still surprised they pulled it off so easily. The kickout / pickup looked way easier than I expected it could ever be out there. If I didn't know better (and I do), it looks doable. On a big drifty Nor'easter, they can have that place.

Big Steve

P.S. About tow-at's in Florida, it's not a problem. Where I live, they're doing them either at breaks way out at inlets (where nobody ever paddles) or down the beach away from the main breaks. I haven't seen it as a problem.

For a frame of reference, it's Reef Road in the foreground, and Pumphouse in the background...

http://jupitersurf.com/reefroad/Scan35.jpg

[ricki]

and

Yeah, that's a heavy place. I've surfed there, and I've surfed Reef Road, on the other side of the inlet.

I've surfed Reef Road at double-overhead plus, and Pumphouse (where they were towing at head high.

Trust me, those guys couldn't have been bothering anyone paddling.

Nobody belongs out there paddling around at Pumphouse on a day like that. Pumphouse is outside the north side of a jetty, and this day was a hard north swell and north winds. That translates to super current.

If you COULD have paddled out (which you couldn't... I wasn't there, but on these types of swells, the wave period is too consistent and the sandbars are too shallow to make it out) you SHOULDN'T have. There's no way you could hold your position in the lineup. And if you caught a wave you'd be headed to the rocks in that swell. The only way in would have been to paddle across the inlet to the south side in that swell. But then you're stuck. You just got off one island, with no way back to it.

We have some unreal surfers in Florida. But nobody belonged out in that stuff except the guys who were doing it... the Hobgoods, who are the best in the world in these conditions. Both twins made the quarterfinals at 'Chopes last week, the most evil wave on the world tour. And both are sitting in the top six in the world in surfing.

They can handle it. I can't. And they can have it!

Damien Hobgood made the finals versus Kelly Slater at 'Chopes, but the wave broke on him so hard, it dislocated his shoulder during the final.

Man, that's some heavy stuff.

http://www.billabongpro.com/tahiti05/mens/default.asp

I have nothing against them towing that swell at Pumphouse. With the hairball conditions all around (the rocks, the currents, the boat traffic, the shallow sandbar) I'm still surprised they pulled it off so easily. The kickout / pickup looked way easier than I expected it could ever be out there. If I didn't know better (and I do), it looks doable. On a big drifty Nor'easter, they can have that place.

Big Steve

P.S. About tow-at's in Florida, it's not a problem. Where I live, they're doing them either at breaks way out at inlets (where nobody ever paddles) or down the beach away from the main breaks. I haven't seen it as a problem.

For a frame of reference, it's Reef Road in the foreground, and Pumphouse in the background...

http://jupitersurf.com/reefroad/Scan35.jpg

[ricki]

this story had me wondering if the waves were too chunky at boynton inlet to paddle in. I agree it is a stretch still there may be at least one case of this in florida. maui has jaws we have ... impacted wisdom teeth?

[HIGHFLYN]

this story had me wondering if the waves were too chunky at boynton inlet to paddle in.
I agree it is a stretch still there may be at least one case of this in florida. maui has jaws we have ... impacted wisdom teeth?

Impacted wisdon teeth

Outside Inlet is make able by paddling in, Although you'll definatly wear the hat a few times. Till you drift a bit south away from the racetrac and more toward the shoulder.

The biggest day I ever surf it was the day after "The Perfect Storm" which sent swell 20-25ft along the east coast of Florida. I jumped off the North jetty and paddled my ass off to get to the outside. Once I got there it always seemed like you were too far inside. I was confronted with sets comming in at 15-18ft faces and I'm on a 6'3" thruster. When the swells would come in you could hear them coming (crashing) down coast. They sounded like freight trains. I pretty much sat out there from a good 30-45min just in total awe. I'd never seen Florida that big before let alone waves of that size.
I watched a few of my friends go and there I was, I had to pick on off too just to get in. So I took one of those mackers and dropped in w/my toenails gripping my deck. Looking back in shear amazement, then the speed wobbles hit (like a skateboard w/loose trucks) and well. It was time to pratice my UW breathing for a while. Once I pulled that off, I paddled to the mid break and surfed an Epic session on 4-6ft Juciy swell.

Thanks for the Memory Rick

These are two Fantastic pics of the "Pump House"
http://jupitersurf.com/pumpB.jpg

http://jupitersurf.com/PeteGibson/2005/aireal15.jpg