Guess what? Windy again.
Today it's back to hard north/northwest here on the Outer Banks.
There was something to ride all week here, and true to the legend, this place really does pick up swell from every direction (thanks to its positioning and that narrow continental shelf.)
The middle of the week saw a fairly heavy east swell. That, combined with the full moon helped bring the ocean over the dunes, swamping out Rt. 12 and cutting off Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Hatteras, and Frisco from civilization to the north.
Justin Lenzo
Empty green bombs, but you have to be quick.
The road closure was short lived, however. About that same time, the howling northerlies clocked around to a more favorable northwest and the Hatteras Lighthouse turned on. Despite a river of drift, there were chunky lefts coming off the groin. I'm going to call it solid six-foot with some bigger sets. And when it hit the bar, it lurched forward like a crowd of NASCAR fans going after the Budweiser girls. Eric Dotson and crew were just threw themselves into these hellacious lefts.
Justin Lenzo
Eric Dotson knew this little clean up before dark would be short lived.
There's something very unique about Outer Banks locals, especially those on south of the Bonner Bridge. They're a pretty rugged and independent lot in 4-wheel drive pick up trucks. Other East Coast hot spots — Florida, NJ, Rhode Island, and VB — are like mixed drinks, varying in strength, and these boys chug straight Atlantic bourbon.
Other than that, we continued to surf a little sandbar on one of the south-facing beaches.
Jon Coen
Dave Werner picked off lefts all week and when the swell got funny, he went to work on this bowl in Buxton.
I think locals and the handful of visitors in town this weekend were really banking on Thursday being the grand clean-up, but apparently, the east groundswell faded before the winds ever really cooperated.
Luckily, there's a nice little wooden bowl at the Fessenden Center
in Buxton to skate.
Today the wind is up. It should build the swell back to shoulder-high by dark. Sunday is supposed to be offshore and sweet potato pie.
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Contributors
Jon Coen
Jon is from New Jersey and continues to reside there with his wife and dog—which means occasional empty barrels and the occasional session in the snow.The state isn't as dirty as people might think, but he'll let them keep believing that.
Jake Howard
Jake lives, writes, and surfs in San Clemente, California. He spent his formative gremlin years surfing points north of San Francisco, and for the last 10 years has been contently surviving behind the Orange Curtain.
Kimball Taylor
Author of Return by Water, as well as books on Jeffreys Bay and Pipeline, Kimball drives a red hot Camero, and back in the '70s, he used to party with your Dad.
Daniel Ikaika Ito
Daniel surfs like a hippie, but dresses like a homie. The Native Hawaiian originally hails from Hilo, but now resides in Honolulu. He enjoys twin-fins, new sneakers and being ESPN's "Cuz On The Scene" in the 50th State.
Jason Kenworthy
About as majestic as a turkey vulture, when he's not shlepping his lens around the world or looking for road kill, Jason can be found at home in Dana Point tending to his growing brood.
