Right now, they're packing the car. Coolers and Boogie boards; fishing rods and umbrellas. There's likely a surfboard on the roof. It's probably facing the wrong way. It's likely around a 7'6", made in China, maybe even a soft top. Tomorrow afternoon, they will be here, or at least sitting in traffic on the way to being here.

Yes, it's the unofficial start of summer.

It's not a bad time of year. Summer isn't really here yet. Sure, Memorial Day Weekend can get a little hairy after you've had the beach to yourself for so many months. But aside from this three-day grill fest, May through mid-June are a pretty nice time to be on the East Coast.

It's not October, mind you. No, it's not the seaon of bounty that is autumn, but after Old Man Winter overstays his welcome, it's always nice to chuck those thick gloves and rancid-smelling boots away until next winter.

Mike IncittiWinter waves for most of the East Coast are drastically different than summer waves. Winter is windier, faster, more powerful, more challenging, and more hollow. PJ Raia enjoys the season between heavy rubber and heavy crowds.

Where some of our past galleries have been Buxton to Halifax showcases, Florida finally got some love this month. And down there, the boys and girls milk it for everything, because summer is a bear. In the mid-Atlantic, the ocean took quantum leaps from 45 to 65 degrees in a few short weeks. The water will likely drop down again, but nothing beats that warm blue in May. Our friends to the north are just starting to downgrade from the heavy rubber they've worn since November. To them, a 4/3 is freedom.

It hasn't pumped quite like the Pacific over here, but we'll take it.