Surfing Waves

Hurricane Matthew is bearing down on the US after it clobbered islands in the tropics. My relatives in Orlando and Kissimmee, Florida, are hunkering down. Dunno about a young relative in Jacksonville, FL. In contrast, relatives in Saint Simon Island, Georgia, boarded up and are attempting to evacuate to Atlanta today. Importantly, they included the family dog.

All this aside, here is a fabulous photo from the UK Daily News. The photo was shot at Croatan Beach, Virginia. We'll know in a few days whether it's all hype or if the weathermen and gov't finally got one right.

I hope everyone is all safe and that it makes some great waves for the east coast surfers before it hits. One thing I can tell you about hurricane prediction is that the 2 day forecast is fairly accurate but beyond that it's much less accurate and even 2 days can be wrong but degree of error is multiplied by time.

Hey I really haven't been keeping track of this hurricane but I had this thought......I wonder if this hurricane will be spreading Zika virus infected mosquitoes up north from the areas in Florida where it is established?

Do you know what, I'll be having a great time at Rockaway this weekend. I've surfed every single weekend since I've moved to NYC. Only one 1 week the surf was bad. Every other time it is clean glassy waves. I don't know whether I'm just super lucky or it is always like that here. I'm hoping no strong onshore wind during the winter period.

BaNZ wrote:Do you know what, I'll be having a great time at Rockaway this weekend. I've surfed every single weekend since I've moved to NYC. Only one 1 week the surf was bad. Every other time it is clean glassy waves. I don't know whether I'm just super lucky or it is always like that here. I'm hoping no strong onshore wind during the winter period.

Do they still have cops to fine the surfers during the hurricane?

Noooooo!!! they better not be. Couldn't care less, they can give me fine if they want. I don't carry a wallet or any ID when I go to the beach.

Deerfield Beach, Fl

Thanks, g00timmay!
billie

Florida Governor says "Don't Surf" Surfers couldn't hear him because they have salt water in their ears. http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/hurricane-matthew-starts-showing-in-miami-beach-locals-ignore-evacuation-warnings-do-not-surf----fla-gov-rick-_142292

A young woman that once worked for me said this to me at about 11:00 AM (Eastern time) today.

"It was pretty windy last night in Orlando, but rain has been minimal. Reports say Matthew will have passed over Orlando in about an hour."

This was later confirmed by my sister in Orlando.

I just checked a hurricane tracking map (https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/ ... ne-Matthew). It shows that Matthew is predicted to turn eastward away from the coast in southern North Carolina and then turn south back into the Atlantic Ocean. Matthew may even drop to a Category I storm by 2:00 PM (Eastern time) on Saturday.

The media and state and federal governments may have over-hyped the danger.

I think the government needs to err on the side of safety. If their prediction for the storm to do just what it did was wrong then a quick evacuation of 150,000 people would be really difficult. I survived hurricane Iniki which was a category 4 storm. It was devastating but Florida missed the main power of the storm. Hey so I guess that means the storm will hang off shore making waves for a while? Awesome!

oldmansurfer wrote: Hey so I guess that means the storm will hang off shore making waves for a while? Awesome!

Ol' Man,
this is a brilliant observation! You Sir, are right-minded (e.g., "surf-minded").

Georgia received a lot of rain that most of Florida didn't. There was some flooding. The hurricane is already north of South Carolina and on the coast of North Carolina. At this point, it is already degraded into a Category 1 storm. Shortly after midnight, it'll degrade further into a Tropical Storm and turn right into the Atlantic. North Carolina's Outer Banks may not even get tortured. For those that have never been to the barrier islands known as the Outer Banks, please know you are really missing something. It is beautiful and the fishing is VERY, VERY good. It's not as wild as the swamps in Louisiana, but it possesses its own culture and nothing needs to move too fast.

oldmansurfer wrote:Hey I really haven't been keeping track of this hurricane but I had this thought......I wonder if this hurricane will be spreading Zika virus infected mosquitoes up north from the areas in Florida where it is established?

Ol' Man,
your wondering created curiosity in me. Just found a news story that says, "Hurricane Matthew could kill off Zika virus in Florida as torrential rain and floods wash away mosquito breeding sites." The complete story is here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z4MYNgDse9

Matthew chaser...

Hurricane stirred swell (photo above) wan't what the Florida surfers needed to be cautious of. The real danger was/is something else...
http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/hurricane-matthew-passes-sharks-show-up-at-the-inlet-shark-attacks-surfer-in-new-smyrna-beach_142356/

What can you say, Salty? It's very unfortunate. I'll add that New Smyrna Beach is truly sharkey. I surf in FL when I visit Mom and sister. But, I never go to New Smyrna. FL has tiger sharks, which are simply mean bast**ds. They'll bite a surfer's arm off at the elbow simply for the fun of it. I do not understand surfing at New Smyrna because of this.

billie_morini wrote:

oldmansurfer wrote:Hey I really haven't been keeping track of this hurricane but I had this thought......I wonder if this hurricane will be spreading Zika virus infected mosquitoes up north from the areas in Florida where it is established?

Ol' Man,
your wondering created curiosity in me. Just found a news story that says, "Hurricane Matthew could kill off Zika virus in Florida as torrential rain and floods wash away mosquito breeding sites." The complete story is here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z4MYNgDse9

Yeah maybe a decrease in Florida temporarily but increase elsewhere