Epsilon Swell Paddle Fri. 10/23

Joseph Berkovitz · October 24, 2020

GPS Track: https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/68f89d88750c5f71c623c176a97783ff/?layer=gaianoaarnc
People: Joe Berkovitz, David Mercer, Michael Haseltine, Jim Snyder, Bob Levine (launched separately)
Conditions: very light easterly winds, air 58-60 F, water 57 F, overcast -> sunny, waves 3 ft @ 11-12 sec
Launch: 09:00; Land: 13:45; Distance 9.5 nm
Tide:
5:15 AM   high   8.83 ft.
11:10 AM   low   0.86 ft.
5:32 PM   high   9.76 ft.

At the start of the day the sea state was almost glassy except for an 11 sec swell that was noticeable even at Riverhead, in miniature form. We walked over to Devereux to assess and saw the larger version: very clean swell, around 15 surfers crowded at the surf break. Gray and overcast sky made the waves a bit hard to see in the distance. They seemed regular but the height was quite variable, many in the 2.5 foot range and occasional 4-footers blasting through.

Launching from Riverhead we worked our way up the west side of the harbor as the waves increased in power and height, over past Browns Island to Dolliber Cove where we expected to meet Bob. Surfing at Dolliber was occasionally quite good on the larger waves since the tide was near low; we played there for a good half an hour or so. Then Bob showed up and we headed out to the Neck. The sky was beginning to clear up now.

Approaching the Neck the ocean got quite a bit more dynamic and on the outside the swells began to feel like huge moving hills. It was a bit big to be going really close to the rocks. We decided to go out around the shoal field near Tom Moores Rock as many waves were breaking there in the low water. Then to Tinkers for lunch.

We landed on the inside of Tinkers. A huge zipper effect was exploding periodically on an offshore bar as swells wrapped around both sides of the island. We ate our lunch in the sun, taking in the beautiful sights, then headed around for a CCW circumnavigation of the island. The outside was predictably very exciting, especially one notorious washing machine area that was too shallow and nasty for everyone except (you knew it already) Bob.

Then back to the NEck where we ran along the coast more directly (although there was another shoal field detour, less dynamic than the first). Back to the fort we went, where Bob split off to go home. The rest of us played at Fort Beach for a while where a variety of little slots and pourovers were coming to life in the rising tide. Finally, back to the put-in in the warm sun

Thank you, Hurricane Epsilon for bringing us a beautiful day, and thank you paddlers for making this a beautiful trip.