Ahhh Ernesto!

Well it was a wild ride as TS Ernesto passed west of the OBX. Last night, I was in my board trunks clearing gutters as rain poured down in buckets. Had some minor flooding in the garage, but nothing too bad. I went to bed last night, not thinking about rain or flooding, but rather the wavesailing potential for today!

Well, I am here to tell you that it went off at the Boiler on Pea Island! Welcome to Fall OBX wavesailing 2006! Winds shifted to the SW and blew in the mid 30s range most of the afternoon. I started on my 3.7m; was tail walking on the outside, and had trouble holding it down on the waves. Now regarding the waves, let me tell you about those...averaging about 8 to 10 ft on the sets with bigger bombers rolling in near the 15 ft range. Super clean peaks breaking just inside the Boiler, cleaned up by the side-off shore gale. Most of the crew was there, and some had trouble making it out through the inside waves and whitewater. We had one broken mast, and plenty of thrashings in the inside break. Luckily for me, I had no problems getting out though the whitewater, or in the waves. Charlie, Caleb, Dan, a guy from San Francisco, and I were the crew onsite for the action at Boiler.

See the photos below from today:


Driving the 4Runner though Pea Island. Much of the road south of Oregon Inlet was flooded from all the rain the night before.


The crew is there, though the Boiler parking lot is flooded with over two feet of water!


Charlie instructing Caleb how to use the new video camera. Caleb shot a bunch of footage...stayed tuned for the next Ride Hatteras video!


Charlie heading out, though light wind on the inside. Nice surf all around!


Charlie on a peak wave


Caleb, Dan, and the guy from San Fran's girlfriend hanging out in the wind shadow of the dunes.


The guy from San Fran carrying his board up the beach.