Warm SW at the Boiler

This evening, Dan, Chad, and I enjoyed a sunset session at the Boiler on Pea Island. SW winds ramped up though the afternoon and 5.3m was the call for me. Water was cold in the lower 50s but it felt nice to be on the water in warm air. The waves were small and clean.

One interesting point about wavesailing at the Boiler is that the sandbars are quite "gradual." If the swell is fairly small, there is not too much punch as compared to other spots such as S-Turns. The ideal setup at the Boiler is shoulder high average with bigger set waves. In this case, the swell is easy to pick on the outside just past the Boiler. Tonight it was small therefore the swell was difficult to spot, but interestingly you can use the Boiler itself as a swell gauge. When riding a swell, as you pass the Boiler, look to see how far the water makes its way up the smokestack. I have seen it covered on the big days, but usually if the swell rises to cover the lower portion of the stack, its a pretty good wave. Today, I believe the swell fell far short of the lower part of the stack. Perhaps next time I am out, I will try to catch this view in an on-the-water shot. Just have to get a new tube of silicon for my water housing.

Looks like more warm SW in the forecast for tomorrow!


Wrapping up after sunset at the Boiler