Those of you who live in the Maine/New Hampshire/Massachusetts area experienced extreme rain and winds this weekend. This wasn’t just any storm – it was an October Nor’easter! Fortunately, Maine and the rest of the Northeast did not get hit as hard as some of the states farther south. The good news is that after being forced to stay inside the past couple of days, we’re being rewarded. If the forecast proves to be right, there’s potential for East Coasters in certain spots to be surfing all week long! Starting last night, swells began to pick up and as soon as this morning, they became surfable.
The pictures above were taken in York, Maine this morning showing the aftermath of our October Nor’easter. As seen, the waves were decently sized from shore, and the tide was going out from it’s high point at 5:42 AM. The swell looked consistently good, with higher breaks towards the middle of the beach. An important tip I would recommend to surfers is the following : when you arrive at the beach, wait a bit before paddling out. You may have come during a group of large waves, and a smaller group could appear soon. Paddling out in the smaller waves is going to be FAR easier than trying to get through a set of large waves. Especially in conditions like these (which we haven’t experienced in a while) it’s easy to forget the feeling of paddling out in a large well. Don’t get discouraged or intimidated, and don’t be dangerous – but surf smart. Waiting for the right time to paddle out can be the determining factor about whether or not a session was a success.
Lastly, the picture to the right is the surf forecast according to Surfline for Wells Beach. As you can see, the best wave times will be tonight and tomorrow, with Thursday as a solid option for those unable to get out before. My thoughts? Get out there every day this week – even if it’s only for an hour before sunset! And of course – if you need to reload your board quiver before paddling out, Wheels N Waves is here.
