Hurricane Gustav Surf

The Destin, Florida area had a lot of great surf from Hurricane Gustav. The swell hit late in the day on August, 31, 2008, peaked the next day at double overhead, and was solid overhead for the next morning. Below are pictures from the surf sessions. We have decided to not mention the names of the places to keep the locals happy and to not ruin the adventure for everyone. [Photo Credits: Steve Combs, Bob Cross; Surfer: John Cross]

 

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Island Trip for Hurricane Gustav

[DISCLAIMER: No clients were on this trip so we did things a little differently. No one got hurt during this adventure trip, and overall everyone had a good time. Those are the important things.]

On Sunday, August 31, 2008 a group of seven of us (3 guys; 4 ladies) tried to surf an island (name withheld) in Florida for some Hurricane Gustav waves.

The main surf break in the area when the surf gets this big had over 100 surfers there, so we tried a nearby pass break. The warning sign posted at the boat landing across from the island gave lots of different warnings regarding alligators, sharks, currents, and ended with “No Rescue Possible.” (pic) No joke.

We only had one boat, so part of our group paid another boat to drop them off at the surf break in the pass at Crooked Island about 4 miles away. The plan was for the rest of the group to follow behind in our boat. The motor would not start on our boat, and we didn’t have any way to contact the first group. I called my brother who happened to be in Mexico Beach for the weekend. He agreed to pick up the first group in his boat via the Gulf of Mexico route and take them back to his marina through the pass at Mexico Beach.  The first group later drove back to the boat landing to make another attempt at reaching the island.

Being without a boat, we decided to paddle straight across to the island and hike to the surf. Part of the group went right, instead of left, around a swamp and were not able to make it to the surf. They had to backtrack to the car. The three of us that went left (including me) made it across the island and surfed until it got dark. The surf was head high and building fast but it was getting dark. We walked back the beach route  and one person hitched a ride to the car and returned for the group.

One of the cars broke down on the dirt road leading back to the group at the beach. Somehow we were able to get a tow truck on a holiday weekend to come help us in the middle of the woods.

Crazy times.

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Surf Entertainment Night Report

Tonight’s Waterman Gathering was lots of fun.  The gathering was preceded by a brief meeting of the Surfrider Foundation.  Speaking of which, we now have the new Panhandle  Surfrider T-shirts available for purchase…just $15 dollars!  E-mail from our contacts page if you would like a shirt and I’ll hold one for you.

We started the evening festivities with some head to head Kelly Slater PS2 game action, then watched local surfing footage from Hurricane Katrina.  Folks then  hung out while the kids played soccer and the adults were treated to a viewing of Sprout.  All in  all,  it was quite a fun evening  with friends.  We’ll do it again on  4th Friday’s through the fall.  Maybe even sooner, watch this page for more information.  Thanks go to John Cross &  Mid Bay Media for providing the projector and screen tonight.  Contact him if you have any Website or advertising needs! John@midbaymedia.com

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YOLO Stand Up Paddle Race #4 Report

Once again, we had magnificent weather for the race last night. The wind was light providing smooth waters across the Destin Harbor. Competitors paddled against a swift outgoing tide from the harbor to the East Pass bridge and then were helped by the same current for their return trip. Times were fast with most competitors making the turn marker in about two minutes and returning in about a minute and a half. Team Yololitas finished strong for the victory in the first heat. In the men’s heat, Aqua Surf Shop prevailed and now sits atop the overall series standings. The fifth and final race of the series will be September 18th at Seaside. This last race will be held in the Gulf waters. This should up the ante and provide an opportunity for the teams with wave experience to shine. The last race will be wrapped up with a reception and awards party at Bud and Allie’s. See you there!

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Parade.com Photo Contest

Do you have a good photo of the Emerald Coast for Parade.com’s Oceans of Wonder Photo Contest. The deadine is September 8, 2008.

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Pic & Flick Surf Entertainment Night

Join us this Friday night, August 29, 2008  at 7:00, for the first of our Fall Season “Waterman Gatherings.” We’ll be meeting at the Gulf Place Artist Colony, right across the street from Ed Walline Park on 30-A (map).

Bring your own guitar to pick a couple of songs for us or, if you have any surfing home video, bring a DVD to show off on the big screen. This is a family friendly event so choose your material accordingly and we’ll all have a great time. (Promo of some local footage.)

The Artists Bar will be open for business if you would like beer or wine and there are several restaurants on the property for pizza, sandwiches or fancy food. Picnic style is just fine too… there’s plenty of room to spread a beach blanket and just chill with friends!

Current forecast is for clear skies and cooler air. See you there!

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