Living on the coast, one undoubtedly will have to deal with tropical weather sooner or later. Sometimes I think a stigma is attached to this area due to that fact which perhaps is a bit unfair. People forget that no matter where you are, you’re going to deal with your own forms of natural disaster, be them floods in the Midwest, tornados in Kansas, ice storms in New England, wildfires in California or blizzards in Colorado. North Carolina’s Russian Roulette just happens to be played with tropical storms and hurricanes.
Now, obviously these things are no laughing matter and should never ever be taken lightly but having been through countless numbers of these monsters, locals come to take them in stride, even to the point or reveling in their immediate approach. Case in point, the offshore swells that are accompanying tropical storm (soon to be cat 1) Hanna have tons of people out in the water. Right now, East Coast surfing is the best it’s been all year (head high as I type this) and only projects to get better over the next couple days. I’ve even checked a couple surf reports that suggest it might get to double even triple-overhead sets. Holy where’s my surfboard?! Imagine 15 to 20-foot waves! Obviously, once the sets are in this range, no one in their right mind would be out in the water as the storm would be imminent but up to that point the surfing would be spectacular for surfers accustomed to being happy with chest-high waves.
So I say, once all preliminary safety precautions are made and the hatches are battened down, grab your board and have a little fun! Waves like this don’t happen that often! (Just be sure you’re smart about it, aka don’t be stupid/know your limits, and obey all local authorities, including lifeguards, regarding the changing weather conditions!)
As Hanna approaches, Wrightsville Beach, NC surfers couldn't be happier
