Oh yeah, it's happening....

Alright, so the prediction National Weather Service meteorologist Lyle Alexander gave us for the May 8 blog update appears to have came true.
“From my experience, when it’s really warm in April and May, that pattern will break down during the summer and things should be cooler and more seasonable," he said, adding that waves usually come along with these kinds of patterns due to low pressure activity.
I was beginning to have my doubts as the hot and wave-deprived weather pattern persisted, but this week looks to be extremely active on the swell front.
A surface low brewing southwest of Bermuda is churning up the Atlantic as we speak, and by tomorrow, there should be plenty of waves reaching our shores. Finally.
It looks like Tuesday and Wednesday will be on the choppy side with northeast winds, but Thursday is currently looking like the day to call in sick and feast on solid swell and offshore winds. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
Hopefully, the swell will stick around long enough to get us through the weekend, which will also insure that the Steel Pier Classic has contestable surf.
But let's not get too greedy! The fact is that we can all get stoked on the pulse that's headed our way. And now that the water is easily in the 3/2 range, the fun level is exponentially raised.
As I was cruising the web for info on the conditions surrounding this system, I found an interesting synopsis from Weather Channel expert Tim Ballisty. He gives some great insight on what's going on out there and why this system promises to send a solid round of swell our way. Check it out:
“An ocean storm developed over this past weekend near the Bahamas and it is slowly gathering some strength as it approaches the United States Southeast Coast.
The low pressure area is working in tandem with an area of high pressure centered over southern New England.
With both pressure centers involved, a tight pressure gradient has developed between the two areas.
Why is the pressure gradient important? It comes down to this - synoptic scale winds are produced by pressure differences between high and low pressure.
The stronger the pressure gradient (the more tightly packed the isobars are), the stronger the wind speed.
Clockwise flow around high pressure along with counterclockwise flow around low pressure means that easterly winds will be on the increase along the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic coast as the ocean storm draws closer.”
But as the storm pulls away, offshore winds should blow as the swell will remains.
Hopefully we will have plenty of post-swell content to share with y'all. Until then, peace out and have fun.

-- John Streit.

Visit from the Royal Navy

5-18-10 Blog

    The Surf and Adventure crew is definitely accustomed to serving Sandbridge visitors and locals that want to get active on the water.
    Most people from out of town that we take on our waterway tours and surf lessons are from Virginia communities or states to our north. But this week, we were paid a visit by some folks from MUCH further north and east of Virginia Beach.
    Coming from the United Kingdom into Naval Station Norfolk were the crews from the HMS Sutherland and the HMS Ark Royal. The guys shipped in from across the pond as part of a joint naval training program between American, British and French forces.
    But instead of knocking around the naval station during their leave, the crews decided to hit us up for three days of surf lessons, kayak and stand-up paddling tours.
    And we were as stoked to have them as they were to get down on the water.
    It takes between a week and two weeks to make the chug across the mighty Atlantic. For our guys, the trip took about a week since the seas behaved for the most part (told you it was flat).
    According to a couple of SUP tour-takers, Dennis and Malcolm, with whom I paddled around the waterway on Saturday, the trip is chock-full of tasks and training exercises. So when the ships docked in Norfolk, the guys and gals were ready to cut loose and have a great time enjoying our area's best natural attractions.
    These folks came in from a place that's more known for cool, misty weather, pints at the pub and football hooligans than surfing, stand-up paddling and kayaking; but they were total naturals. Nearly all of the student surfers were up and riding within minutes of their beach instruction and weren't afraid to paddle around the lineup and go for it on their own. The kayakers explored the various nooks and crannies of Back Bay and its tributaries while the SUP adventurers displayed great balance and style for it being such a different type of cruising to which they were accustomed.
    Check out the photos of the HMS Ark Royal's crew having a blast with us in Sandbridge on Saturday, May 15.
    Cheers!

- John Streit

From Cancer to Capricorn Premire

Reef went all out for their latest video premier, From Cancer to Capricorn.  They picked us up in a stretch hummer and took everyone to the Jewish Mother in style.  The video was sick and the vibe was up as everyone was pumped to be there.  Big thanks to Brad and TJ for making it all happen!  Check out some pics after the jump.  More over at the facebook page.

Buckroe Beach Race

Just receive the following information regarding a stand up paddle race this Saturday 5/15/2010:

MAPA will be hosting the annual Buckroe Beach OC-1/2 & Surfski Race on May
15th at Buckroe Beach in Hampton, VA. Race start is scheduled for 9:30 AM.
If the wind cooperates we will once again make Buckroe a downwind run so be
prepared to shuffle some cars. We run all divisions in one race. Race fee is
$10.

We will have a SUP race in conjunction with the canoe race for folks that
like to standup. The SUP race will be run on a shortened course.

Directions to Buckroe:

Take exit 268 off of Interstate 64 to Mallory St. Take a left onto Mallory
St. at the stop light at the end of the exit ramp. Drive approximately 3
miles on Mallory St. to the intersection of Mallory St and Point Comfort
Ave. Take a right on Point Comfort Ave and drive to the parking lot at the
beach.

There is no pre-registration but it would be helpful if folks sent me an
email if they plan to race. Message from Feda frosso@cox.net

Bill and Anne Gasset paddled this race last year and had this to say:

The course is beautiful and very safe. You parallel the beach all the way up to the finish.

Check out the Map My Ride link below. You can change the map to show the terrain and zoom in/out for a better idea of what the course looks like.

Bring proper safety equipment (PFD, whistle and your phone in a WP bag), check the weather, dress for success and plan on having fun.

This is an easy button smash for getting in shape.

Please look over the info and give either me or Freda Rosso a shout if you are planning to paddle.(Bill's email - bgassett@londonbridgetrading.com Freda is listed above)

Quick reminder from Bill:

Steel Pier Classic anyone?

Rick Romano is pumping up what looks to be a really cool event and you can use this race to gauge your readiness.

http://www.virginialongboardfederation.com/

 

It’s no secret that the surf has been flat – really flat

It’s no secret that the surf has been flat – really flat – even when viewed through the often rose-colored lenses of Virginia Beach standards. More often than not over the past month (cringe), we have been graced by the serene waters of Lake Atlantic.

Picturesque? Yes. Making us all fiend for waves? Definitely.  Outside of a little south windswell wrap at the beginning of last week, we are in the throws of one of the most prolonged flat spells in recent memory. After an active summer 2009, fall and winter; spring has proven to be less than cooperative. In fact, the last time a flat spell had such staying power was December through February of 2009 – months which proved to be the polar opposite this year. March delivered as well.

But April, oh April... Now May is shaping up the same.

The traveling surfer has scored some fun sessions since mid-March around the Mid-Atlantic, with the bulk of the action coming in the form of southwest windswells in the Outer Banks (check out these photos Josh took of me on one of these swells in Hatteras Island. We logged that session and made it back to VB before clocking in at Surf and Adventure. Pretty cool). 

But for about 90 percent of those who couldn’t or didn’t venture south of the Commonwealth, this has been a trying time for sure.

With all of this time to do mental surfing (since we aren’t really in the water), my thoughts led me to question why this weather pattern has reared its ugly head. So, I snuck out of Rob’s view at work and gave meteorologist Lyle Alexander at the National Weather Service in Wakefield a ring to get to the bottom of this.

According to Lyle, the pattern we have found ourselves in is the equal and opposite reaction from the active fall and winter we enjoyed.

“Not since really last spring – outside of a week or two in September – has the Bermuda Ridge been so dominant,” Alexander said. “It’s finally happened, and it’s resulted in some above average temperatures” which made this April the 10^th warmest on record for our area.

He forgot to mention it’s resulted in below average waves.

Here’s why: the clockwise rotation of the Burmuda Ridge – aptly named due to it’s positioning near the small island far off the North Carolina coast – has caused a southerly/southwesterly wind flow across the Eastern Seaboard. For most of us – south-facing beaches excluded – that kind of wind pattern translates into desperate flatness. Alexander said this hostile swell-generating environment is even worse for our locale, as every low pressure system following the jet stream is tracking far more northerly than usual. Low pressure creates swell, and it’s just not going to happen as long as the Bermuda Ridge dominates our weather.

But Lyle wasn’t going to be a total bearer of bad news. Yes, kids; there’s hope.

“These patterns come and go,” Alexander said. “From my experience, when it’s really warm in April and May, that pattern will break down during the summer and things should be cooler and more seasonable.”

This means that the Bermuda Ridge should pull away from the coast, allowing the jet stream to meander south as low pressure dives across the continent. This brings cooler weather, and once those storms exit the coast and enter the open ocean, waves follow suit.

So did Lyle say this was going to be a great surf summer for Virginia Beach? Not exactly, but he did say that these totally flat days will probably come to an end sooner rather than later.

As always, I’ll be keeping an eye on things around the Mid-Atlantic and jump on it when something flares up. It would be nice to get a fun one at the home break, but oh well, sometimes you got to pound the pavement to get your fix.

And like Lyle said, at least the weather has been nice.

John Streit.

May 8th Event - Camie Romano & Melanie Columbus Present "Submerged"

Camie Romano, talented artist and Surf & Adventure Co. crew member, has teamed up with fellow artist Melanie Columbus to present "Submerged", a collection of their most recent works. 

"Submerged" is a mixed media collection, many pieces with an aquatic/ocean theme.  You do not want to miss this chance to check out these talented local artists! 

There will be an open reception Saturday, May 8, from 4:00pm - 6:00pm at Rick Ramano Art Gallery on Birdneck Road.  

*This is an awesome opportunity to get a Mother's Day gift!

Rick Ramano Art Gallery 
593 S. Birdneck Road, Suite 102
Virginia Beach, VA 23451


The gallery will be open by appointment May 8th - 15th.  For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Camie Romano (757) 202 - 7444