Nor'easter.  April, 2007. 

Photos and updates from a recent trip to the Bahamas.

Reef Breaks like the one below, will be lit up after this late season storm moves    offshore.

photo: Courtesy BMcDaniel.

Ben Bourgeois... Somewhere East of here. I first surfed this spot when I was 16. I'm headed back...Check in over the next few days for photos, and updates.

Sunday 12:43 am. Insomnia can be a good thing sometimes. I've got one more day of work before I'm off for 10 days, and I should be logging some rem's right about now, but waves of adrenaline are keeping me awake. As luck would have it, weather and time are on my side and I feel like a kid on Christmas eve, as I anticipate the possibility of scoring epic conditions. The wave models show swell in the 6-8 ft. + range and the winds are forecast to be W/NW for the next few days. So the plan is this...Jump on a flight, take a cab and a boat, stash my stuff and seek out a break that I first surfed back in 1986.

I remember it clearly because it was my first time ever surfing outside of South Florida. We were on my friends dad's 31 Bertram, a classic Bahama boat stripped down for hard core dive trips, and powered with twin I/O mercruisers for outrunnning anyone interested in seeing what the catch of the day was. We rounded the west end of the island, running between the offshore reefs and the beach, avoiding coral heads, fully pinned. In the distance you could see the A-frames breaking over the reef. I looked at my bro..."No way. Are we about to pull up to a reeling reef break with absolutely no one around?" He'd been there before, and just smiled as he jumped down from the bridge and started waxing up. His dad eased back on the throttles and we idled up this spot (pictured above). Threw out the anchor and paddled out to 4-6 ft. glass, no wind at all. You don't know what power is until you surf long period swell over hard bottom, and I was quickly humbled by this place. It was by far the best session I'd ever had up to that point, and that day I knew what my life was going to be about. I've been back to this spot a few times since then, but it's been about 9 years.

Storm Chasing

I made it over with no issues other than almost missing my flight because of gridlock on I-95.

Bahamas Day 1.

Things have really changed in the islands.  I remember not too long ago there were only a few phones around here, now I can sit and write this update from a wireless connection, sipping on an anejo and coke, as I watch 8 foot sets explode on the outer reefs.  I made the call to stop here first knowing the winds were likely to be bumping things up, but I didn't expect victory at sea.  Not to worry, if things don't clean up by tomorrow I'll try another spot East of here where it'll be offshore.   Today's session was big and blown out...nothing special but good to get wet and work out the kinks.  The good news is that the swell is expected to hang on through the week.  L.E.

 Too blown out here...headed to another spot.  Check back.

Day 2.

Anejo plus Jaeger equals headache.  Woke up feeling the effects of a night partying with some folks from Maine who apparently had some damage back home from this Nor'easter.  One of them seemed intent on buying round after round of Jaeger shots, and who was I to say no...

More strong NW winds this morning, with 6 to occasional 8 foot swell, not ideal conditions but had a quick paddle out and decided to gamble on heading East where the winds would be offshore.  I was hoping the swell would wrap into this location and the offshores would produce groomed perfection...wrong.  So flat you could host a swim meet.  I should have been here yesterda, according to the locals.  You win some you lose some.

Thanks to everyone who's been checking in and also thanks to Marcus at Surfline for posting a link.  I wish I could have gotten some better shots for you.  I hear a reggae band playing at one of the bars...I think I'll go see if they serve rum here.  Check back tomorrow, maybe I'll get lucky and the swell will fill in here . L.E.

                        Hopefully the sun hasn't set on this trip...Check back

Day 3

Things didn't look too promising when I checked it this morning...

 But the trades kicked in around noon and started to push in the swell.

This spot breaks about 250 yards offshore and is known for being a big drop and not much more.  Today the swell angle was creating some peeling lefts at about 4 to 6 feet.  I clicked these before I paddled out.  Surfed for about three hours most of the time alone until right before dark a guy from Delray Beach paddled out.  There's supposedly around 20 surfers on this island and I was wondering why no one was out.  I guess when you live in a place like this you might start to take things for granted.  As I sat waiting for sets, lost in my own thoughts. I reminded myself not to do that.

As I type this update I'm listening to the soundtrack for Zen and Zero, completely surfed out, and feeling like all the effort put into tracking down this swell was totally worth it.  If you haven't seen Zen and Zero yet, go get it.

The spot (below) is world class when its working.  If you've been here you know.  If you haven't it's waiting for you.

Someone told me Wednesday is a big night around here...not gonna make it.

Day 4

 2 to 4 ft. and offshore for my last session.

I was too amped to get into the water and decided to shoot afterwards.  The tide filled in and the waves backed off some, but the incoming tide offered up some chest to head high fun, with the occasional barrel, topping off a reasonably successful mission.  I heard the news and saw photos from Monday the 16th back home, but I'm not complaining...L.E.

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4/21/07

Surfing in the Bahamas...

...can be rewarding if you play your cards right.  As a huge Low developed across the midwest and prepared to move up the coast, it was obvious to anyone paying attention, that the storm was going to produce some serious surf.  The question was... How good would it be here in South Florida?  I had some time off coming up, I wanted to get some serious reef surf, and the Northeastern Bahamas lay directly in the path of this swell.  So, I made the decision to head East,  I thought back to Hurricane Gordon and some photos a friend of mine sent me of Ben Bourgeois, Baron Knowlton, and Peter Mendia scoring epic surf in the Northern Bahamas.  Surfing Magazine ran a feature but the author dropped a red herring as to the actual location.  I had been told of the true location, and have actually surfed it a half a dozen times over the years.  The thought of catching this particular reef break, and with the swell forecast directly into this spot, I knew I had to go for it.   I was so pumped up to possibly catch it as good as in those photos, I ignored the extended forecast for big time Northwest winds.  My buddy, who actually first showed me this place, mentioned something about the winds over the phone but I was already committed.  I knew I was taking a gamble heading to this spot, but those images were burned in my head.

photo: B. McDaniel

I took off on the morning of the 16th with clear skies, and howling Northwest winds.   The first signs of a swell were visible on the beach as I flew East over Lauderdale.   

 The 120 mile bouy was at 17 feet when I left my house.

When I touched down in the islands the winds were even stronger than when I left.  No worries," today might be blown out, but tomorrow it'll back off" I thought to myself.  Not knowing the ferry schedule to my intended destination, I hustled to unload my gear, cleared customs with a cursory once over by the customs guy who barely looked up from his magazine, and jumped into one of the myriad of taxis waiting to shuttle tourists out to the various islands in the area.   With a stroke of good luck I arrived at the docks in time to catch the last ferry for the next couple of hours.  As we motored out of the harbour you could feel the ground swell making its way well inside the barrier islands.  I looked out to the Northeast and saw a solid 8 to 10 foot swell breaking well into areas that typically don't show a wave even when the swells are running.  The winds were killing it though, and I immediately knew that a session on my first day was going to be huge and blown out, not ideal.

 This is what it was like the entire first day.  This shot was taken from a rock point about 20 feet above the beach.   Uncrowded surf is what you'll find in the bahamas, but there was absolutely nobody out or anywhwere around for that matter, and the thought of paddling out solo was not appealing.  These were blown out open ocean swells pounding over reef.  Forget about it.  I did paddle out around the corner from this spot ducked around some 6 to 8 footers and managed to stroke into a few. 

The winds were still cranking the next day. So I made the decision to head East to another island where the winds would be offshore but where the Northeast swell might not be getting into the beach..  Sure enough, I had to wait it out for another day.  It was totally flat.  I heard from a local that while I was bobbing around in monster windswell the day before, they were surfing head high perfection with offshore winds.  I also heard that back home was pumping too.  What a nightmare.   Two days in the islands, no decent surf yet, waves back home...obviously I made the wrong call.  Exhausted from the previous nights festivities and about 10 days worth of pent up adrenaline I booked a room and passed out for a couple of hours.  When I got up I immediately went to check it...

The winds swung around to the Southeast and solid 4 to 6 foot surf was peeling    along an offshore reef.  After one good ride, two days worth of frustration over bad decisions was gone.  I surfed until dark and hoped the next day would bring more of the same.  The next morning brought super clean chest to head high perfection until the tide killed it.

 Did I make the right call?  Things didn't play out the way I envisioned them, but two really good sessions out of four days took the edge off rather nicely. 

Getting it good in the Bahamas definately takes a little planning.  Coordinating last minute airfare, ferry rides, and accomodations can be a logistical challenge.  Not to mention it's not exactly for the budget concious.  But when the conditions are right it's still better in the Bahamas.

I'd like to thank the folks at Ocean Frontier Hideaway.  Fully equipped ocean front cabins. Perfect for a group or family trip.  Please check them out should your travels bring you to the outer islands.  L.E.