Possibly the longest article ever written about Sebastion Inlet.

More like a eulogy.

"For nearly 40 years Sebastian Inlet groomed more Champion surfers than perhaps any wave on the planet...then in the early 2000s ...repairs to the jetty caused the wave to disappear almost overnight. In its absence, Florida hasn't produced a single World Tour surfer, let alone a world title threat."

None other than King Slater chimes in: " It was as an important a wave to  East Coast surfing as Lower Trestles is to West Coast surfing."

RIP

 

 

Edited: 07/02/2016 at 06:00 PM by eastcoastersrule

I was impressed, the article was way above and beyond what California based publications usually dish out.

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I was right.

Although I wouldn't say Reef Road has produced world title surfers, The same can be said about the once world class break. RIP-RR
It's sad really, we had two world class breaks in the state, now they are gone

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Wow did someone just say "world class"!!!!!

Must not travel much.

Good wave spots for Florida (sad Sebastian is gone) but not "world class".

Travel produced Kelly, not the Inlet.

Yes, indeed, it was world class for the wave size. Back in the day, it was in the top 5 small waves in the world packing in as much power for that size wave as anywhere due to the quality of the rebound / wedge. And Kelly became world class before travel. He was killing it at age 12 like nobody before him with the exception of Curren.

Ditto, Kelly's talent inpired people to sponsor his travel. People like Balsa Bill. But, his talent was spawned at the inlet. Ask him yourself.

IMHO - the new jetty did not kill 1st peak. First- it still breaks, just not as often. The fact that it breaks on occasion suggests it's not dead. The beach nourishments to the south and to the north, along with the dredging of the channel a few yrs ago did more to alter the morphology of the inlet than the new jetty ever did. The outer sandbars to the E and NE have grown and spread. Affecting those small/mid sized E and ESE swells that wedged up so nicely.

The wave did not change until well after the new jetty was complete... I have plenty of old video to prove that.

On the plus side. Inlet has way more cleaner days than ever before. It was always good on S and SE winds. For the past few yrs, it stays clean (err.. cleaner) even with an E wind.

Edited: 07/01/2016 at 05:58 AM by matt_t

Things and times have changed.

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Water dissolving...and water removing
There is water at the bottom of the ocean

just be glad you can still swim/surf there, who knows for how much longer considering this Link and more link2 and more link3

Edited: 07/01/2016 at 07:09 AM by Wedgefield

Ditto



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Replace turf grass with native plants that don't need irrigation and synthetic fertilizers or chemicals that can go into our waterways and ocean

That might have been a second killing of sorts, but the main death was the extension. If you got to experience first peak before the extension, it was a different animal. Same thing happened with Kirra. Last I've read, they are going to be fixing Kirra by removing the extension. I have a feeling that won't happen with the inlet. Not enough surfing politicians around here. It still can be a great wave on the right conditions, but no longer world class.

Cause

Effect

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"Most people would die sooner than think; in fact, they do." - Bertrand Russell


"Morality is doing what is right, regardless of what you are told. Religion is doing what you are told, regardless of what is right.


If I do not answer you .... nothing personal, I just have you on ignore.

Link?

Yep dead gone. Nothing today compares to what it was. Bouncers are gone.

I think we can pretty much say the same of every where up and down our coast.

Start at South Beach in Miami and work your way up to the North Jetty in Jax.

Dooley said it best: "It was better back then...."



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So if you are a surfer I wish you the prosperity that allows you more time to pursue the salt water dream, and the true happiness that comes from warm water, clean waves and the companionship of your fellow surfers. If you are an internet troll just spewing bs then f off.

links fixed...

pretty true. all the good south beaches breaks are crap now. when there is a good swell the north beaches haven't changed much..

I disagree that the Inlet has not changed.  The Inlet has not been breaking the same since the Army Corp altered the jetty.  If you did not surf it in the early 1970's then you cannot tell it has not changed.  Its not even close to the way it use to break.  I also think the Inlet contrubuted to the development of a lot of great surfers including Kelly Slater.  I am sure he would agree.

Like I said earlier, enjoy while you can. Is this heading our way? link4

For every break in decline their should be one on the rise, we just need to be for finding them.  There is one marquis spot in my area that's actually been getting better the past few years. I'm sure there's one in the brevard zone doin the same thing. Demand for waves is on the rise while supply is dropping and that's a problem that needs fixin.

All the reason Kelly made a kick ass wave machine.

Wavegarden seems to be hoping for a facility somewhere in coastal Georgia or maybe South Carolina.  Check their website.

Tunnel and LB Larry make excellent points. definitely a cause / effect situation.
I think adding all those cubic tons of sand helped accelerate the changes. Especially the channel dredging.
Inlets in general are very dynamic.. many factors to consider. The way it breaks this yr will be different than how it will break 10 yrs from now. We all seem to agree it breaks much different from 10 yrs. ago.

Still fun though.. I think using the "Obituary" term is a bit dramatic. But then again, Surfer needs that click bait.


Too bad the crowds did not read the obituary.

For those of you that have/use facebook ...... checkout the before and after pics posted by "Jim Allison" on The East Coast Hall of Fame's fb page.



..... sorry, I am to lazy and busy this morning to upload the pics to a web based host just so I can post them on this page.

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"Most people would die sooner than think; in fact, they do." - Bertrand Russell


"Morality is doing what is right, regardless of what you are told. Religion is doing what you are told, regardless of what is right.


If I do not answer you .... nothing personal, I just have you on ignore.

Edited: 07/05/2016 at 06:19 AM by LBLarry

On special early days we would catch the rebound wave and backside the wedge peak, haven't seen that happen in many years!

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Romans 8;18-32 John 3;16-18

Crawdaddy would switch stance and front side them both. Doug Wright could do that too.!!

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So if you are a surfer I wish you the prosperity that allows you more time to pursue the salt water dream, and the true happiness that comes from warm water, clean waves and the companionship of your fellow surfers. If you are an internet troll just spewing bs then f off.

Pete is right It was better back then

Nice historic video, but doesnt really do it justice. I remember days 10 times as good as that video. First peak had a real barrel on good days. The short jetty created a real nice wedge that you just dont get with extended jetties like the current one, or Ponce for example.

Pretty sure all that footage is post 2002 jetty rebuild.

Best I ever saw it was 1995-1996. I remember one Late fall day in 1996. Slab takeoff waaay out in front of the tip of the jetty. Only 2 or 3 people out. Hartley was in form and put on a clinic for the few of us who were out. I've never seen it break that far out again.

It may not have the bounce or the wedge of days gone by but still breaks world class for small waves.

This was uploaded in 2011. Not sure the exact date shot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fejUro5EWJ8

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Replace turf grass with native plants that don't need irrigation and synthetic fertilizers or chemicals that can go into our waterways and ocean

That Hartley barrel was sick

Been there, seen that many a time!


-------------------------
"Most people would die sooner than think; in fact, they do." - Bertrand Russell


"Morality is doing what is right, regardless of what you are told. Religion is doing what you are told, regardless of what is right.


If I do not answer you .... nothing personal, I just have you on ignore.