This forum used to be filled with glowing surf reports, juicy photos, emphatic woo hoos, etc. But no more. Is it a case of "it was better back in the day"? Sand dumping? Climate change? Vast right wing conspiracy? Or maybe the surf is epic every day but all the hyperbole moved to Instatok or Facechat such that only the Chinese govt is aware?

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"If I say it's safe to surf this beach, captain, then it's safe to surf this beach!"

Edited: 05/04/2024 at 04:53 AM by SurfCaster

Here are my guesses:

1) Low pressure systems are farther north. Swell is greatly reduced in size by the time it reaches us.

2) The jet Stream has changed and the low pressure systems are now tracking up the East coast of the US, whereas they used to move into the Atlantic.

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I was right.

3) There are only six guys left on this site. Only two still surf and they can't figure out how to post a pic. Waves still fun tho ...

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Tom


Yep!!

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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.

Climate change is a left wing conspiracy. Remember global cooling 10 years and the earth is done LOL! Now its global warming 10 years we will be done. LOL ! Mayan calendar earth ends 2012. Didn't happen 2000 computers will crash and cause mass hysteria.

Beach renourishment killed the sandbars

Climate change is a left wing conspiracy.

Can you tell that to the home insurance industry?

Hell, might as well tell the US military while you are at it.

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I was right.

And here we go to NSR. Hold on!

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This is my leading theory as well. I think they're using dirt (for lack of a better term) as opposed to beach sand. Dirt packs in and is less likely to move around thereby limiting erosion but also limiting the development of sandbars. Plus throw in some of Cole's theory.

I surf nearby spots that have not been renourished and they are much the same as they've always been.

So we're not going to stop the renourishment, but can we influence the sand quality?

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"If I say it's safe to surf this beach, captain, then it's safe to surf this beach!"

Edited: 05/05/2024 at 05:23 AM by SurfCaster

I don't think it is limited to sand quality (if that is a factor), but is mostly due to the change in the beach slope. Every time I go out, I am contending with backwash which was seldom a problem before. Also, the number of rips (which also used to be far fewer; we never had to put up warning signs on the causeway until now) tells me that the receding waves are coming back with much more force. I think we are dealing with a situation that is kind of the same as having a seawall - lots of water coming back with lots of force even on small days. The sandbars aren't being groomed anymore, they are being assaulted.

I documented swells on a calendar back in the early 80s and was shocked when I read it a year ago. There was a four month span from early spring into summer where there were clean weekly swells, a few of them head high plus. Yes, that's a small window in time, but it was definitely better back then.

On the other hand, I too agree with the sand. I've lost count of how many times I've checked multiple spots when there was swell and didn't even bother to get wet.

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I was right.

FIT has (or had) the contract to do the geologic testing on the beach renourishment sand. This is the sand dredged from Canaveral Shoals, barged in, then trucked around for renourishment. My understanding is that they try for the best match to provide turtle nest habitat and slow erosion. Other sand I've seen used to rebuild dunes was mined upland and to my eye was not a match for beach sand.

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not a match for beach sand

Yep, and it fits like oil and water. One good storm and whoosh, it's gone.

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I was right.

yes sir

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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.

Well, there was another 100 year storm that just walloped Texas. lol

It's a shame these things aren't happening over the ocean.



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I was right.

From Brevard County Natural Resources...

"The State's definition is shown just below. We use that definition and measure typical grain size, color, etc of local beaches and find sediment sources to match.

62B-56.020 Definitions
....
(7) "Beach quality sand" means sand that maintains the general appearance, and the engineering and ecological functions of the native sand occurring on the beach and in the adjacent dune and coastal system. Such sand shall be predominately of carbonate, quartz or similar material with a particle size distribution ranging between 0.062mm (4.0phi) and 4.76mm (-2.25phi) (classified as sand by either the Unified Soils or the Wentworth classification), shall be similar in color and grain size distribution (sand grain frequency, mean and median grain size and sorting coefficient) to the material present on the beach berm seaward of the project site and shall not contain:
(a) Greater than five percent by weight of silt, clay or colloids passing the #230-sieve (4.0phi);
(b) Greater than five percent by weight of fine gravel retained on the #4-sieve (-2.25phi);
(c) Coarse gravel, cobbles or material retained on the three-quarter inch sieve in a percentage or size greater than found on the native beach, or
(d) Construction debris, toxic material or other foreign matter; and shall not result in cementation of the beach."


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"If I say it's safe to surf this beach, captain, then it's safe to surf this beach!"

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"If I say it's safe to surf this beach, captain, then it's safe to surf this beach!"

The waves are the same. It takes a better wave to satisfy someone that has had a taste of the real thing. You grow old and reminisce on how good it was before you knew what a real wave looked like.

It's overharvesting, or, as i like to say oversurfing. See, back in the day, there were only a few guys surfing so they'd just ride the best ones and wait until the smaller ones grew into good ones before riding them. Nowadays, every little dribbler has some sponge foil kite sweeping tourist on it and the waves never get a chance to grow up. It's like clubbing baby seals or something. Oversurfing pure and simple. Shouldn't be allowed.

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25 years ago there would be 150 people at O'club and 100 at 2nd Light. Today there might be a hand full at both, and the reduction isn't from a lack of surfers. It ain't the same.

How many months has it been since we had an overhead swell, chop included?

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I was right.

Cole -
I found your statistic amusing. Back in the mid/late 60s, O Club was packed with a bunch of us less accomplished surfers. Later we graduated to 2nd Lite (originally known as AP Shack, but then the CCB boys got to it and changed the name) which had a somewhat heavier wave, especially when the shorebreak was coming into those huge boulders that used to line the dune. I noticed (as you observed) that the crowd is heavier at O Club again. I am guessing that the old guys prefer the softer sliders as we did when we were just starting out. The cycle of life in action.

I would also note that there was another reason we hung out at O Club even in high school esp in summer. The Officers Club pool drew a lot of high school hotties in bikinis. Nothing like leaning against a hood and looking cool to draw them in. (Never seemed to work, but we kept trying.)

Agree with Cole. Kept a journal when I started FIT in the early 90's and it showed lots of great days of good swell and associated winds. Boardwalk was a great wave with awesome shore break and the 2nd light area felt like point breaks. My theories on surf degradation are 1. beach replenishment, made worse by shit sand 2. those offshore reefs put in place a few years back 3. decades long cyclical weather patterns (less NE swells) 4. my arthritic shoulders and adult responsibilities. I'd like a solid Cat 5 to park itself offshore a few hundred miles and pump in monster swell to reset the beach and protective reef aka underwater breakwaters. Of course this would lead to more renourishment starting the stupid cycle again. How does anyone support pumping in sand. Such a waste of time, energy, resources for no long term benefit. In fact its so stupid it might be the only thing on NSR that everyone could agree on.

Offshore reefs?

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"If I say it's safe to surf this beach, captain, then it's safe to surf this beach!"

The offshore reefs put in the IHB area and south a few years back about 100 yards off the beach.

We started exploring south of Indie in 64-65, shark pit, the spot, the well, the hippie house, spanny, whiteys and the north jetty among others. Some we found with the board to board walk to the beach and just surfed there, once the bridge and jetty were finished it was the jetty and wabasso. Worked at Long Point in 67-68 and didn't have to be to work until 9 so had many sessions where the only things in sight were the herons! Had some awesome weekend surf parties at the well with bondfires and slept on the bluff--great times!

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Romans 8;18-32 John 3;16-18; Ecl. 10-2

My suspicion as well. Losing that little bit of wave energy on those reefs, that makes all the difference between "small-but-fun-and-rideable" and "lump-breaking-on-the-beach".

Was not aware of those...USACE says 1000ft not 100yds and will not affect wave break... but we've heard that before. I'm no biologist but how does a reef 1/4 mile offshore replicate the coquina worm rock reef habitat in the surf zone? Separate topic I guess

USACE reef project link

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"If I say it's safe to surf this beach, captain, then it's safe to surf this beach!"

Edited: 05/11/2024 at 06:06 AM by SurfCaster

Well...little need to worry about overhead swell/ lots of wind chop over this summer.
My friends at rosentiel atmospheric sciences have a rather pessimistic view of between now and thanksgiving for our area.
But of course they are all a part of the great global liberal climate change conspiracy....
btw: i've surfed this area since the early '60s. There's plenty of waves out there folks....
go have fun

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It's a democratic hoax

Edited: 05/09/2024 at 09:18 PM by nukeh2o

And hopefully ease these stupid sand dumps, since they'll be gone by September.
again

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It's a democratic hoax

If you learn to foil, every day is 1 foot and firing. Choppy or glassy.

I went to RSMAS as well. It's supposed to be a very active La Nina transition tropical season, so maybe I'm misunderstanding their pessimistic view for wave potential for our area?

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"If I say it's safe to surf this beach, captain, then it's safe to surf this beach!"

Edited: 05/10/2024 at 05:16 AM by SurfCaster

All you have to do is look at Sebastian Inlet from the 70's to now.. It's been a precursor to what has been occurring further north in our county for sometime. There is too much sand on our beaches. Take a look at pictures of our beaches from the 60's to now if you aren't aware. Thank heavens for coquina rock at a few select locations!

Edited: 05/10/2024 at 08:41 AM by MWD407

Surfed a little clean bump today. It was small but it worked.

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"One of the reasons why propaganda tries to get you to hate government is because it's the one existing institution in which people can participate to some extent and constrain tyrannical unaccountable power." Noam Chomsky.

The mitigation reefs did nothing to the surf. They are too deep. You guys are grasping for reasons why the surf is crappy.

So what did they mitigate?

The politicians, developers, and newcomers care about the waves. But all they can do is SUP so to them 0.5 ft glass that never breaks is "firing"

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"If I say it's safe to surf this beach, captain, then it's safe to surf this beach!"

Edited: 05/19/2024 at 05:37 AM by SurfCaster

95% of Brevard's beaches are no longer surfable past mid-tide going high unless there's a bit of size. I blame it on all the sand we keep dumping on the beach, but what do I know?

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R I P Mama G.

@Salt.And.Savagery.Fishing

@Laserwolf.Laserwolf

Edited: 05/19/2024 at 06:19 AM by Long Beard

https://www.visitspacecoast.com/blog/39-million-beach-restoration-project-protects-wildlife-while-protecting-way-of-life/

http://www.visitspacecoast.com...otecting-way-of-life/

What's funny is the fact that the best part of Cocoa Beach is the part that wasn't restored the last time around.

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I was right.

Article written by the tourist board quoting pro-development politicians and lobbyists


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"If I say it's safe to surf this beach, captain, then it's safe to surf this beach!"

I am looking forward to this hurricane season. That is our surf trip in our own back yard. Its coming ladies and gentleman. Can't wait!

No empirical evidence to support, but... . Sea level is rising and barrier island transgression has been prevented through stabilization. Natural sand replenishment is prevented by Port Canaveral and sand renourishment is insufficient to meet demand. This leads to a narrow steep beach and nearshore topography that might not be as surfy as a more natural beach. Might is probably an important word in that sentence.

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The biggest difference, to me anyway, is the smaller days. I was a little wave aficionado and had boards specially made for the smaller stuff. That smaller stuff no longer exists. The average bar isn't ever ride-able till the swell reaches chest high. I miss the little peelers.

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I was right.

Little bit of a wave in your neck of the woods today I see?

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"One of the reasons why propaganda tries to get you to hate government is because it's the one existing institution in which people can participate to some extent and constrain tyrannical unaccountable power." Noam Chomsky.

I got more than a few little peelers this morning in Ft. Pierce. Very little company there too. Felt like I was stealing from summer flatness.

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"One of the reasons why propaganda tries to get you to hate government is because it's the one existing institution in which people can participate to some extent and constrain tyrannical unaccountable power." Noam Chomsky.

I was one of the local Surfrider folks that worked with the county 5-10 years back to update their sand quality to be more in line with IR county which was more amenable for turtles, not surfers. One thing I noticed is dredged material has organic material that might initially pass the larger grain size sieve, but the sun and beach dynamics break it down into smaller sizes that don't react favorably to what our "usual" sand was. You can look at hindcasts to see waves and average sizes, but I've not compared anything. Looking to the future when I can get back in the water again due to my recovery taking some time. then it will be up to 7 surfers.

How often do they re-assess the sand quality? Before every renourishment? Is Surfrider still involved and can they provide feedback? Hope you're back in the water soon Pomps.

I'm with Cole. It's been my anecdotal observation that we still get waves, but the low tide sandbar peelers that represent the majority of our surf opportunities appear to be gone and it seems to me that renourishment is the culprit. Hopefully we can find sand that suits turtles and surfers or some other fix, cause we know the big money beachfront is going to get their dirt dumps. I could of course be jumping to conclusions but I hear a lot of agreement.


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"If I say it's safe to surf this beach, captain, then it's safe to surf this beach!"

Edited: 05/26/2024 at 05:13 AM by SurfCaster

any sand dumping, dredge or trucked is supposed to be sieved prior to dumping. I've not personally been involved in any of those measurements, and Surfrider hasn't been a part of any continuous monitoring for the mid reach. At the time, we just met with the county folks and some actual civil engineers that worked with beach and lagoon processes to try to make the sand grain guidelines more amenable to them dumping decent sand. The county does have a bunch of info about sand dumping.

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https://www.brevardfl.gov/NaturalResources/Beaches/RestorationProjects

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