Outer Bar Isabel's

*5/15 Update: Bill posted some more pictures here!
**5/15 Update #2: Aaron posted a bunch of pictures from last week's honking SW winds here!

Insanity today! Keith and I caught an amazing session at Isabel's. Pretty classic conditions- no wind on the inside, raging current, and barreling inside bars made it very challenging to get off the beach. It took both of us multiple tries to make it out, with the inevitable 200+ yard walk back up the beach for every failed attempt. Once we made it out, however, we encountered sheer waveriding bliss! (All pics by Anne. Thanks!)

Sneaking out during a set
The outer bar was on fire with a long period wrap around swell. Head high waves were lightly rolling over the sandbar, jacking up but not really pitching. Logo high waves were crumbling off the top. And the mast high macking sets were absolutely detonating on the bar, full on whitewater explosions. The wind was very offshore, and fairly light 4.5 so most of the faces were reasonably clean and easy to pick a line on without too much fear of bouncing out.

Long lines crumbling off the top
I didn't take too many waves all the way to the inside, for fear of not being able to get back out. So, instead, I spent about two hours cherry picking the big ones way outside. Keith and I shared a lot of waves today, since the big sets weren't all that frequent. I've never really been on a wave that had an open enough face to bottom turn around someone else, make the top turn, then look down in the trough to see Keith bottom turning 10 feet below me... awesome experience!

Running for the shoulder!

I got lucky enough, again today, to huck a MONSTER back loop attempt. This one was big enough that I bailed out 3/4 of the way through. Didn't even try to make the landing. Chucked the rig and fell out of the sky... Good stuff... Good stuff... And my last wave was just about as ridiculous as it gets for Hatteras standards. Mast high, hit the lip just as the bottom dropped out... basically free fell 15 feet... took it all the way to the beach and called it a day!

I guess a few guys hit up Ocracoke today, too. I'm sure they scored some ridiculous conditions down there! If I get any pictures, I'll post em up.

Stay tuned, the swell is still building!!! Tomorrow's looking like some light wind, a totally out of control surf session is on the menu. And Thursday looks like an either/or day, with building SW winds throughout the day and lingering swell! Sweeeeet!