Texas Newcomer seeking advice about Hurricane Surf

hey All,

I grew up here in Texas and first learned to surf in Surfside (early 80s), loved it so much, I moved to California to live the surfing dream (Seal Beach) since '86 but recently moved back to Texas - Lake Travis area and I need your advice on surfing Texas...

It looks like Gustav will likely enter the Gulf Saturday, and based on forecasted direction should pump a groundswell into Central Texas. I know that for chubasco's passing east, that can mean offshore winds -- so I am thinking it might be a perfect set-up. This clearly calls for a roadtrip.

So, here are my questions for you Texas surf vets -- what can I expect in terms of swell? Will it be multiple wave sets, with minutes long lulls between or more sloshed? What will be the best kind of board to bring? (I got everything from 6'3" Channel Islands to a 9ft Becker longboard). I remember Texas typically being one long beach break, but do piers and jetties can set up like point breaks? Will I need to find a jettie to jump off to avoid a heavy paddle out? Finally, most (not all) surf spots are pretty will known and documentated, I not asking for anybody to reveal any secret spots or anything like that, but any advice on spots to check would be very appreciated.

Thanks to all, anything you can share will be very appreciated -- and if anyone is planning a trip to Cali or Baja, I would be happy to give advice if asked.

Hope to share a wave with all - thanks

hey i have lived in port a my whole life and if it hits lou. at the rate its going the surf should be really epic at south padre but keep in mind thats a really dumpy wave so if u go there id take a smallllllll board and get ready for some barrels. it should be pretty clean with little to no wind so the waves will b nice and the piers r ok but watch out to many people end up out there so it gets outrageous best bet would b looking for a inside break thats nice and clean or paddle realllll far out past all the kids that thinkkkk the surf but r really just sitting there like bouys!!! there were like 100 people no lie all at the pier in port a durring dolly so it wasnt even fun but if u can paddle there is a real nice break on the wayyy outside at horce (the pa pier)

depending on the window of landfall it can be good anywhere from galveston to so. padre but bigger & better the farther south ya go.personally i'd avoid the jetty jumping-a clean up set can wash ya right off & that just gets nasty.if the swell is anything like katrina i'd be headed to spi to surf the cove or boca chica w/ a long board & a semi gun shape.
here's a link to katrina surf from spi. you be the judge.
http://www.spadre.com/surfgallery.htm

I did the same thng ! Only I lived in Westwood , surfed north, Topanga was my regular break.

I think we might have a easterly component to the swell direction, SO I would go south. Port A or SPI...

Port A should be classic and its not as touristy as SPI. It(SPI ) has turned into a commercial beach corporation of sorts. BUT the people and surf is great !

It just depends on what you are looking for.

CB

My motto is..."if ya can't make the paddle ya shouldn't be out". It sounds as if you have a clue, be careful as there might be a lot of water moving around, rips and many wave sets, with lots of people that might not have a clue.
I'm driving down early Monday from S.A.
Be careful and watch out for each other...
Sea-ya

if surf is big on south padre...

it will could be very large during the storm swell.


you dont want a "small" board...

you will get tossed with a small board and not make many waves.

7'6'' plus is my recommendation...wheather it is gun shaped or fuller shaped..doesnt matter so much..but you need some length to make the larger faces of the waves...otherwise you will NOT be able to out run the big waves on a small board..

gypsy made the right call on previous post here..

PORT A SURF COMPANY wrote:

if surf is big on south padre...

it will could be very large during the storm swell.


you dont want a "small" board...

you will get tossed with a small board and not make many waves.

7'6'' plus is my recommendation...wheather it is gun shaped or fuller shaped..doesnt matter so much..but you need some length to make the larger faces of the waves...otherwise you will NOT be able to out run the big waves on a small board..

gypsy made the right call on previous post here..

Chris knows what he is talking about. He learned this lesson in Puerto Escondido a few years ago. It was at least double overhead and he was surfing a 6'0" fish. I can tell you he had a serious look on his face at all times...

Escondido --- NOW that is a heavy wave. Get caught inside PE at 8ft is 3 times worse than getting caught in say, 15ft County Line or Lowers.

Coastal Ben - Sounds like we might have chewed a little bit of same turf in Cali. I did 4years in Hermosa Beach, then 12 more in the OC. I asked about the jetty cause is sounds similar to a few leaps I made off the Redondo Beach Breakwall. One included a disasterous mis-time that resulted in a broken board and one of the longest-ass swims (with no board) I have ever had.

I will likely just come to Port A. for the swell, and I am somewhat (although it has been awhile) familiar with the area from Fish Pass north to the channel. I am getting a sense that it may be well packed at some of these spots, and potentially with guys who don't know what they are doing (hey, sounds a lot like chest high Newport Beach...) anyway, is the best bet to go looking for an uncrowded sandbar that is popping and just paddle out there or paddle across to St. Jo and surf there?

One final question (and I really appreciate the input, this forum appears to be pretty tight and not loaded with trolls) given what you saw in Katrina, how big did Port A. get? and any other insight/advice will be welcome.

Thanks to all - Hope to Share a Wave with any of you sometime.

as best as i can remember port a. didn't get the best of the swell(spi did) but it was fun. rule of thumb- any swell to the east north east of us-st. jo is out(you will be kissing rock),fish pass will be closed out & too much current(maybe south side packery) but if ya want some great long board action... between the jetties & hc pier in port a. or 3rd bar way out front of the pier(you'll see it) practice for the paddle & good waves on ya.

corvettemike wrote:

Escondido --- NOW that is a heavy wave. Get caught inside PE at 8ft is 3 times worse than getting caught in say, 15ft County Line or Lowers.

Coastal Ben - Sounds like we might have chewed a little bit of same turf in Cali. I did 4years in Hermosa Beach, then 12 more in the OC. I asked about the jetty cause is sounds similar to a few leaps I made off the Redondo Beach Breakwall. One included a disasterous mis-time that resulted in a broken board and one of the longest-ass swims (with no board) I have ever had.

I will likely just come to Port A. for the swell, and I am somewhat (although it has been awhile) familiar with the area from Fish Pass north to the channel. I am getting a sense that it may be well packed at some of these spots, and potentially with guys who don't know what they are doing (hey, sounds a lot like chest high Newport Beach...) anyway, is the best bet to go looking for an uncrowded sandbar that is popping and just paddle out there or paddle across to St. Jo and surf there?

One final question (and I really appreciate the input, this forum appears to be pretty tight and not loaded with trolls) given what you saw in Katrina, how big did Port A. get? and any other insight/advice will be welcome.

Thanks to all - Hope to Share a Wave with any of you sometime.

Mike,

Gypsea is right on. If we have a northest swell, up closer to the Port A Jettys is the call. If it is not too big the South Side of packery, BUT it will have a crowd. The jettys people are more spread out. It will be lined up, but on the mussy side...

My memory of the Katrina swell is stacked up long period sets with some lull in between. Waves were peaking well beyond the end of the pier in Port A probably 300-500 yards. Solid 10 foot, Indian Ocean green walls, rolling in with some very long rides. The waves didn't seem to pitch too hard, but had some very carveable, large faces.
Packery Channel hasn't seen a swell like this yet. I am interested to see a solid long period ground swell here. There is potential for some very nice point style waves with good shape here.
It's hard to say what we will see here in terms of size I think.
There will be good waves with forecasted offshore winds.

If you can't paddle out...you probably shouldn't be out. I don't suggest jumping the jetty to anyone, but people do it.

SurfingtheIsland wrote:

My memory of the Katrina swell is stacked up long period sets with some lull in between. Waves were peaking well beyond the end of the pier in Port A probably 300-500 yards. Solid 10 foot, Indian Ocean green walls, rolling in with some very long rides. The waves didn't seem to pitch too hard, but had some very carveable, large faces.
Packery Channel hasn't seen a swell like this yet. I am interested to see a solid long period ground swell here. There is potential for some very nice point style waves with good shape here.
It's hard to say what we will see here in terms of size I think.
There will be good waves with forecasted offshore winds.

If you can't paddle out...you probably shouldn't be out. I don't suggest jumping the jetty to anyone, but people do it.

YEP, I AGREE.

IN 32 YEARS I DONT THINK I HAVE JUMPED OFF OF A JETTY MORE THAN 8 OR 10 TIMES TOTAL...AND THOSE TIMES WERE MOSTLY WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND UNINFORMED.
I DO NOT RECCOMMEND JETTY JUMPING EITHER. THERE IS A LIST OF REASONS NOT TO DO IT.

BOTTOM LINE IS IT IS NOT SAFE.