Atlantic City in New Jersey is associated with one thing to the widespread population — “that show on HBO.” Yes, Boardwalk Empire depicts the city’s exciting beginnings that involved corruption and an entire city’s unwillingness to stop serving liquor, yet there is so much more to The World’s Playground. Today, Atlantic City still thrives off of gaming entertainment and alcohol sales. But outside and away from the the monstrous casinos that are covered in shiny glass and bright lights, barrels are being ridden and airs are being thrown from people you have never heard of. When swell hits this part of New Jersey, the jetties and piers turn on, producing some of the best beach breaks you could ever stumble upon.
From the middle of May ’til the end of November, all eyes are focused on the tropics. Hurricanes create some of the best surf. None of this is a secret. But now, there is a relatively new season that has become increasingly popular: winter. People are pulling on thick 5 and 7 millimeter suits with hoods and booties, taking advantage of the surf year round. The water is freezing, the wind is whipping, but all day long you share tube after tube with only a handful of your friends. And of all places, our stretch of coastline on the east coast is a paradise for cold water surf.
Paddling out on a brisk winter morning along side the Steel Pier — imagine a rotting Santa Monica Pier — is like no other surfing experience. The beach is deserted. You can see your own breath. The surf can pack a punch and when it’s cold, the term ice cream headache becomes a reality. Hold downs are terrible. Some swells linger for two days but mostly it’s one and done. All the down time between swells gives surfers time to defrost their bodies and dry out their 5-mils.
Off the water, there is no parking lot chit-chat while sipping on the newest Starbucks latte. Instead, you’re carefully hiding your keys so no one sees where you put them and your dodging broken glass on your way through the parking lot. The surfers who do call Atlantic City home and suit up and charge these waters regularly, share a strong comrade between one another. There is respect embedded between the locals and a powerful sense of community attached to the pure stoke of surfing that they share.
The locals can be intimidating and if you’re not a familiar face, dirty looks and even a command to move down the beach are not uncommon. Sharp jetties and rugged drain pipes linger below the surface, so you really have to know where you are taking off. Walking under the boardwalk from one spot to another can scare the shit out of some people because of the bums that take shelter there. They’re friendly, just throw a shaka… they don’t know what it means.
But if you’re from here you wouldn’t have it any other way. Brown and hollow surf keeps the mind at ease and almost helps you forget how cold you are.
In our eyes, Atlantic City is an actual paradise. It’s dirty, sketchy, and beautiful, all simultaneously. It isn’t for everyone. And guess what? We’re okay with that.
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