This particular swell kind of came out of left field. The outer buoys didn’t indicate anything special, but I took a ride down to a spot in Ocean County, anyway. To my surprise, the swell was super clean and much bigger than previously forecasted. The light beaming through the clouds beautifully complimented the handful of clean, perfect tubes that rolled through with barely anyone out. The black and white photos should serve as proof that you can’t always trust your forecasting models. Sometimes you just have to gamble. Sometimes you lose, but sometimes the rewards are great. But one thing is clear: missing out on great waves when you were fully capable of surfing is the worst feeling ever.
