Surfers are excited about waves generated by Hurricane Earl

Swimmers weren't allowed in the water past their knees Wednesday at Mickler's Landing in Ponte Vedra Beach. But surfers were.

Huge waves caused by Hurricane Earl hundreds of miles out to sea rolled in, generating large waves, crashing white caps, lots of rip tides and excitement among surfers.

"It's a little bumpy out there," said Sean Thompson of Mandarin. "If you wait, you can definitely get some nice ones."

When hurricanes are off the coast, that's when surfing is at its best in Northeast Florida.

"The waves are bigger; that's what we all live for," Thompson said.

A lot of surfers who live for bigger waves hit the beach this week to take advantage of Hurricane Earl's gifts. As the storm churned up the eastern seaboard of the United States, the waves grew each day.

They were choppy at mid-week, but anticipation re-emerged Thursday morning that perfect conditions were on the way. The waves subsided Thursday afternoon. But surfers, photographers and others knew Tropical Storm Fiona was on Earl's heels. And hurricane season's not over until Nov. 30.

On Tuesday, the powerful Category 4 Earl moved northward past Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, packing 135 mph winds. By Wednesday, it was off the coast of South Florida, on a path that meteorologists forecast would take it toward North Carolina's Outer Banks.

That morning, Bob Satter of Jacksonville Beach hit the waves around 8 a.m. and surfed for several hours. To his delight, the waves grew as the morning progressed.

"It's on the increase," said Satter, who's been surfing for 30 years. "The waves are now 4 to 6 feet. By tomorrow, we should have the biggest waves in Florida history. It will definitely separate the men from the boys."

Matthew Wolff, who surfed that day at Mickler's Landing, said he was also hoping for glossier conditions Thursday, when winds were expected to shift offshore, which would "clean up" the swell.

As Earl approached, he said the swell should fill in.

A large red and white no-swimming sign posted by lifeguards kept swimmers out of the water on that beach, but one of the lifeguards said surfers could go in because they have flotation devices.

"It's not safe, I don't think at all," Wolff said. "The water's always going to be more powerful than a person."

But for surfers, "if you get dragged out, you have something to hold onto," he said.

Since the waves were so strong and close together Wednesday, only experienced surfers with stamina could make their way out to where they could catch some good ones.

By noon, as high tide approached, dozens were riding the swells in Jacksonville Beach on both sides of the pier.

Satter said Cody Thompson, "the best surfer in Jacksonville," was out there. As were many others, who caught waves as spectators and anglers watched. At times, some surfers drifted close to the pier and got in shouting matches with some fishermen.

By Thursday morning, when the tide was low, the winds still had not shifted. But about two dozen surfers rode large waves on either side of the pier, and others joined them as the morning went on.

They expected conditions to improve through the day as Earl swung past the coast and the tide came in.

So did a group of spectators who lined the pier to watch the action, many with cameras.

"They've got some good sets coming in, about 6 to 8 feet," said Jeff Browning of Atlantic Beach, who is a surfer and a surf photographer.

"The winds are blowing from the ocean, which gives it a choppy effect," he said. "Tomorrow, winds should be offshore, out of the southwest. That will give it a glassy effect, with longer lines on the waves."

He smiled.

"It should be a zoo here tomorrow," he said.

Because those are the kinds of waves they all live for.

Maggie FitzRoy can also be reached at (904) 249-4947, ext. 6320.