Surfing in Texas means you have to be ready when a swell arrives. Hurricane Zeta provided the swell peaking at bouy 42019 about 3:50 pm on Wednesday. The wave height of 12.1 feet at 11 second intervals provided a fun playground for surfers all day and got bigger as the sun went down. The arrival of this swell was unique in that it was met with strong northwest offshore winds from an approaching frontal boundary. I have not seen that scenario play out in a while and was excited about surfing a good, long period swell with offshore winds.
I arrived at the Galveston Fishing Pier around two in the afternoon and took a few shots of the short boarders screaming down the line on chest high faces. The current was fairly strong from west to east and required a lot of paddling to stay in the best spot. As I was taking pictures, I noticed the right side of the pier had less current. A few long boarders were catching some good rights from just inside the t-head and connecting to the inside section. I quickly put my camera up, threw on my wet suit and paddled out into the lineup. As the afternoon went on, the sets got bigger and the prime takeoff spot moved further out past the t-head and about 75 yards to the right. Even with the strong offshore winds, I was able to get some no paddle takeoffs. The waves set up nicely with long wind-groomed walls which got steeper as you approached the inside sandbar. Occasionally, you could get a cover-up and come out of it. Most of the time you got worked as the wave pitched and closed out on you. I was definitely not tube dodging and paid the price time after time.
After sharing fun waves with good people for about three hours, I got out and got my camera to take some more pictures. I went out on the pier to get some closer shots as the sets were breaking out past the t-head. I mainly focused on the short boarders on the left side of the pier. There were several people getting barreled and having a great time.
Mother nature was showing off today and was a true blessing for the surfers. I can’t help but be concerned for the good people of Louisiana who took another hit from a category 1 hurricane. I pray that everyone stayed safe, that no life is lost and property damage is minimal. As I was driving home, I was reminded of the beauty of God’s creation by the deep red glow of sunset after a wonderful day in the water. I hope you got to enjoy the good surf with friends. Don’t forget to give God the glory for all he has blessed you with. Luke 2:14
Thanks for reading my blog and enjoy the video from today. God bless you.
Tim Lumpkin
Legacy-outdoors.net
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Instagram: @tlump10
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