Hurricane Irene: Are surfers crazy to love hurricanes?
What is it about hurricanes that draws surfers to the shore like moths to the flame? When everyone else is wringing their hands about a coming hurricane, some surfers respond with glee.
In his 2009 song 鈥淪urfing in a Hurricane,鈥� Jimmy Buffett sings, 鈥淚 ain鈥檛 afraid of dyin鈥�, I don鈥檛 need to explain.鈥�
When a major storm approaches, many surfers are thrilled by the much larger West Coast-type waves that churn up the East Coast鈥檚 normally flatter water. They peruse websites like or for the latest information on what the surf is doing.
鈥淲hen they name the storm, that鈥檚 when you start planning your schedule,鈥� Mark Mitchell told last year when an advancing Hurricane Earl was making waves in North Carolina.
What surfers want is 鈥渄ouble overhead鈥� 鈥� waves that are 12 to 15 high, or twice as tall as a surfer. Waves that look more like something you would see in Hawaii than on Virginia Beach. But the risks rise too, especially for novices or those surfers who don't have a lot of experience in bigger waves.
Often, surfers find that during the height of a storm, the winds create so much chop and crosscurrents that the wave patterns are too irregular for good surfing. They will typically , when the larger-than-normal waves are rolling in nice sets.
Ocean rescue personnel certainly don't appreciate daredevil hurricane surfers or anyone else who decides to have a go at dangerous surf when beaches are officially closed. A while braving the waves whipped up by Hurricane Danielle last year, and hundreds of swimmers had to be rescued from the treacherous currents. The roiling seas caused by Hurricane Bill claimed the life of a in 2009.
Take a look at the adrenaline junkies in this hurricane surfing video. Don't try this at home.
