SURFING SWELL WINDOW

When it comes to anticipating the arrival of a distant swell, it helps to know our swell window. In Jacksonville, direct north swells are blocked by the concave shape of the Georgia coastline. Offshore storms that have a fetch pointed back toward Jacksonville will generate waves on our local beaches if the storm angle is between 44 and 132 degrees on a compass heading. Direct swells from the south are blocked by the Bahama Bank. South Florida surfers know this problem too well. They only get a sizable swell form the north. In fact a NW wind can sometimes push swell down into West Palm Beach which is a unique set up. There is a gap in the Bahamas around the Berry Islands and north of New Providence Island that permits swells to sneak through and target a small area in Broward county near Deerfield Beach in South Florida.

One of the most consistent surf breaks on the east coast is Cape Hatteras. You can see why by looking at how the island sits way out into the Atlantic. It captures swells 200 degrees wide on the compass. No wonder this is why the Eastern Surfing Championships are held at this location
each summer.