Mike McCune surfing in Seward, Alaska.
A break that you can drive to in Seward? I don’t recall when or where I first heard of this, it sounded a bit mystical at the time. After making the 7hr round trip drive twice for nothing, that reputation was well established. When Mike asked if I wanted to make the trip again, I knew better, but agreed anyhow. What if they scored without me!? 4:30am we were on the road. 8am were were sitting in the car at the end of the road in Seward watching some ankle slappers peel along the beach. I call them ankle slappers, but they weren’t just any old surf for vermin. These were perfect 8inch grinders, and if you watched through the binoculars you could easily imagine yourself sitting right there in the happy spot smiling at your good fortune. At breakfast in Seward I think we were all thinking about that movie, what was it called? Honey I shrunk the kids?
9:30am we are full of breakfast and back at the break just to make absolutely sure it wasn’t worth the drive. Turns out that over breakfast none of use got any smaller, but the swell had climbed to something that resembled waist to chest high. Mike and Iceman made it halfway between the car and the break before turning around and running back for their suits and boards. And that my friend, is when the fun began.
There is no doubt that the combined 21hrs of driving committed to this session was repaid in full by this perfect morning in Resurrection Bay. Add it all up and it wasn’t even an hour per wave!
Wish you could have been there. Enjoy the photos.
Mike McCune surfing Seward, Alaska.
Iceman surfing Seward, Alaska.
Iceman surfing Seward, Alaska.
Mike McCune surfing Seward, Alaska.
Iceman surfing Seward, Alaska.
How fun was that?
Surf break in Seward, Alaska.
Redoubt Volcano steaming about 11 hours after it erupted sending ash to 63,000ft
I might whine a bit about the driving time for us Homerites to get over to Seward, but the scenery isn’t too bad, and this was a particularly good day to be away from our Homer hometown. Turns out that while we were in Seward our most active nearby volcano erupted and sent a cloud of ash that lightly coated Homer and surrounding areas. We have since then had a much more substantial ash fall, but that’s another story.
My car which got to stay in the driveway collecting volcanic ash in Homer.
Another great day captured just as it was, thanks Scott…….hmmmm what’s next??
thanks Mike
Wow! Finally, somebody got some photos of Seward showing its rare, but certain potential. I lived in Seward in ’95, and I used to check the Bay everyday. I saw plenty of days with perfect little grinders and then on a random hike out to Lowell Point one day there it was…surfable Seward…right in front of the waterfall. I almost pooped myself. I had no board and there was no one around. I was going nuts! I knew that swell could get up in there.
I am moving back to Seward in two days and will be looking once again. I hope to hook up with you guys at some point. I am relocating from the Virginia Beach/Cape Hatteras area of the mid-Atlantic and looking forward to surfing many uncrowded, clean lefts in the land of the midnight sun.
Best,
Mike
Thanks for the comment Mike. Hope we can share a wave sometime soon.
Hey dudes,
I was just in Seward on Wednesday, and no swell. Looks like fun. You guys need to hit me up for your next trip because the drive is no problem for me. Going to Sitka tomorrow…I’ll let you know how it is.
See you in the water
Tyler – we don’t really have our forecasting nailed on this one so usually we are driving with our fingers crossed. Not the kind of situation where you want to start inviting all your friends.
alright now, first daytime negative tides this spring showing up at ankau break in yakutat on the 23rd de abril. hope the swell shows. i know jack has some more 7s fishes for great prices if anybody needs one. keep it up and have a great spring…
Hi Dylan – Thanks for the note. I almost brought one of those 7s fishes home last fall. Now you have me thinking again.
hey dylan
im looking for a fish i live in anchorage e maile me more info darlingzach@yahoo.com i have never surfed in ak i was born here and moved down to cali for a couple years fell in love with
surfing then moved back can any of you guys help me out with info i wont blow up your spots
im just one person and i can keep a secret and we are all alaskans any info would be loved on spots and how to forcast
Zach – you can look Jack up at his website: http://icywaves.com/ He’s a nice guy that is great at supporting us AK surfers. Most of us are happy to share information about surf breaks, as you might imagine it can be pretty complicated and fickle with the tides and somewhat lacking weather data. Join our group on facebook and keep an eye on the discussion there, you might get some tips that way. Or find a friend with a boat and an airplane and help us all get some more waves and you’ll be an instant best friend!
oh ya nar waves guys to bad the drive harshes your mellow
not to sound like a paranoid local or anything, but holy crap man, if this isn’t the kind of place where you would want someone to bring friends, why name it? why not just post the good pics without text and chalk it up as a sick session? nice pics, btw. looks like you guys scored some good ones this year.
Sommers – Thanks for your kind words, we certainly did score some sweet waves in Seward. But as I mentioned they didn’t exactly come easy. Sorry I wasn’t very clear when I said this isn’t the kind of situation where I want to start inviting all my friends. What I was referring to was the fact that I wouldn’t feel confident inviting friends because our experience forecasting waves at this place has been pretty spotty. I don’t know about you, but I always feel kind of bad when I get my buddies surf stoke firing and then it’s flat. . . SurfAlaska.net is founded on the idea that if we all share more stoke and information about surfing spots in Alaska collectively we’ll all get more swell. Surely you can join me in the imagination of just a few of the thousands of unexplored miles of coastline in AK. What’s stopping us from pioneering all these new breaks in Alaska? I think it’s lack of information and logistical resources – two things that can be overcome by some friendly sharing. I can ramble on about this to great length, today is not the day for that though. Sorry to be a point of frustration for you, I hope I can invite you to a new break someday and share a wave.
Share the stoke!!
Thanks 1.0, good surfing with you this weekend.
Back in Seward and checking everyday. I’m guessing it’s fall/winter when more swell will show up. I checked 4th of July Creek on the side of Resurrection Bay opposite Seward, and with an open swell window to the North Pacific that place has left point/rivermouth written all over it. Jeez, what a good-looking spot. Have seen more on the map, but only time and swell will reveal potential. No board up here, yet, but hoping by the end of the year.
Best,
Mike
thanks for the update Mike. I think you are right on the winter being the best time for Seward. Best of luck to you this summer though! Maybe kayak down to Bear Glacier . ..
hello there cold water surfers, i been surfing 4th 4 a long time when its on
since i live here in seward in a cabin above the bay , its winter time 4th goes off
and its only when the right swell are huge out side , and there
south swell in it or a huge west with some south , seem like , fun wave , go camp at bear with some toys and your bound to have some fun when the swell s come , sea ya then
b jamin
Hi B Jamin – Thanks for the comment. Hope to see you in the water sometime this year.
Scott,
Thank you for printing and showing such great shots, I have been a fan of your work, and website, and look forward to meeting and surfing with you one day.
I have to smile at some of the blog posts, I have been surfing here for over 14 years, quietly and happily, and it is nice to meet new people in the break.
Unfortunatly this is a spot which works very infrequently, and is kept quiet for a good reason.
We can share waves here, and there is a politeness in the line-up, from both locals and visitors, But as you know, come with a smile, show some respect, and be nice, otherwise your water and wave time will be limited, most Alaskan surfers follow this code.
I would rather it was quality surfers, than the wanabe’s out here with all their mates in tow enjoying these waves.
I know it may be the 4th, but we call it “LEGENDS” thats because of all what nature has to do to make it work, and after the few who surf it regular through the year.
Here’s to a respectful surfing future in the paradise of the North.
Aloha and Regards,
Simon G.
Ps… Surf or go Home.
Thanks Simon for the kind words and sharing your thoughts on the scene there. Hope we can meet on a lucky day this winter.
Hi Simon,
Hope you will see this,I’ve lost contact with you on FB.what’s up with that ?
I see Milne Point is looking for fuelers–are you still there ?
I’d be happy as hell to get back up on the slope and work with you.
Stay in touch……..
Mark
I’ve been surfing it for 10years plus myself and have never heard it called “legends”.If you are fortunate enough to score then you can call it anything you like.I call it freedom.He calls it luck.Gonna have a hard time getting any one tag to stick here.A tip.Look for the negative tides.
I used to live in Seward for a few years in the late 90’s. I surfed the 4th whenever it broke and actually surfed Tonsina as well ( i bummed a kayak from a buddy, strapped my longboard on top and paddled in from from Lowell Point). It was hilarious,…I have no kayaking skills whatsoever and I ended up flipping over as I made the landing at Tonsina. Caught a couple good ones though before it shut off.
Alaska has some great surf all over the place but tides are so big that you really have a pretty limited window in places like Resurrection Bay. The 4th Creek would go from flat to head high and then flat again in just a few hours.
I never saw anyone else there except Ed and Lolly from GoodWeed, mostly though I surfed it by myself. Ed showed me the trick of standing on the little submerged rock just inside the take-off in between sets to avoid freezing to death and the sea lions sometimes got pretty aggro. Little beasties would charge then pass underneath ( super creepy). My girlfriend actually got all pissed at me for threatening to use seal bombs to clear the line-up,- she said it was illegal. She didn’t surf.
Back then we could build a nice fire on the beach to get warm or just chill out and wait for the window to open. I remember scoring about once a week or so for most of the winter months but it was only a few good waves, then over quickly. You really have to want it bad or be bored with a lot of free time to score anywhere in the bay. My advice is save your gas money and use it to book a cheap flight to Hawaii where you can sleep shitfaced in the sand, steal pineapples, and score some of the best waves of your life. If you are determined to surf Seward get a boat and do your homework as there are a few other surf spots around the area.