Please tell me about waves in the Bahamas

[doublewide]

I don't know about surfing, but sailing to the Bahamas is easy enough. Where is your boat now?
We generally wait to south of Cumberland Island GA until after hurricane season, about Oct 31. Check for a late-season storm before you sail. From NC stay inside the stream to Florida, then make southing to about Ft. Lauderdale, wait for a weather window (don't cross the stream if the wind is in the north) and head due east, usually under power. the Stream will provide your northing, and you can go onto the Great Bahama Bank in a couple of places, or you can go through the Northwest Providence Channel. Read your Bahamas cruising guide for details.

[wayne.b]

Originally Posted by g_3

Yes, first post, but I've been lurking in here for several posts.

Sorry I don't have a vlog or a blog you can give me money for, so instead, every time I post anything anywhere, please just send $1,000.

Kidding.

If you've been to the Bahamas, and I think a lot of you have - - is it possible to sail to them in the winter months, then use the boat as a surf base?

I don't sail much, I do surf much, and I live on a beach with the ICW just on the other side of our barrier island.

Winter here absolutely sucks. Always has. 40F water temps and NE winds.

But as my kids are de-nesting, I think I could break out 3-4 months down that way, tooling around, looking for waves.

So... (and I've scoured the internet, there are charters, but no one has a good surf report on the islands.)

Not looking for anything big, I know it's not Chopes, but nice longboard waves? What have you seen? Have anyone tried this? Do you have leads/links for me please?

What do you think? Is there enough swell to find a spot, ride it for a few weeks, move on?

It's got all the makings -- open to deep ocean, gets shallow quickly, steady trade winds, variable features on the shorelines.... but there is very little info.

Thanks everyone.

As others have said, the east side of Eleuthera is well known in the surfing world. You can fly into the south Eleuthera airport (RSD) from Miami, rent a jeep, and drive north to anyone of several different guest houses that cater to surfers. If you don't want your own jeep some of the guest houses will pick you up at the airport.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...ra+surf+hotels

[Tingum]

Hopetown has some nice breaks and is very convenient. If you want big waves try Whale Cay passage in a rage! Sometime you can go all the way to the beach in Treasure Cay, but it is not for the faint of heart! You need a jet ski or fast hard bottom to drop you off but it often breaks 15'+ during heavy easterlies. I like to ride the cuts on a Hobie Cat!

[g_3]

Originally Posted by doublewide

I don't know about surfing, but sailing to the Bahamas is easy enough. Where is your boat now?
We generally wait to south of Cumberland Island GA until after hurricane season, about Oct 31. Check for a late-season storm before you sail. From NC stay inside the stream to Florida, then make southing to about Ft. Lauderdale, wait for a weather window (don't cross the stream if the wind is in the north) and head due east, usually under power. the Stream will provide your northing, and you can go onto the Great Bahama Bank in a couple of places, or you can go through the Northwest Providence Channel. Read your Bahamas cruising guide for details.

Oh I'm still boatless, but live on the OBX so I find 5 in my yard after a good hurricane season.... I'd jump on the ICW in the Pamlico Sound, got a buddy with a marina in Kitty Hawk.

got a Jr in HS so this would be a couple years out, plan is to leave in Nov as our surf gets cold after Oct 20, then ... thanks... Ft. Lauderdale ... I was wondering where to turn left.

Which Bahamas Cruising Guide do you recommend?

thanks DW, love your username, you must own a cat

[adlib2]

Cruised the Bahamas many times and never seen Surfers. The closest would be west end of Puerto Rico; although, at times surfing around Miami & Ft. Lauderdale.

[barnakiel]

I'd guess whenever a bad one pops up in the N Atlantic you should get pretty decent surf in the Bahamas too. ?

You want bad ones far off rather than that trade winds chop that is pretty useless for surfers.

b.

[Captain Bill]

I know a couple of surfers that live near Hatchet Bay on Eleuthera. Hatchet bay is a great anchorage with 360 protection. It's a bit of a hike to the other side of the Island, but they claim there are a couple of good surfing beaches nearby.

[g_3]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I'd guess whenever a bad one pops up in the N Atlantic you should get pretty decent surf in the Bahamas too. ?

You want bad ones far off rather than that trade winds chop that is pretty useless for surfers.

b.

I was curious about that too: ie what kind of waves trade winds push in. Typically the longer the swell period, the happier we get, but if the wind changes fast enough after a short swell period onshore event, that gets good too but for a shorter time.

Thanks B

[the_alpine]

Hatchet Bay. I sailed to and spent 3 months doing what you wish. The best setup was hatchet bay. Anchor there and then you can walk/hitchhike to any of the breaks. As soon as the wind gets some south in it, it's offshore conditions. I surfed for weeks in 6-8' clean conditions with no one out.

Also had really good surf in the exumas near big majors. Apparently a ne/e swell can squeak past the s tip of Eleuthera and into exuma sound. I saw pipe creek at 6' hollow and bending 180 degrees.

Check my blog highexposures.com and feel free to message me.


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[Virginia Lee]

I concur re: Rock Sound, great protected anchorage for the winter weather, almost 360 degree protection. I spent several winter months there in 2012. You can also walk to a grocery store that is one of the best you'll find outside of Georgetown / Nassau ...