Dave Trapp has been surfing at Wrightsville Beach for 15 years, but after riding a large wave to shore Saturday, Oct. 3, he said the surf generated by northeast winds and Hurricane Joaquin spinning offshore was “about as big as it can really get around here.”
After several days of steady rain and with more showers forecasted for Sunday, an afternoon of sunshine Saturday brought hundreds of surfers, families and dog-owners to the beach. Many of the surfers sat on the beach, watching the large, powerful waves breaking and contemplating whether to paddle out.
“It’s pretty gnarly and dangerous,” Trapp said. “If you don’t know what you’re doing you could easily get hurt.”
Trapp said around 3 p.m. the set waves were overhead and as the tide continued to drop, strong undertows and rip currents were forming.
“I got held down one time when I wiped out and I hit the bottom,” he said.
Park ranger Shannon Slocum agreed the surf looked like a “washing machine.” It was a good day for gathering shells and walking dogs, he said, adding that despite the many dogs out enjoying their first weekend allowed back on the beach, all owners appeared to be following town rules like keeping the dogs leashed.
He also urged beachgoers to not sit on the lifeguard stands, several of which have broken in the high surf recently. The town’s public works department reinforced the remaining stands with piles of sand, but Slocum said they could still be unstable.
