Sebastian Inlet-The Accidental Wave

[@metomhub]

Surfed it nearly every morning on my way to vero. It was usually empty maybe one other guy out. Thanks army corps of engineers, you wrecked the break and dumping sand on the reef system to protect the condos built on the dunes on barrier islands just shows corporations rule the usa. Got to enjoy it while it was there and thats some great memories. Nothing lasts in this world.

[@dhoover5480]

That was the absolute premier wave of Florida - we surfed it hard 69-72. You had the have your shit together because the peak was so powerful that it would have you flying off the shoulder in the blink of an eye. Taught us all how to master a full wrap cutback for sure. and then we moved to settle in NSB where that new jetty was producing great waves on both sides of Ponce inlet and could handle crowds better than the tiny arena of Sebastian. Occassionally we'd see MOnster Hole looking good, but no one ever went out there back then for obvious reasons. The idiots who redesigned Sebastian's north jetty must have been fishermen because that's who benefits for the death of first and second peaks. Looked at cams there this morning and saw the surf fishermen all set up where we would be enjoying first peak wedges in the 70's and 80's. I think they destroyed it in the mid 90's? Really sad. That 1st peak wedge would double the size of small swells and hold big swells too. Dry barrels are so hard to find on the east coast and man do I miss those sessions down there before it was publicized with the Fletcher Sharp cover photo in the surf mag and crowds exploded. And goofy footers started claiming 3rd point lefts which really fired too, as crowds expanded and we bailed out for two inlets north. At least the submerged rock ledges of the Satellite Beach area are still as good as back then. Phil Rouzer and Donnie Londini stayed in Indialantic to surf that break so I guess all of my informal surf team didn't leave warmer waters of the Cocoa area

[@floridasurfmuseum6509]

Thanks for sharing your surf stories . It was great to be a local back then.

[@markrosenquist8259]

So many great days surfing there in the 80s and early 90s. When first peak was on it was incredible!

[@Mr.air360]

Yes sir

[@glendamasters8047]

I surfed 1st peak and im from st augustine back in the 90's this spot was nothing to fear as far as the locals trust me.

[@d0sitmatr]

LMAO ! you are correct... by the 90's, groms and k00ks were already in the habit of getting law enforcement involved and threats of lawsuits abounded. but had you been there in the 70's/80's you would have a totally different opinion.

[@jimsweeney1134]

I took it for granted that most of the surfers went there on any given day. I surfed more and better waves than any of those guys when I lived down down the road aways.. Thank you very much boys

[@d0sitmatr]

Wabasso was my favorite spot too. but Im not going to say it was better than SI. it was just a different wave altogether.

[@nowhere3252]

It was a sick Peak. Grew up surfing there in 80's and 90's and believe me if you weren't ripping it, you were out. Thanks for the amazing blast from the past.

[@timboc105]

I was with ya brother in the water back then too.. IT was smoking on all of the East and SE swells and Spanish House

[@Mr.air360]

Exactly

[@CarolLove-u7l]

Lived there from 1974 to 1975 specifically for that wave and Spanish House. Best year of my surfing life! I’m sad it’s no longer a thing. Great memories!

[@Mike.Shredz]

man it’s been chest to shoulder high all july don’t let surfline fool you saying 0-1 poor

[@craigieplaysstuff]

It still gets good waves on the right conditions

[@EMan-cu5zo]

So once a year maybe.

[@TurnerRentz]

@@EMan-cu5zo If that. Very washed out

[@Mike.Shredz]

@@TurnerRentz dude it’s been the best place all summer except new smyrna, 2 hours after low tide has been having clean chest high sets

[@Kahuna54]

Never surfed Florida, the one time I went to go swimming there I was stung by jelly fish! Lol

[@johnhagan582]

I grew up in Orlando in the late 70s and early 80s and spent most my early teens learning how to surf in Cocoa Beach out behind the old Quiet Flight surf shop .waves were definitely on the small side 1-3 foot on most days but the awesome thing was me and my late buddy Mark Pipkins had the place mostly to our selves throughout most the summer (we would camp out in the parking lot and crash on the Beach in sleeping bags) while most others in the area would go down to PAFB at tables .1st light and 2nd light and surf the reef break .which as we would surf there quite often also but have to admit our best sessions were when we drove either up to jetties at Smyrna Beach or down south to Sebastián Inlet .the wave then is what I guess is what your are calling first peak but I never knew of it being called that in 1978-1983 the years I surfed there .but yeah me being right footed the wave that started out at the end of the jetties that jacked up and made for awesome rights .can't remember any good lefts at that spot right there at the left point of the jetties moving forward right towards the shore so yeah was perfect and tailored made for us .where the Inlet at New Smyrna was just the opposite making for perfect lefts for goofy footed surfers coming in out at the end of the jetty .I remember my best surfed waves were at Sebastián Inlet when was 4 ft and glassy .a couple of those days I remember getting stung by jelly fish that just so happened to float across the surface of the water and latched onto the back (thighs) of my legs causing excusiating pain leaving perfectly round bruises with several tinicles spike marks inside .but as much as it hurt it didn't keep me out of water for more than a few minutes .do remember having to get outta there before sunset or get attacked by the sand flies .seriously it was bad there and if you made the mistake of leaving your car windows down at dusk it was gnarly and would have to drive down the road with the car doors opened til you got them out lmfao .was almost as bad as the giant green eyed flies that would come out at Play Lynda Beach at Cape Canaveral in the late afternoon .they were 10 times worse than horse flies .but I moved away to Virginia in 83 and when I came back on a vacation like 15 years later to Sebastián that perfect wave was gone .they ruined it by changing the jetties and the whole shoreline .couldn't believe it .now i guess the best waves are on the right side of the rocks and out front off shore in the blue hole I think they call it .I was so disappointed when they changed all that .

[@awolsurf-TC]

Thanks for putting this together! Very nice

[@ZipSnipe]

Never caught it good down there at Sebastian, that first pic though looked like Ponce and I am glad Ponce didn't get that notoriety because it was crowded enough and when Ponce was on all those Sebastian boys would be there!

[@heartlessaztec5883]

First surfed there in the late 60's after Mike Tabling told me about it when he was visiting Jacksonville one weekend for business.

[@ricklayman9345]

Surfed there 80 s 90s. Used to camp in back of Spanish house all weekends

[@kevinkhoy7171]

Similar to the Wedge in California. Like a Gigantic Tongue! Pitching out into a perfect Right! It's Long Gone now! 1972 before leashes! Never got close enough to ride 1 next to the jetty. So Heavily guarded back in the day. It was for locals only! 🌊🏄

[@PalmBeachesPaul]

I've never surfed but always respected those who do, it's such a cool sport. So sad to see something so pure get ruined for no good reason. Would have loved to been here in the 80's 👍

[@izzimark75]

See you soon FL. Traded the surf board in for a snowboard. Time to wrk on my tan again

[@markrosenquist8259]

Same 🙌🤙

[@MelhadoDanny]

The Rhinos rock work project will bring it back!!😃

[@Mr.air360]

Miss you Danny you ripper you

[@Beachnative42]

I remember one of the Stubbie Pro contests and the heat Ross Pell was in was a freak set rolled thru. Ross completely destroyed everthing he took off on

[@Mr.air360]

I took 2nd, Ross did great

[@billmcmillan7735]

Wow what a bummer!

[@tedmarynowski3881]

Was there in the 80s and early 90s then moved to NZ

[@Mizzle83]

It really is a shame how it’s is now. That place was magical in its day!

[@Mr.air360]

So sad it got ruined, but at least i caught it before it did get ruined

[@mikehurricane5767]

To bad ,,, all you focused on is the snobs that ruined the inlet . The old timers like myself , we surfed there starting in the 60's . I designed my own boards and had them made in Delray . Back then , even on a bad day , to many kooks in the water . Shark pit is just a few miles north . We kept it a secret for years . Wabasso , Jupiter , Ft. Pierce , Hobe Sound , even Monster Hole . All ruined by jerks with no class . All these turkeys in this video are younger that my Grandsons . You should have been there yesterday ,,,,,,,

[@The98racer]

Especially Jupiter and ft Pierce have been ruined…even my home break of lake worth pier/ reef road is starting to get kooks everywhere especially lake worth

[@breathspinecore]

Man, those Army Corps of Engineer's sand "restoration" projects in the 90's ruined so many waves along the Florida Coast. I was a Jax Beach lifeguard when they did the Jax beaches, and before that-- all the peaks were so consistent and you knew which peak would do what given the conditions. But as soon as they pumped all that sand on to the beaches, the breaks were never the same after that. Always shifting after every storm. And now I live in Rincon, PR and those same assholes are proposing a major sand restoration project here. Kooks

[@Zeusspupp]

the damage done by dredging Indiatlantic and Mel beach is far worse then anything done in the 1990s.

[@Mr.air360]

So sad

[@diehardsurfing]

Sick vid

[@BabaIrie]

I'm from Tampa and some of my first waves were at Sebastian. I got chewed to pieces by da local OG's outdere. Unc said I looked like Jimi Hendrix on Peyote.🤣

[@joeybenoit6269]

Don't drop in on anybody! Get closer to the peak! No drop-in!!!!!!

[@BobbyJetty1502]

Thank you for staying away from the 1502

[@NMAMxRE]

Spanish house

[@DR-bu1sr]

it basically blows azz there now LOL damn that is sad but great video

[@ApriliaRacer14]

Surfed it as a kid in 80s/90s…they destroyed the wave.

[@Mr.air360]

Yeah it's sad

[@aldenhislop4960]

“Shark pit “ Summer of 65

[@jeffg4686]

An accident created a jewel. An idiot took it away (with the extended cage...) Dynamite that cage - there never was any "navigation issues" ... SITU sucks. #blast_it_back #fire_situ

[@nickscubi2971]

Wave sucks now

[@EMan-cu5zo]

Sucks now

[@laniakea777]

I was there