Acadia SUP

[Uluwatu69]

I had few tiny rides on my 11'2 SUP about 10 days ago at Acadia.
It was probably around 0.6 at HB for what I remember and tide about 12ft+.
C36, that was the day I met you going up the stairs with Gabriel.
According to you guys experience there, what are the minimum conditions there to have a decent SUP session, wave height and direction, tide and wind wise.
I was also checking that sandbank about 100m north of the parking lot and it looks like it might be breaking too with the tight tide.
These 2 pix were taken another days here and you can almost see the sandbank...

[C36]

I had few tiny rides on my 11'2 SUP about 10 days ago at Acadia.
It was probably around 0.6 at HB for what I remember and tide about 12ft+.
C36, that was the day I met you going up the stairs with Gabriel.
According to you guys experience there, what are the minimum conditions there to have a decent SUP session, wave height and direction, tide and wind wise.
I was also checking that sandbank about 100m north of the parking lot and it looks like it might be breaking too with the tight tide.
These 2 pix were taken another days here and you can almost see the sandbank...

ULU: That same day I caught about 4 rides on my SUP (8' 10" x 31") at WB - waves were generally really small by the time I arrived and sets were few. You can see some pictures of the conditions I got here.

I had an interesting realization that positioning was more important than 'paddling like you were insane' to catch them. The last two I caught took hardly any paddling at all!

Acadia can generate waves that appear to give long board rides, but this happens just after the wind tanks following a VERY strong west to northwest clearing wind. From what I have seen, wave direction is generally side shore at Acadia regardless of wind direction southwest through northwest. Waves will be smaller but wave shape will improve the shallower the water is, particularly on tides about 1 m (Upper Acadia) to 2 m (Acadia) - shots taken last Tues (Apr 21). On a 1 m tide even lighter summer wind events may be enough to generate long board waves at Upper Acadia. The deeper the tide gets at Acadia the larger the waves can be but they will become more bell-curved in shape. See the Acadia site info thread for more pictures taken at different tide depths and wind speeds in the "Tide" section.

I know of one surfer who claims when they try and surf at Acadia they stand atop boulders to hold their position against the current - not a practice I would recommend.

The reason I prefer WB over Acadia for SUP is wave shape, shelfered from the wind, sheltered from the current/tide and sand beach, and faces west (onshore exposure to swell travelling down the straight).

Hope that helps provide some general information.

[Uluwatu69]

That s great! Thks again C36.
Yup you are right, positioning is the key as for any other wave riding. Also the timing has to be right. I have caught on other spots many rides that I thought would not happen.
My last couple of times I was there in Acadia, I caught mist if the rides right by the first curb past the parking lot.
Is that the spot you call Up Acadia?
The other good thing is that I ride a 11'2 that gives me a longboard feel good glide. That board is a wave catcher. It allows me to walk back and forth on it for weight shifting.

Thanks again, hope to see you out there whenever there is done thing going on.
I'll give a shot at WB too... But got to admit that Acadia scenery is pretty stunning... And I am goofy too which makes me enjoying the rides even more.

[Uluwatu69]

I have just checked your post. Very very nice post and very informative.
Nice pix too.
It answers 99% of my questions.
Thks C36.

[C36]

I have just checked your post. Very very nice post and very informative.
Nice pix too.
It answers 99% of my questions.
Thks C36.

ULU: Glad there was something of use to you and that you enjoyed the pictures!