Schmid, cuttin’ back on the inside.

Reef Road Rage as Hurricane Florence Blows Swell Into Florida
Words and photos by Danny Moody

Friday, September 8th 2006. The Atlantic’s 6th named tropical system was being forecast to enter into the “hot zone.” Hurricane Florence’s projected path would take it right at Bermuda and into the rich, swell generating waters of the western Atlantic.

Throughout the weekend, Surfers from all of the country fled to the east coast from Palm Beach to New York. As the storm moved north, it was forecasted to throw back a blast of energy directly at the Florida coastline.

As Monday blurred into Tuesday, all eyes watched Florence move off into the mid Atlantic. North and Central Florida were starting to pick up swell but it was not anything that lived up to the forecasted expectations. Onshore winds were blowing apart any swell that made it through.

As dawn broke Wednesday morning, the first signs of clean swell were starting to show. Thick, fast lines were plowing over the horizon from the northeast. This is what every Florida surfer had anxiously awaited.

Calls started pouring in from the crew. Palm Beach surfers William Kimball and Lyn Meyers were eyeballing breaks from Jupiter Island to Palm Beach but the power of this swell placed one break on the forefront of our minds. Reef Road.

Reef Road is perched at the eastern-most part of the Florida coastline. Large ocean swells come out of the nearby deep Gulf Stream waters and charge up the continental shelf.

As we watched the swell get larger, we came to the conclusion that a tow in session on the outside break was going to be the best way to capture the full intensity of this swell. Everyone moved into action. I was hastily on the phone with long time fishing buddy, Brett Brown. Brett’s 31’ center console fishing boat was going to be the perfect platform to photograph and film the action. At 3PM the skis were launched from a nearby boat ramp and Surfers; Lyn Meyers, William Kimball and Mark Schmid raced to Palm Beach inlet with myself and videographer Greg Panas.

Running out Palm Beach inlet, I sat perched in the tower of Brett’s boat. I had a clear view of what was ahead. GAME ON. Brett’s twin 250HP engines powered us directly into the Reef Road bombing range.

As the guys were dropped into the water, we watched perfect 12-15’ sets blast through the shipping channel and straight at us.

The boat crew took a few minutes to find a sweet spot on the edge of the break to photograph. Amid the commotion of finding a place to shoot, without being killed, we saw something giant on the horizon. Coming through the outside channel is our first bomb. Local surfer Brett Beach had arrived before our crew and was on his way out behind the ski. We watched in amazement at Brett was pulled, at full throttle, into the building face. His release shot him down the line as the full energy of a double overhead behemoth pushed him into overdrive.

The next 2 hours were heavenly bliss. The right people, the right wave, the right light. It was every surfers and surf photographers dream come true. A memory that will be permanently etched the front of our minds forever.