Father's day in Spring Lake, NJ

It is 5:30 PM and I have still not got a ride in. I am writing this in my cycling clothes and I am expecting to hit the pavement in a few minutes.

For father's day it was decided that we would spend the day at Spring Lake, NJ. I was not sure what was planned but I hung around the house this morning since I knew there were going to be some plans for the day. Spring Lake is one of the beach towns south of Asbury Park. Even though I live about 10 minutes away from Sandy Hook, Sea Bright, Monmouth Beach and Long Branch we seldom go there. Our usual spot to hit the Atlantic is Spring Lake.

Spring Lake is one of few Jersey Shore towns that it is all about the beach. There is a boardwalk but that is all it is. No rides, no fried food stands and no bars. There are a couple of older hotels that have upscale restuarants that tend to always have a wedding in progress. If you want the excitement you need to go one town north to Belmar or two towns south to Point Pleasant. However, Spring Lake has beach culture. Lots of surfers and it is almost like a big club where everone knows everyone.

I heard a couple of older surfers talking about board shaping and it seemed like surfing was a big father's day activity. Lots of father's with their sons and daughters getting out on the boards.

Today turned out to be a great day for the beach. By the time we got there the high tide had just come in. There were lots of surfers still out. In fact this was one of the few days that I can remember there being lots of surfers the whole day. I brought my Boogie and my fins but I am not as good a rider as I was when I was younger.

I spent most of the day in the water and my rash guard turned out to be worth the investment (now I have a farmer's tan). My Boogie board hit me in the face during a particularly rough set of waves. Of course it hit me on the hard side not the soft side. I got hit in the nose and the force made me bit my lower lip. My body took a big beating just to get 3 good rides on the board. I found the best riding is when the tide goes out in the afternoon and the sand bar is exposed. You take less of a beating and even the smaller waves push you forward.

It turned out to be a great day on the beach. A good change of pace. I did not bring my camera so I found a map and a decent picture of the beach on the web.

Time to hit the pavement.