“When I got to the beach I didn’t understand what was happening!”
Interview with Venezuelan Derek Gomes who surfed the best swell that broke in Miami in recent years. “It was a day I will never forget,” he added.
On January 28, Venezuelan Derek Gomez was present at the best day of surfing in Miami in at least seven years, although many say it may have been even longer since there was a day that, that good in South Beach.
Tubes from 5 to 8 feet wide, or even longer, crashed all day at the city's famous beach that is identified more by the stars it hosts than by the waves it crashes on.
Tragic Hurricane Sandy is the one taken as a reference to say that seven years have passed, but locals like Evan Geiselman told Surfline that that day was not as good as this one.
This is what Derek said about the historic day in Miami.
They say it was the best day of surfing in Miami in the last seven years. How did it go for you?
Well, I've only been here for about a year and a half now, but from what I've experienced in these parts, it's very likely that it's been the best day (laughs).
It was a bit of an unexpected day because the report did not indicate that it was going to be that good and there in South Beach usually has to be a very big swell for there to be waves or there has to be some local wind swell.
It was definitely my best day of surfing in Florida, perfect tubes all over the beach on both sides with good size, quite strong, good conditions and not so many people -I think because of the size of the wave-. It was a day I will never forget..
Tell me how it was, you arrived at the beach and...
When I got to the beach I couldn't understand what was happening! The first thing I saw was foam breaking on the horizon and I couldn't believe it... It indicated that it would be 2 to 4 feet deep at most and the sets of 6 to 8 feet were easily coming out - sometimes even more. I was so excited that I ran out to get in with my small wave board, which was the only one I had brought, and I found that the sea was too strong and it was a bit difficult for me to get in... I would have liked to have a step up to have a better paddle and catch the waves in the set more comfortably, but I never imagined that it would be that size there in Miami Beach.
What were your best waves? Tell us about them.
My first waves were a few wipeouts (laughs). There was a strong offshore wind and it wasn't easy to get to the waves and get off to a fast start to get through the section that in all the waves meant going through a barrel.
After not having success on my first waves, I started to understand the conditions a little better and I was able to catch two waves that made my day. One was one of the biggest waves of the set and it was a good drop with a good tube that wasn't very long but it was a big wave and it was very intense, it felt good.
The other one was a medium one but it opened perfectly and was a long and wide tube, with that one I ended up making my day quite happy.
Who do you say had the best of the day?
Mine were epic (laughs)! No, I'm lying, they were good but I have to say that I saw Evan Geiselman on a really heavy right and also Puerto Rican Marley Puglielli on another right on a really long tube! It's a tight race between those waves.
How often can you surf in Miami? What is a normal day like there?
In Miami it is quite inconsistent, one week there may be waves almost every day, with two to three feet maximum, nothing spectacular, or it may be flat for up to two or three weeks.
It also depends on the season. Now that it's winter here, there are usually waves more often, but when summer comes, it gets really rough. If there aren't any waves here in Miami, if you drive further north, you can find something surfable.
A normal day here in Miami... Checking the camera in the morning to see the waves and if it's flat, like many days, you have to drive two or three hours north to surf something or you have to train physically right there in Miami.
Personally, I started doing yoga about a month ago and it has helped me a lot with my surfing and it has also helped me calm the frustration of flat days (laughs).
And now, seven years for another swell like that?
I hope not (laughs). We are still in the middle of wave season here in Florida so there is still hope that another north swell will come and it will become epic again.
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