Duppies surf guide
Surf: On the NW tip of the island is Duppies, a consistent, powerful right that suffers from strong currents. Probably the best wave on the island after Soupbowls, it is not for the faint hearted. It breaks some distance offshore, is reputed to be sharky, (no attacks in 100years!) and the name refers to malevolent spirits and ghosts, so the vibe is heavy.
Environment: Cliffs mean getting caught in the north to south current is a scary proposition.
Surf: General: Duppies needs a fairly strong N swell to show and starts to work at head-high to a little overhead. At that size, Duppies resembles a fun, California-style pointbreak. It works best at the lowest of tides, as the swell fires across the clear, shallow reef. At double-overhead, Duppies is a serious wave. When you paddle out, regardless of the size, pay attention to the current which runs south. It is recommended that as you jump in at the bottom of the trail, hug the cliffs and paddle north about 100 yards before turning to paddle out to the break. You'll avoid much of the current and not get stuck paddling through what the locals call the bone yard.
Tides: Low
Size: Overhead-3x overhead
Wind: South, Southeast
Swell: N, NNW
Bottom: Reef
Paddling: Far out and a big playing field when the surf is large.
Spot Rating: Pretty far off the beach but can hold pretty solid northerly swells.
Access: Jump in at the bottom of the trail, hug the cliffs and paddle north about 100 yards before turning to paddle out to the break. You'll avoid much of the current and not get stuck paddling through what the locals call the "bone yard".
Crowds: Crowd Factor: Not usually.
Local Vibe: Just the Duppies, usually.
Environment: Pretty good.
Hazards: Walking up and down the cliff.
Season: Winter