Photos of Surf Session at Apple Bay, Tortola
Where the Waves Come From in Tortola
One of the really neat things about Tortola as it relates to surfing is the timing. For the most part, the memorable, heart pounding waves are created by the Nor’easters and winter storms from October to April up in United States.
The storms are predicted 3-5 days out. When the storm arrives and then moves out into the Atlantic Ocean, it creates a ground swell that radiates south. At around 30 miles per hour, it takes about 3 days for the waves to arrive at the surf breaks in Tortola.
You can time it so you literally go to sleep with a calm ocean whispering in your ear and waking up to perfect overhead waves. The swells from these storms usually last 3 or more days. You can score a perfect surf week in Tortola if you can be flexible and watch the weather.
A Nor’easter back in October 2016 brought waves to Tortola. On October 10th, as I can not surf anymore, I took some pictures to get a little remote surfing buzz. It happens when shooting surfers. Wind was off shore, nice ground swell rolling in. Sweet magic on the island – Apple Bay Tortola.
Pictures of surfers riding waves on October 2016 at Apple Bay
