By Liz King
NEWBURYPORT — Usually, hurricanes are bad news for beach-goers, but local surfers are welcoming Hurricane Bill with boards in tow.
The Category 3 storm, with winds reaching 110 mph, is expected to pass between Bermuda and the U.S. shore today, producing waves that could reach "double overhead," surfer speak for twice as tall as the surfer.
"There's a frenzy going on right now — all the surfers are watching the weather and anticipating the good days," said Mike Paugh, owner of Zapstix Surf Shop. "These are world class waves that we only get a handful of times each year. This is what we look forward to all summer."
Dave Cropper, owner of Cinnamon Rainbows Surf Shop in Hampton, said the hurricane's trajectory is expected to bring New England some stellar surf, possibly 6- to 8-foot waves, with surf peaking tomorrow.
"It's supposed to be 15-foot seas on Sunday, which means the surf itself will be 6 to 8 feet," Paugh said, adding that today's waves will be in the 5- to 6-foot range, or chest to head high.
Surfing Web site Magic Seaweed said waves in Hampton could reach 111รขÑ2 feet on Sunday, with sets of waves breaking 15 seconds apart, and a 5 mph wind, perfect conditions for surfing.
"The winds aren't too strong, so the surf will stay glassy," Cropper said.
Matt Arsenault, 18, of Newburyport was out surfing yesterday, and said he could tell the swell was building up for the weekend. He plans to spend as much time in the water as possible today, and though he's working tomorrow afternoon, he said he'll surf until right before he has to go in.
"I'm so stoked for these waves," Arsenault said. "It's been pretty flat — this is the first solid swell in a while."
Though the area has been seeing small waves all summer, the bigger ones that we'll be seeing this weekend aren't unusual for this time of year, when hurricanes come ashore, Paugh said.
"This is definitely the biggest we've seen all summer and has the potential to be the biggest we've seen in a few years," Cropper said. "We haven't had a lot of big surf in a while — we've had a lot of waist- to chest-high waves for beginners."
Cropper added that this weekend's waves are for experienced surfers only. Inexperienced surfers, bodysurfers and swimmers' best seat may be on the beach, watching the show, as offshore waves and rip currents at the beach are expected due to 20-foot swell off the coast.
"This storm in particular looks like kind of a quick mover," Paugh said. "This won't be a weeklong thing — it'll be a huge day (tomorrow), and start subsiding Monday."
The waves are perfect timing for the "paddle out" ceremony held this morning to honor Molly Rowlee of Hampton, who died of lymphoma July 12 at the age of 5. The paddle will take place at the wall at North Beach at 8 a.m. Visit mollyrowlee.com for more information.
"It's always a treat, living in New Hampshire, to get good weather and good surf," Cropper said. "Sometimes you'll get some really good waves in the winter, but it's freezing. It's rare you get both around here."
