Naval Jetties

A fickle but rewarding right-hander breaking off a jetty over a sandbar laced with ancient cedar stumps, Naval Jetties sits inside Cape Henlopen State Park two miles east of Lewes, Delaware. S, SE, and NE swells are the targets here, with SW or W winds keeping faces clean. Best from chest-high to overhead on a low-to-incoming tide, when the sandbar lines up and the rights can run with surprising length for the mid-Atlantic. It suits intermediate to advanced surfers, the one-spot takeoff means two carloads fills the lineup fast, and on the rare days it fires, expect some competitive energy. Bottom: sand over cedar stumps. Season: tropical storms and nor'easters drive the better swells, mainly late summer through winter. Consistency: fickle. At low tide those submerged stumps turn the paddle-out into an obstacle course, so wear boots and pick your line carefully on the way in and out.