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Hurricane Gert Was A Wave-Generating Dream For NY Surfers
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Gothamist Staff
Published Aug 19, 2017
Modified Aug 19, 2017
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By
Gothamist Staff
Published Aug 19, 2017
Modified Aug 19, 2017
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By Andreea Waters
Almost anyone can surf summers in New York... until a hurricane hits the East Coast and brings waves. On weekends popular surf breaks look like Times Square on water, and storms are a surfer's break from this summertime madness. New York may not be a surf destination, but weather can bring world class waves.
On August 13th, Hurricane Gert became the seventh named storm of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, traveling up the coast at the right angle and with enough speed to bring solid surf. The news left surfers planning their road trips and watching the beach cameras tracking the first signs of the swell, searching for the perfect wave.
By Tuesday evening the skies were erie, and the ocean was building. The morning turned blue and I headed from Rockaway to Lido Beach—there I was greeted by tropical frames and lines building on the horizon. It looked like Puerto Rico in the winter, with walls, racing peaks and inside juice. Gert started dark, mysterious, blobby and turned into a wave-generating paradise.
These photos and words are from Andreea Waters, a NY-based photographer and writer. Follow her on Instagram at @AndreeaWaters.
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