Rhode Island is dear to me. It’s the first place I lived in America, coming from Romania in 1990. I had no idea about surfing at the time but in the summer we would go to the beach in Newport and Narragansett. I’ve always been a swimmer and I liked it here because there were always waves to jump around in and dive under. Back then, I never thought a hurricane and photography would bring me back to explore this part of the coast.
After a very flat summer, Hurricane Florence set up big hopes for East Coast surfers. Originally thinking New York and Jersey would have the best conditions, the track of the storm and wind forecast sent me on the road to Rhode Island at the last minute. Sometimes the things you least expect turn out to be glorious.
Follow photographer Andreea Waters on Instagram and find her book, Surf NYC, online.
