After coming back from Fiji in November 2013, I was super bummed to be back in New Jersey. I had flown in wearing shorts and a t-shirt with fresh reef cuts on my hands and arrived to 32 degree weather and a flat ocean. I thought, “How am I going to adjust to living here again?”
Luckily, a swell popped up and we had waves within a week of my return, which was just the appetizer for what was to come for the winter of 2014. After going from 75 degree tropical water to 40 degree brown water in about four days, I quickly remembered what I loved about living in New Jersey. While I loved living in Fiji, and enjoyed the waves there, it was not easy. Cloudbreak was a four-hour bus ride and 30-minute boat ride from where I was living. Almost every other wave required a boat to reach.
Once I was back at home, I quickly remembered what a special feeling it was to wake up before sunrise and walk up the street in anticipation of how good the waves would be. We may not get consistent waves 300 days out of the year here in New Jersey, but when we get waves, they are easily some of the best in the world. This gallery is a look at the past few years of my photography on the East Coast.
See more of David’s work at davenilsenphotography.com.
