Gert Brings Big Waves to Hatteras Island
On Tuesday and Wednesday, surfers flocked to the beaches to take advantage of the unusually big waves, summertime water temps, and the crystal blue waters. The beach just north of the Cape Hatteras Motel in Buxton was an especially popular spot, with many folks testing their luck in the much larger-than-normal surf.
“Everyone was out catching or getting pounded by waves, but the stoke on their faces as they walked out of the water was priceless,” reported photographer Jenni Koontz of Epic Shutter Photography, who caught some incredible photos of the action north of Buxton.
The lingering period of easterly swell from the offshore Hurricane Gert also produced a high threat of rip currents in addition to the strong shore break, with surf height of 2’-4’ throughout the island on both Tuesday and Wednesday. By Thursday, however, the rip current risk had returned to low levels.
Gert is the strongest hurricane of the season so far, as it became a Category 2 as it moved past the northeastern United States on Wednesday. It is now well off the coast of Nova Scotia, and is likely to transition to a non-tropical area of low pressure by Thursday night.
Photos by Epic Shutter Photography, https://epicshutter.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/EpicShutterPhotography/
