Narragansett's Peter Pan Ready to Surf Hurricane Earl

Narragansett's Peter Pan Ready to Surf Hurricane Earl

While most Rhode Islanders in coastal communities are battening down the hatches and stocking up on Hurricane Earl essentials, local surf legend Peter Pan of Narragansett is getting ready for what he thinks will be the best waves in more than a year. “I’m going nuts today!” Pan said, lamenting his duties at his day job, knowing that the breakers are only getting better and better. “I just drove past the beach, and for the first time, and the waves have picked up from the storm." Monitoring reports throughout the day Thursday, Pan has predicted Rhode Island surf conditions will definitely be overhead, as high as 10’ to 12’ in his estimation.

Big Waves = Big Bravado

Pan noted that already, popular surf breaks, including the Point Judith Lighthouse in Narragansett and Ruggles Avenue in Newport, are becoming crowded with eager wave riders. “It’s been like a feeding frenzy,” he said. “It’s going to be ridiculous.” Pan, who teaches a surf school, has cancelled classes at least through Sunday in the interest of safety. “The problem lies in the fact that you have a lot of inexperienced people out there, and a lot of people who are out of shape or haven’t surfed in a while are coming out of the woodwork…they go out in the water and become a hazard…people hit each other and smash boards and equipment.”

Pan advises surfers stick to their home break and for those who haven’t been surfing in a while to be vigilant in storm conditions. You can keep up to date on daily conditions by reading Pan’s daily surf report at NortheastSurfing.com

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Photo by Joe McGovern