NH surfers are making the most of Hurricane Lee’s waves: 'It’s like surfing in Hawaii'

HAMPTON — As Hurricane Lee churns in the Atlantic, New Hampshire’s Seacoast is seeing large waves that are attracting surfers looking for a late-summer thrill.

Local surf photographer and blogger Ralph Fatello was at the surf spot known as Fox Hill in Rye Thursday, shooting pictures and video of surfers enjoying 10-foot waves in 60-plus-degree water.

New Hampshire is known for its big waves coming when the water is cold, including winter. Hurricane season is the rare time when the water warms up just when the waves start coming in.

“It’s like surfing in Hawaii,” Fatello said. “We don’t get that that often.”

Cinnamon Rainbows' Dave Cropper said the pleasant surfing conditions will last until Saturday when the storm worsens. He said the beach has been busy this week, as has his shop on Route 1 in North Hampton.

“Any time you have surf multiple days on end, that gets the crowds out,” Cropper said.

Hurricane Lee's impact: NH Seacoast, Maine to see tropical storm force winds, high waves

Hurricane Lee expected to bring 10- to 12-foot waves

Sarah Jamison, a forecaster for the National Weather Service, said the path of Hurricane Lee’s center, known as the “cone,” was projected to go away from the coast. The effects of the storm will be felt well outside the cone, however, which is why waves and winds are heading to the New Hampshire Seacoast and southern Maine this weekend.

Saturday will be when the storm will impact the Seacoast the most. Jamison said there will be 10- to 12-foot waves and strong winds. She said they are expecting a fair amount of beach erosion due to the storm.

“It’s going to be extremely hazardous,” Jamison said. “When you’re talking about 10-foot waves, breaking waves, that’s a lot of energy.”

While some surfers do brave the treacherous water when the storm is at its peak intensity, Cropper said the waves by that point won’t be enjoyable because of the wind. Fatello said wind is expected to blow into the waves, making it challenging to see.

“It’s the blind takeoff,” Fatello said. “You can’t see what you’re dropping into.”

That is why Thursday and Friday are considered the days to get to the beach for New England surfers. Cropper also expects Sunday to be good for surfing, though Jamison at the NWS said winds from another incoming storm system are expected that day.

Thursday, renowned New Hampshire surfer Kevin Grondin got out of the water at Fox Hill and looked forward to going back again the next day.

“We’ll see what happens tomorrow before the wind hits,” Grondin said. “Then it’s going to go crazy.”

'Expecting the worst, hoping for best': Southern Maine coast prepares for Hurricane Lee

Memorable surfs from past storms on the Seacoast

Each hurricane season brings waves to New Hampshire, but some are more memorable than others. Cropper said Hurricane Bill in 2009 brought some of the best late summer conditions, which included sunny skies, late offshore winds and at least 10 feet of surf.

Fatello agreed on Bill and added the infamous “Perfect Storm” of 1991. He said the storm brought some of the best waves he can recall coming to the Granite State.

Another storm of special significance for Fatello was Hurricane Gabrielle in 1989. That is when he told his then-pregnant wife they would be naming their child after the storm if it was a girl.

“Gabrielle was born six months later,” Fatello said.

Fatello said he plans to go out Saturday to find the few surfers willing to brave the hazardous wind and waves brought by Hurricane Lee. Until then, he said, the surf spots were busy with those enjoying the waves without a wetsuit, a rarity in New Hampshire where water is cold most of the year.

“A lot of these guys are in their trunks,” Fatello said. “When these tropical storms come, we take full advantage of them.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton Beach: NH surfers are making the most of Hurricane Lee’s waves