The Monmouth Surf Club has been busy this year surfing along the east coast. Members on the team have dedicated their time traveling to find better waves and paying respect to the local communities.
The Club’s first event was held on Hathaway in Deal, NJ for a beach clean up where Waves for Water made an appearance. This non-profit organization gives countries reusable clean water filtration systems that provide clean drinking water. Waves for Water recently visited Haiti after Hurricane Mathew destroyed their country.
Senior communication student Hunter Rainis, junior business student Paul Kelly, and sophomore business student Matt Kelly made the first stop on the east coast. “Driving through the Verrazano Bridge was crazy. I thought I was going to get bumped off the bridge, and traffic was nuts,” P. Kelly said.
The crew ended up in Long Beach, NY and surfed all day thanks to Hurricane Nicole. “The first spot we checked was so crowded, but it was the best I have seen it in a while so we had to go in,” Rainis said. “We surfed later at a secret spot and traded waves all alone.”
Senior communication student Ryan Gallagher went to the Outer Banks. He said, “My friend Shane and I drove eight hours south without even a thought that we would get skunked. We surfed Sunday night, all day Monday and Tuesday until three. OBX was pumping like I’ve never seen.”
“The best session was Monday, we surfed a wave that was a left breaking slab. Sunny and eighty degree weather to top it all off, the trip was a no brainier even though I got back Wednesday morning at 3 a.m.,” said Gallagher.
Sophomore marketing student Zac Bogetti flew to Southern California for the weekend over fall break. “I almost didn’t fly back home, the west coast has such a cool surfing culture, and there were waves every day,” Bogetti said. “Everybody surfs in the west coast. It makes east cost surfers unique because there are only a few individuals determined to surf especially in the winter when it gets good.”
Junior real estate student Andrew Moon spent his time in Ocean City, NJ surfing and fishing with some of the local pro surfers in the area.
The motor died on his boat and Moon had to paddle back to the beach with only one paddle. “Southern New Jersey gets good when the winds are north,” Moon said. “It is probably the only spot in New Jersey where it get good when the wind goes north.”
Club member’s fish when the waves are flat and continue to be watermen like senior Chris Stark who spends his free time fishing for strip bass and enjoying the fresh meat in his fridge.
The Monmouth Surf Team is an elite group of students from Monmouth University who study and surf all year round. “The club has grown dramatically though out the past three years,” advisor Matt Harmon said. Club members are dedicated people who surf and give back to the community.
But any student dedicated to represent the surfing culture in Long Branch is welcome. Support the team and respect the local community both on land and in the sea.
PHOTO COURTESY of Hunter Rainis
