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Hurricane Irene gave us flawless waves in New Jersey. This was one of the first pictures I took this day right when I got back into town. Photo: David Nilsen
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Sam Seeland locked into a barrel at golden hour as I struggled to swim against the current. Photo: David Nilsen
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The wind had been onshore all day this day but I told all of my friends it would switch offshore around sunset. Sam Seeland was the only one that believed me and we scored. Photo: David Nilsen
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Long Beach, NY. All winter, New Jersey had been getting great waves and offshore winds, but at the end of March, it was New York's turn. Photo: David Nilsen
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The sun glare really brings out how long this closeout was. What you can't tell is that this was taken in January and the water was freezing. Photo: David Nilsen
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Perfect conditions and no one out, you would never believe this is New Jersey but sometimes we get perfect waves and great water clarity. Photo: David Nilsen
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Post Hurricane Sandy Bonfire. Just a couple friends on the beach with a washed up car from a ride on the boardwalk. Photo: David Nilsen
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What we all hope to wake up to in the winter in New Jersey. Photo: David Nilsen
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This is what makes the struggle of waking up early for dawn patrol worth it. Photo: David Nilsen
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Christian Porter. He said to me right before he paddled out that he would be stoked if I got a good shot of him riding his single fin. This was his second wave. Photo: David Nilsen
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This was a perfect day of waves back in June and, in my opinion, the best swell we have had so far this summer. Photo: David Nilsen
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Early morning glass. Photo: David Nilsen
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Jay Rutkowski and Rob Kelly linking up this spring right as the sun was going down. Photo: David Nilsen
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Easily the best swell of this spring, there were waves all day but the epic conditions only lasted the last few hours of the day. Photo: David Nilsen
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-2 degree wind chills this day made shooting from the beach miserable, but the waves were so good I had to tough it out. Photo: David Nilsen
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An a-frame from one of the many great swells we got this past winter in New Jersey. Photo: David Nilsen
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Unknown tucked into a golden barrel. Photo: David Nilsen
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All of my friends were surfed out by sunset so I swam out and shot empties up my street. Photo: David Nilsen
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Jesse Helminger enjoying a nice cover-up on Valentines Day. Photo: David Nilsen
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Local Casino Pier grom Donald Wagner (DT) locking into a beauty right in front of his house. Photo: David Nilsen
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It was actually pretty crowded this day but you would never know by looking at this shot. Photo: David Nilsen
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Six days before the official start of winter and New Jersey was already pumping. Photo: David Nilsen
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The Manasquan Inlet about as good as it gets this winter. Photo: David Nilsen
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This was one of the first times I ever shot water back in 2011. I had my camera in a cheap plastic bag housing and managed to get this shot. It is still one of my favorite water shots to this day. Photo: David Nilsen
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.
