It was Friday, July 31, 2015, I had just caught the mega surf bug that summer, and went down for an end of the week sunset session. Sunset sessions are my favorite, the beauty and the colors are seriously overwhelming. This particular sunset was accompanied by a golden full moon rise, which happened to be the 2nd full moon of the month, a blue moon, and a super moon. (Gee, the moon has so many moon adjectives these days.)
Floating out on the water, with the celestials aligned, the scene was ridiculous. I remember debating whether or not to paddle in to grab my camera and photograph, but decided to stay out. As I continued float and watch the moon rise out of the ocean, an epiphanic feeling hit me – the moon is really, actually, way out there, massive heavy rock, somehow just floating, just like I was floating.
Anyway, fast forward into the night, we’re hangin’ at a backyard BBQ with a bunch of local surfers, and all of the sudden they’re talking about hitting the full moon session around midnight. What!?! That’s a thing? I was elated! It’s rare to meet anyone in New York City who gets in the ocean at night, let alone tries to catch waves on a board! But the moon was extra bright, and there were actually waves, it was another very rare combination.
We reconvened on the beach and they’re all wearing glow sticks around their necks and wrists so they can see each other. I was already too dead from the sunset sesh to paddle out, but i swam out with my waterproof point-n-shoot camera. It seemed like a rough chance to get photos, plus they couldn’t really see me, and we didn’t really know each other, but I got as close as I could…
Some of the homies lit off a Chinese paper lantern.
A month or 2 later, I was dying to shoot more night surfing under the full moon, except the waves were way choppy with a strong undertow. Reid and I tried for a bit and just got these 2 photos.
