20ft+ Waves on East Coast: ‘Biggest Hurricane in 30 Years’ (Video)

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 4:38 PM ET

Throbbing heads, a couple aspirin, and long-lasting memories – East Coasters are recovering from a hurricane hangover as Erin, once a Cat 5, walloped the seaboard.

And one surfer hailing from New Jersey who was foaming at the mouth as this storm approached his side of the country, ready to send it on what he was calling the “biggest hurricane in 30 years,” was none other than Ben Gravy. Question: Do hurricane swells count as novelty waves?

In this case, Gravy took a break from his regularly scheduled programming for something more universally epic. Check out Gravy’s highlights from the swell below.

By the looks of it, things were a bit wild and woolly. But Gravy and his crew did their best, and absolutely scored some sand-bottomed pits at an undisclosed location.

And not a soft-top in sight!

“The forecast says four-to-six (feet) right now,” Gravy says after a session, baffled by the low-balling of swell heights. “Then, tomorrow, it says 25-to-30.”

Then, as forecasted, the following day, that’s when things got serious.

“It’s gnarly, incoming swell,” Gravy said while checking the waves. “Obviosouly it’s huge. It’s bigger than it looks. But there’s waves out there.”

With the jet ski assist, Gravy and crew brave the crazy conditions and find a few diamonds amidst the chaos. After it was all said and done, Gravy reflected:

“It’s almost like we’re in a Nate Florence or Jamie O’Brien video. We were scared for this, but it turned out to be a normal swell. Now, the tide is dropping. There were some super sick ones on the inside shoulder. We’re going to regroup, then come back. We have to make sure the jet ski doesn’t get washed away.”

First hurricane of the season – stay tuned for more.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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