Surf's Up!

Katia-kicked surf fun to watch, but could be deadly
By Will Collette

The high surf predicted for our coastline from the passage of Hurricane Katia was fun to see. We joined a small crowd at Blue Shutters Beach to see if the storm delivered the promised high surf (and thankfully, no rain or wind) and weren't disappointed.




Our town beaches lack the drama of the rocky shores along Narragansett's and South Kingstown's ocean front, but that's also where lots of wave-watchers have lost their lives. By thinking it's safe to get close up to the surf on the rocks, more than a few folks have been swept off their feet and dragged into the ocean. Sometimes, their bodies are never found.

But our nice flat beaches don't pose that danger, so much as a strong undertow. Most, but not all, of the people we saw this morning were staying a respectful distance from the waves and were enjoying the improving weather of the day.