Avid Adamsville surfer catches storm fueled waves

Story and photos by Richard W. Dionne, Jr.
Posted 9/25/26

Avid Adamsville surfer Reed Rowan, 22, navigated the heavy in-coming surf at South Shore Beach as the tide entered with the power of the strengthening nor'easter that is making it's way up the …

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Avid Adamsville surfer catches storm fueled waves

Posted

Avid Adamsville surfer Reed Rowan, 22, navigated the heavy in-coming surf at South Shore Beach as the tide entered with the power of the strengthening nor'easter that is making it's way up the Atlantic coastline this weekend. 

"This time of the year, I definitely look at the forecast and see if there's any ground swell or hurricanes coming," Rowan said while taking a breather at the beach.  "When it comes, we just go down to the beach and check it out."

Rowan is cool, calm and collected out in the surf, gliding over the incoming waves looking for the big one on Thursday evening, where some waves were topping about 12 feet.  He can surf both longboarding and shorty. 

" I like surfing big waves, small waves, any bump in the forecast is good enough for me."

He went out with a friend at age 12 and was hooked. Rowan and his dad went out the next day and he bought his own board. 

"It's important to have a mentor. Someone that has been surfing a lot longer than you. I've met a handful of people out in the water throughout my time and you kind of end up mimicking what they do. Where they sit and where they paddle out to," he said. 
 
Rowan often surfs with his friends and they try to catch as many waves as they can. He has a deep respect for the ocean,  the beach, and the longtime surfers that have been catching waves at South Shore way before his 22-years. 
 
"We love coming down to the beach, chasing the waves and getting some good ones," he said. 
 
A novice Gnome surfer, Bre Welch of Fall River had difficulty navigating the heavy surf, though she still had a great time. 
 
"I haven't been out in waves like this is a long time," she said.  "It's hard. but  it's fun."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 


Surfers Reed Rowan of Adamsville and Bre Welch of Fall River navigated the heavy surf while painter, Samantha Rabbitt captured it with her brush from the back of her car. 

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.