COVID PT 3(APRIL & MAY, 2020)
- Jarret OConnor
- May 30, 2025
- 4 min read
As the lockdown and spring continued, so did the shenanigans. And April did not let us down—it took everything good that had happened in March and made it even better.
The adventures.
My eighteenth birthday.
The times with friends.
And especially, the waves.
April was turned up to a whole new level. Before, we were surfing multiple days a week in fun waves. Now, in April, we were surfing multiple times a day, several days a week in great conditions, with at least one day a week delivering truly pumping waves. There were a few exceptional days I remember—sometimes we’d have multiple sessions, or one session would last all day and only end because the sun went down.
The thing about these good days: they weren’t the pretty, glassed-off, sun-shining sessions. They were the classic Nantucket off-season—cold, wind howling, rain coming down sideways, gray skies.
Thinking back to that April, there aren’t many specific “stories” that stand out—just constant barrels, laughs, heckling, and good times with the boys.
May brought more of the same, plus more sunshine, and a few days that were absolutely unforgettable.
Right out of the gate, May 2nd was a classic Nantucket day. It started out big in the morning, which meant staking out spots at The Sham (Madequecham) for a few hours. Out of all the beaches on Nantucket, there’s just something different about this one spot. The whole area has a unique feel—the small cliff, the depth of the water, the long paddle out. But when this spot is on, it is seriously on, and the lads are out there.
After getting an endless amount of perfection as the morning went on, the swell direction changed and the tides shifted. It was time to pack up and change locations. It was hard to believe the day could get any better, but when we pulled up to one of our newfound parking spots (a random driveway between beach accesses), we were proven wrong. It was still firing—about as good as this spot ever gets. By mid-afternoon, when the wind switched out of the south, the day was considered all-time. And it didn’t stop there—the next day brought another round of firing waves. Multiple sessions, multiple breaks, and plenty of tube time.
We were hungry for surf, and Mother Nature was providing.
The month brought a few more great days of surfing. However, one of the most memorable days of May was special for another reason. Like I mentioned before, this was supposed to be a big year of celebrations for my family: my high school graduation, my brother’s college graduation from Virginia Military Institute, and ultimately his commissioning. But, like everyone else around the world, everything was cut short. In the end, it was a blessing in disguise, as my brother’s commissioning became much more unique. In mid-May, with a small celebration of family and friends, my middle brother Shane commissioned into the United States Marine Corps at Brant Point Lighthouse on Nantucket. While it wasn’t the big, extravagant ceremony he had been waiting for after four years, it was at home, with friends from school, friends from growing up, and family from all over—just a few miles from home, in a place where no one else has had a commissioning.
The very next day, the swell bender continued, and it was a day that went out with a bang. What started off as a major letdown turned into hours of absolute perfection.
The report was great, but when we arrived, none of the spots were working—very weird. It wasn’t as big as expected, and the wind wasn’t as strong offshore as we had hoped. It was glassy, but the size was odd for the only spot that was big enough, and not hollow enough for the spot that likes it smaller.
After surfing a spot for a bit, two of my buddies (Ninja and Sparky) and I decided to look around. Somewhere had to be better. We struck out at a few locations, returning to the first spot we’d checked, it was starting to show some serious potential. Paddling out, we saw a few other kids from high school, but they got out pretty quickly.
This spot was showing life—it was shaping up. Another friend arrived (Nozzle), and he was psyched at what he saw. The place had switched on. It was absolute perfection: the wind, the size, the swell direction, just four of us out. After a few hours, we called two more of the lads(Jizzle & Chief), who rushed over after finishing their sessions at other breaks and couldn’t believe what they found. More waves, five of us getting tubes, and we were lucky enough to have one friend shooting photos. The day did not disappoint, and it ended the incredible spring of swell on an absolute bender.
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