Hawaiin Love

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

Come on Bammer, Troll, Tautologies its been a almost a full week without the sun. Share the love...

Teague · Since 10 Jul 2005 114 Posts Really Windy Places Stoked

I know Bammer is running for cover from pouring rain and 40 knots of south wind!! Smile

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3753 Posts Los Angeles, CA Videographer

Tomas' bitch ass is back home on the Big Island and said it's almost too windy for his 9m REV. What a fuck head! Cool

tautologies · Since 24 Aug 2006 602 Posts Oahu Addicted

Aloha, gman, I have no pics, all I've got is a sore body, and the biggest smile I can possbily get on my face. We've had some really nice riding days in Waikiki, and Hawaii Kai.

After turbulent night, where my palm trees lost most of their leafs and my car looked like an old used lawnmower, I came to work, and they had closed the building...I was all smiles, and could really not believe my good fortune. In Waikiki today there were 15 foot waves and a relatively stable 30 mph wind. You know it is big when the whitewater coming at you is well overhead (btw, getting hit by those things is worse than getting smacked inthe mouth)....The only word I have that describes it is EPIC. After all my pissing and moaning this fall about the lacking conditions, we are really getting it back now Smile

I must say going down the face of some of those waves scared the shit out of me...but it was also so much fun...some of them you could ride, some you were just trying to get away from....I guess the biggest problem was the unexpected rip...I've really never seen anything like it...it was as if the ocean was boiling on full steam. I good friend of mine was very lucky, today, after going over the falls and sucked down in the wave he downed his kite, he got wrapped in his lines..he just got out of it before the wave hit his kite, and snapped the leash...he was caught in the worst rip, about 600 yards from shore...lucky for him, another kiter saw him...he said he'd been swimming for a long time already and was getting a little desperate. He was not making any headway, and the rip seemed to go aganst the waves, everytime he could bodysurf in a little, the rip took him back out...he later found his kite 2 miles down the coast, unharmed....the rescue services was out with a chopper looking for him, and another guy that had to swim in.

I was on my 9 Helix, and switched between the thorn for the inside jumping and small kickers, and the 6'1'' CR for some of the waves...right now I am so sore I don't even want to get up..but I have to work tonight so I can refill my stoke-box again tomorrow.

I am sure the guys on the North Shore / West have had even better days, but some of those are waves I would not get close to....scary enough to get hit by well overhead waves from two directions. Smile

I don't know why Waikiki is so good when the wind works (about 3 times a year), but it really is. The launch is retardedly bad with a huge windhole right where you put your kite, super shallow with sharp rocks to walk on, the reef is super shallow with both metal poles and rocks sticking up, the ind is gusty, and the waves can be fairly crazy, but somehow it comes together in such a way that is just really really great.

A.

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

Feeling better now. Sounds awesome, except that offshore rip part.

thx for the fix (still jonesing for some pics)

Did the River Troll look you up - heard he was in the neighborhood.

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

man... i had a similar situation in an invisible rip.... maybe we should start a thread about this?

Mark · Thu Dec 06, 07 10:07 am

Swim parallel to the coast. Most rips are not very wide. You will soon be out of it and heading back to shore.

When I was lifeguarding on the coast (many years ago) that was the number one rescue reason.

Rips are visible as lower waves in beach of waves.

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

Nak · Thu Dec 06, 07 12:32 pm

Glad to hear you had a great session Alex! 15 foot waves = WAY too much for me! Shocked

Also glad to hear your friend is OK. Very Happy

Anybody I know?

tautologies · Since 24 Aug 2006 602 Posts Oahu Addicted

I agree with Tiny here, we've actually had this discussion via PM, and only being in it yesterday, this was not a short one, I didn't even follow it, all the way out, but the rip was pretty severe, and like my friend was saying..(btw he is a fairly experienced waterman surfing North Shore whenever he can)..IT JUST DIDN'T END. He tried swimming parrallel to the shore it didn't help at all..that said, it is hard to know which way to go, since where he went down is just about the worst place to loose it..outside "Kaisers" (by 400 yards)...if you go down wind, you have bare reef hit by huge swell around "4's"...going upwind had those bone crushing waves at "In betweens".., and in between the rip...of course with some nice big metal poles sticking out...neither of us have seen a rip like this well except on the north shore when it big..it was like a grade 5 river...waves coming in on top..from several directions, and water wanting to go out...I think there was just too much water trying to escape..and it is exactly at the beginning of the 6 wave break run that we could do...which was AMAZING by the way...althbough they were different breaks, it all turned out so you could ride one break after another...I am not expert though so I tend to take it easy...but jumping well overhead whitewater to get out is hard...it was okay though...

To say it this way this wasn't the clean rip you see on the pics...now you can ask yourself why the hell we went out...you'd understand if you'd been there... Smile

I am just waiting for the wind to pick up again...(hope hope). I can see Waikiki from my house, and it doesn't look very promising...maybe I can rest my sore body today Smile

Anyway, I do think if one goes in the surf, that considering rip and how to get out is important...one of the breaks where I usually surf, we to some extent use it to paddle out, but it is nothing like what was on yesterday. Even on redflag days. The most important thing is to not panic...and not strain yourself...

Anyways...stay safe
A.

bambam · Since 15 Mar 2005 760 Posts Hood River Photographer

The swell was big enough here that NO ONE was out...

I heard the tow surfers were all out at a place called Pier One. The sets were way way to close together and Jaws and other outside reefs were not an option.

I think there is a report somewhere about outter Sprecks and possibly up to 70-80ft faces...

http://www.mauinews.com/news/2007/12/5/01BBBB1205.html

Truly impressive stuff on Monday, except that it was foggy with sporatic rain.

Bams

tautologies · Since 24 Aug 2006 602 Posts Oahu Addicted

bambam · Since 15 Mar 2005 760 Posts Hood River Photographer

Gman,

Here is some luv from a few weeks ago when the sun was out and the trades pumping.

Bammer

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

Sweeeeeet!

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

sentone · Since 10 Feb 2006 66 Posts

after a slow start......winter is pounding.....listening to the noa report last night and today ......there were 5 min of warnings......high surf north and west side....flash floods all islands....high wind warnings......small craft....and my fav......blizzard warnings......for the big island ........the swells have been over 20 for about a week......they called off the sunset PRO cuz it was to nasty then sent them back out cuz the waiting period was ending and the surf was going UP WAY UP....the super ferry was going to maui but they called it off cuz the harbour surge was overloading.......ah winter on a small piece rock in the middle of nowhere....all my banana trees snapped on monday night with 60+ west winds lots of wind damage....carports....trees.ect lots of schools closed not ares,,,,,,,did manage a sweet 5 rev day on the east side ....thats one nice thing about a small island my house on the north shore was red flagged ..posted ..dont even look.......or get near the water...surges running from sucked dry 8 foot exposed reef to 30 foot deep surges into the trees and houses fun to watch........death for the unknowing......but drive 30 minites east side sweet 6 foot wrap cross winds...almost sunny...gotta say the rev took some time to get dailed.....as my t2s have bar presure......lit on my kids 5 no bar presure by the end of my session i was singing praises.....and watched guys 8s kites fold ..pop...lurch...and curl.......right tool for the right job....cuz of the heavey surge and sucking reefs ....i rode the 08 fuse water was to thin in spots for the srt.....been learning the fuse for a couple months it a little differt than the 07.....hard to put a finger on it lots of flex more tail rocker.......great drive and sweet dig deep factor nice thin water slasher good combo with the srt...........been in holding mode for any ,either.or all 08 srt........... santa are you reading this.........or shy......as for you all on the westcoast get ready for some macking NW +N surf have fun be safe........ Idea

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped