When The Waves Get Big...

There's something about being in the water when you  know that the Maverics comp in going up a few hundred miles up the coast. The same energy is in the water. You almost get that feeling that you're dropping in on a twenty foot barrel that heaving right behind  you... then you look up and it's really only a foot or two overhead. But it's still bigger than your average day in the sea.

With that being said, a few things happen in the line up that aren't seen from shore. I'll bring them up here and hope that they'll help out when the waves get big again.

1. Know you skill level. Even though there's a channel and paddling out is easy, you still have to contend with someone screaming down the line on a piece of equipment that can chop up your wetsuit and your body parts. If you think it's too big for you to be out there, it probably is.

2. Taking one for the team. When the big sets roll in, and you're caught inside you have two options... paddle for the safe channel or do nothing and get smashed by the white wash. Here's the part that requires you to think a little. If you're on the inside and someone is coming down the line on a monster set wave, now you only have one option... get out of the way! The person on the wave waiting a long time to get this wave and for you to be in his/her way, well... its not good. What do you do? Take one for the team! If you see the person coming down the line and you're paddling your ass off to get to the channel then you realize that you're going to be in that person's line, stop and start paddling your ass off in the opposite direction. Yes, paddle towards the whitewash. By the time, the wave rider gets to where you are, they would've passed you by and you're out of their way. Yes, you're going to get smashed by the white wash. And you may end up all the way back in. But that is better than facing a mouthful of anger from the wave rider that you've barred.

3. Sit back and enjoy. I remember going out at Pipeline and sitting in the channel and watching a few waves go by and just being in awe at mother nature. Then I jumped in the mix and got a few great waves at Backdoor. When I was finished catching waves, I came in at through channel again. I sat in the channel again and watched Pipe do her thing. I suggest sitting back and watching a few as well.

4. Finally... don't drop in. I don't think I have to get into this one. It should be obvious.

Have fun.

See you in the water.

It's okay to sit back and watch. Enjoy.

Super Surf Tour Guide

I wish I could say that I was the ultimate tour guide but I'm not. I can tell you though, they're out there. I'm currently in Indonesia with a crew of friends on a bachelor party slash surf trip that I put together for us and I witnessed the super surf tour guide in action.

As the boys were out in the middle of line up at one of the many unreal breaks, I swam near the take off zone with water housing in hand. And what I saw with my own two eyes was truly amazing and very subtle.

A group of Japanese surfers were in the pack in the line up and their local surf tour guide would sit deep and when the set wave would come, he would paddle for it and call to his customers to take off on his wave. And his customers would turn around get to ride a perfect wave without any hassling issues. Unbelievable! I forgot to mention, there were about 20 people out on this one peak. Don't get me wrong... it's not only the Japanese that hire wave escorts. I've seen Europeans with super surf tour guides as well.

I'm sure it happens all over the world but to see it go down in plain sight is kinda weird and unfortunately, the sign of the times. You want to ride epic waves when it's crowded? Do a search on Craigslist for: Super Surf Tour Guide.

No need for Super Surf Tour Guides when it's big.

A possible view of a Super Surf Tour Guide.