Wiamea bay, try two...

I got to surf Wiamea bay again this morning, Valentines day. This is my second time surfing the wave, and it was generally bigger the last time I surfed it, but the swell was saying 10ft Hawaiian though there were a few rogue sets closer to 12'.

I only got one wave today, an average sized one for the day, but as always it was a thrill. This time I had a 9' Enigma, rather than the 8'5" Cutback that I had last time. The board was better, but the conditions were much harder. Choppy and surgy, it was hard to remain standing while waiting for sets, so I sat down a lot while waiting. This was my first mistake.

After about 30 or 40 mins of waiting for the right wave, suddenly all the surfers started to paddle frantically outside. I jumped up and spotted a huge rogue set coming in. I paddled and paddled as fast as I could, and made it barely over the first wave, a giant monster with a face well over 25ft. Behind it was a bigger one, and it was already jacking up. I paddled and paddled again as hard as I could, wishing I had a longer faster board, and this time right as I was going over the lip it began to break. I dove over the lip as I reached the top, hoping my board would follow. It did. As I broke the surface, my heart sunk as a third even bigger wave was looming towards me. I did what any idiot in my position would do. I dove down as deep as I could, swimming frantically until I got to the end of my 9' leash.

Then there was a massive jerk on my leg as the wave broke right over the board, and felt myself take off backwards underwater like a victim from a Jaws movie. Rag dolled under the water, my leg feeling like it would get ripped off, I began to hope the leash would break or the dual leash plugs would pull out.

I was not so lucky. Eventually the pressure came off, and I swam to the surface, breaking for air just in time to see a wave looming over me. Before I could even react to dive under, it broke almost square on my head, knocking the wind out of me, and once again, the board took off dragging me deeper and deeper. 10 seconds... 15 seconds and finally the pressure backed off, and I swam to the surface, desperate for air.

One big breath, and I began again to turn to dive under as yet another wave broke just outside of where I was. I got one or two kicks under before the wave crashed into my board, and I took off again being drug backwards and down. Why won't you break I thought. Serves me right for making such a strong leash and leash plugs. Finally, I popped up, and looked out.

The set was over, but I could see the next set looming, approaching. I jumped onto the board and began to paddle frantically towards the channel. The first wave was approaching fast, a rider on it already, the inside broken. I knew right then that I would not make the channel, and another beating did not appeal to me. Dropping to my stomach right on the tail of the board, I gripped the paddle, and waited for the impact hoping it would belly surf me out in front. I could not take other set on the head!

Luck was with me, finally. The wave crashed into my back, engulfed me, and then spat me out like a bar of soap. Edging over, I angled for the channel and rode it out as the wave faded. I jumped back up, and paddled as hard as I could until I was well into the channel, where I sat back down, panting, dizzy and humbled. Looking over into the path of the incoming waves I saw the surfer who'd been stuck inside at the same time as me, swimming for the beach, one piece of his shattered board washing into the rocks, the other no where to be seen. I considered going to get him, and then though the better of it. Another beating like that I was afraid I would not survive. I will let you know that he finally made it in.

As I sat recovering, the channel slowly took me back out into the lineup. I sat there a good 20 or 30 minutes, just watching the guys getting waves, good waves, thinking... I don't really want to be out here any more. My board is too short and wide and rockered for this... and I was no longer in the mood to get trounced like that again. So I sat and waited until finally a wave with my name on it appeared. Coming right at me, jacking perfectly for my position, about 10' (close to 20' face), and clean. I jumped up, spun and paddled my ass off onto it, taking the drop, bending my knees with a wide stance, bouncing and jumping across the chop until the left closed out and crashed like thunder next to me. I stayed on, making the drop, and rode it in to the beach, where I began the dicy and technical game of getting in through the famous Wiamea shorebreak.

Another 10 minutes of careful waiting for the perfect moment, and I paddled in, jumped off and ran up the beach before a shore wave took me out.

I had given my camera to this family on the beach and said that if they got a chance, to take a pic of me. They took just one, right as I was paddling onto the wave, before the autofocus went mad and they stopped shooting. Thats Ok... I got the shot as I was dropping in. A fair reward for the beating I took.

And that's how I spent Valentines day.

Corran

Merci pour ce récit !

Y aura-t-il une troisième fois ?? !

Encore une fois Bravo Corran! on s'y croirait avec le récit, y'a même les trémollos dans la voix! Moi sta Barbara BZH 50 cm ça ira pour aujourd'hui!

J'ai retourner dans l'apres midi et j'ai eu la plus grande vague de ma vie!!! 2 "pitites" vagues, suivi pas une monstre que j'au surfer au plage. J'etait tellment content, j'ai sorti sur place.... pas de photo, mais une memoire incroyable.

Corran

Terrible Corran! The Bay comme si vous y étiez...Installe au moins une GoPro sur ta board qu'on voit ça...

Last night I got the wave of my life at Wiamea again... The wind dropped and I decided to go back out for another go at it.

After sitting with the pack for about 20 mins or so, a great wave came in - steep, good wall to it, about 10' (though the sets were smaller than they were before lunch - closer to about 8' in general). It was an awesome wave, no carnage, no beating... good fun. About 10min later, another one, slightly smaller, and again, awesome fun.

I was sitting there again when this surfer paddling out comes up to ma and says "follow me". We went out about 100feet beyond where everyone else is and sat there. He said "wait here... a big set will come". After maybe 30 or 40 mins, sure as hell, this looming set appears. All the guys inside start to scramble, and we wait... the surfer spins, takes the first wave and drops out of sight.

I turn, and start to crank for the 2nd wave which is bigger than the first... a solid 12' wave. But my 9' is too slow and hard as I like I can't get it, barely missing the take off. I turn to look at the 3rd wave which is even bigger. The problem now is that I'm too far inside. Turning at about 45 degrees I paddle towards the shoulder hoping to get it where its not as steep, but the entire wave jacks up and I feel myself getting sucked up the face.

Right as I get to the top I realize that no matter what I'm going over, so I take a stroke, and the board just launches into the air. As I did that I took two steps back, and standing on the tail of the board I freefall about 15 to 20 feet, landing about halfway down the face, board horrisontal, standing on the tail. I buckle, bend me knees and absorb the impact, and then take off down the 2nd half of the face at break neck speed, the whole wave crashing behind me. Turning as hard as I could, I cut around the pile and back into the section that is walling up again, and take a second drop, cutting right again at the bottom and back onto the wall which is now starting to fade out next to me but is building about 30ft further away. I run forward, and crank hard, making it to the new walled out section, and take a third, much smaller drop, onto the face, that then walls up nicely for a few turns before fading out completely, 100ft or so from shore.

It was, without a doubt the biggest, and most exciting wave I've ever ridden on a SUP, or probably any surfboard, period. How I stuck the drop is a complete mystery to me... I should have eaten shit and taken a serious beating. Someone likes me ;-).

I got out at that point... sun was setting, I was close to shore anyway, and my heart was going overtime.

Corran

You lucky lucky bastaaaard is all i can say. Pour les francais--veinard!

Daniel a écrit:You lucky lucky bastaaaard is all i can say. Pour les francais--veinard!

Heuu j'aurais pas traduit ça exactement comme ça Dan, mais bon t'as raison il y a de la censure qui va sévire si on se lache trop! Sont bien chauds ces Canadiens quand même...Tabernacle!

Sud Africain! ;-)

Benji a écrit:

Daniel a écrit:You lucky lucky bastaaaard is all i can say. Pour les francais--veinard!

Heuu j'aurais pas traduit ça exactement comme ça Dan, mais bon t'as raison il y a de la censure qui va sévire si on se lache trop! Sont bien chauds ces Canadiens quand même...Tabernacle!

Hmm, oui mais ca se traduit mal en francais--surtout si c des australiens, bastard peut etre affectueux entre potes. Et en afrique du sud Corran? Et c moi le canadien

Daniel a écrit:

Benji a écrit:

Daniel a écrit:You lucky lucky bastaaaard is all i can say. Pour les francais--veinard!

Heuu j'aurais pas traduit ça exactement comme ça Dan, mais bon t'as raison il y a de la censure qui va sévire si on se lache trop! Sont bien chauds ces Canadiens quand même...Tabernacle!

Hmm, oui mais ca se traduit mal en francais--surtout si c des australiens, bastard peut etre affectueux entre potes. Et en afrique du sud Corran? Et c moi le canadien

Faut dire que les Aussies ont le langage le plus "cru" qui soit, tu sais: " if girls wouldn't have ***** (censored),We'd throw rocks at 'em!" . J'ai dû naitre dans le bush dans une vie antérieure, we're on the same page Dudes!!!