(11 photos all at the end for quick viewing and posting)
I stayed out of the water today, and might have to tomorrow as well. It's a judgement
call. It's reached my threshold, I was lucky to have correctly called
the forecast and going to Sunset Beach on a rising swell before the meat of it
actually hit with brutal force today.
Today it was dangerous (at least to me) and the surf was huge from every shoreline to every lineup on the
North Shore today. I anticipated it, brought my boards with me, and had alternate activities planned
on the NS just in case. I went to the OP Pro for a couple of hours, the surf actually sucked there.
It was lumpy and blown and only about 4-5 foot in Haliewa. But turn the corner at Lanis...
No way I was going out there. The guys were out so far you almost couldn't see them, and they
were taking off on huge closeout bombs, rifiling across the top of the wave until forced to
drop down, straighten out and get HAMMERED.
(keep reading below the forecast)
FZHW50 PHFO 210455
SRFHFO
SURF ZONE FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
700 PM HST MON NOV 20 2006
OAHU-
700 PM HST MON NOV 20 2006
A HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING ALONG NORTH FACING SHORES
Surf along north facing shores will be 12 to 16 feet through Tuesday morning.
Surf along west facing shores will be 4 to 6 feet through Tuesday.
Surf along east facing shores will be 4 to 7 feet with locally higher sets through Tuesday.
Surf along south facing shores will be 1 to 3 feet through Tuesday.
Outlook through Sunday Nov 26. The current north swell will slowly decline from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday. A northeast swell may result in surf reaching the high surf advisory threshold along east facing shores late Tuesday and Wednesday. A moderate sized west-northwest swell is expected to arrive Thursday. This swell is forecast to peak Friday morning and slowly decline through the weekend.
Then I came upon a spot that looked pretty insane. It was Leftovers. Except there wasn't anything "leftover" about it
except it was a huge left. 20 plus foot faces (CA), true 8 to 12 foot Hawaiian scale surf just barreling
in. I talked to a guy name Jason, a local, he explained the break to me, the shore was just so nasty
and frothing and teeming with rocks and sharp coral, but there was a great current/rip taking guys
about 500 yards offshore that it looked pretty easy getting out, but Jason said getting in and out
was the real trick. But it was still too big for me at an unfamiliar spot. It's one thing to
go out when it's reasonable at a place you've never been before. It's another altogether when it's
the biggest the North Shore has been all season so far, according to some. Unfortunately, I passed.
Then I went to Waimea Bay and took photos and watched the shorebreak. The bay was almost trying to break, but with
no west in it, it wasn't to be. There were a couple of guys sitting out the back waiting or something. It's a
magical place. Wish I could see it break. Then I hiked to the Waimea Valley Park Waterfall, about a mile
inland and a mile back out, truely a tropical paradise, the first real place on the island that made me
say WOW. Now I see where some artists get their inspiration.
Then I went to Pipeline. It was all messed up by then. The whole NS was blown out and really
raging out of control with storm surf - it was pretty big. You wouldn't belive
what this break called Rockpile was doing. It was so big that everyone who lives in the houses
from Pipe to Rockpile were on their porches watching about six guys try to ride the place. They made
quite a few waves. But you could hear the AGONY of the wipeouts, hold downs and everything else
from everyone - when someone made a mistake or went down (or made it!) everyone in the houses
were all yelling and screaming. It was pretty amazing. I walked down to Rockpile and took
about 40 minutes of video. And some photos too. Maybe
good enough to post here. Then you'll see why I didn't go out.
Plus, after surfing Sunset yesterday, I was soooooo pumped I couldn't sleep. I mean, I was just infused with this
Sunset Beach Adreneline IV from the moment after I got my first wave until...well, it's still dripping. It's like
an IV of coke, heroin, morphine, crack, smack, rock, pot, crank, wank and blank all mixed in together.
So not only was the surf too big, I only got three hours of sleep because of the memory of six waves
spinning through my head and gliding under my feet. I couldn't stop looking at DP, the 8-6, propped
up in my hotel room in Waikiki, and knew that I was one of only a handful of guys all night long
who was just trippin' on what I had just accomplished. I mean, how many surfers were in Waikiki last night
who accomplished their dream like I did? Not many I surmised, the clock heading toward 4 a.m., and the
cat got the mouse grin still plastered all over me.
I don't know what to do tomorrow (Tuesday). The surf is still supposed to be huge. I don't know whether or not
to go back to the North Shore or seek something else out on the east or west side, or play tourist
in Waikiki and longboard Waikiki and take a catamaran cruise or go to a luau or what. It's a very hard decision.
My days on Oahu are now numbered to three more possible sessions and I have to choose wisely. If I go to the
North Shore, I have to unquestionably surf, to be honest. So it's very difficult. I am tugged between
safety and human intelligence, and pushing my limits, or finding something inbetween. Or going shopping
or longboarding. It's a pretty tough call.
The problem is the wind, which has been coming up pretty early
and pretty strong. If I'm going to surf, it would have to be in the a.m. before 11, the time when it blew to hell
today, or after 3, when it started to calm down. An afternoon surf might be the call because it might
give the swell time to back down a bit, but then wind and chop will be problematic. However, the tide
is high in the p.m. as well, and it might help soften it up. It's a tough call for a rookie Hawaiian
forecaster like me, but Surfline, Surf News Network, 576-SURF and everyone else is still calling
for some 10 to 12 foot Hawaiian Scale stuff through Tuesday. It's a real problem! How big is too big?
We found out a little bit today. I was smart to stay on the beach. Need to find a place that's smaller and cleaner.
Enjoy the photos of my "smart surfer out of the water" on my first official Hawaiian Hi Surf
Advisory. What I need is a nice, protected right point break somewhere...
The surf hasn't ever dropped below head high the entire time I've been here so far...good lord. I'll never live this
trip down. It's pretty incredible timing.
I'll end up saying it's the biggest surf I've ever seen in my life today and even though I sat it out, I came here
fully expecting that to happen for one or two days. Use me as a good example of decent judgement.
- Cliff
