This wave is heavy and has serious consequences. It doesn’t get like this very often so the reef is less bashed down and very sharp. It needs just about this size to start being more safe but you can still take off on waves and have it go just about dry. It’s definitely one of the scariest waves for me.
There’s only a few groups I would think about taking there and this is actually the hardest charging American group I have each year. They have scored so hard over the past 15 or so years.
I think on these conditions in that area there’s another couple of waves that are probably better, and there is a softer shorter version nearby, but this little area is very beautiful and very protected by certain winds. I’ve also never surfed this wave with anyone else out.
The first time we went there was in the fishing boat days in ’98. We had anchored further out at a more obvious wave and having no tender in those days I would paddle for kilometres down points checking out the various corners of reefs. This was the third spot I’d paddled to this day and saw another two and a half more set-ups further down the line with this was the beast.
We were young, immortal and had something to prove in those early days and took huge risks with little medical equipment and training. I still remember watching this thing and seeing coral heads popping out of some of the tubes and waiting a good four solid sets before I took off on one.
Now I’m older, fatter, and wiser and have more responsibilities so it’s very rare I surf it. I’d hate to ruin the trip for the other guys if I really mucked up here. But for really confident tube riders it’s one of a few great barrels still rarely surfed by non-pros.
This would be an Aki photo I reckon.
– Chris ‘Scuzz’ Scurrah
