Waikoko

Happily, the swell hitting Kauai's north shore did drop a little - just for a day. Seeking lefts, I parked at the west end of Hanalei Bay and paddled out in the channel between two peaks at Waikoko, opting for the nearer one toward Pinetrees. Still, it was a ten minute paddle across sand and dimly-visible reef. With no sets in sight, I thought to cut the journey a bit shorter and crossed to the other side of the peak while still inside of a clutch of SUPers. There wasn't time. Caught inside, I got to my feet briefly on a broken wave before being reminded of the power of Hawaiian swells. Swept off my board, I dove under the rest of the set, barely catching my breath between waves. I started to feel like I was going to hyperventilate, and forced myself to inhale slowly. When the set passed I completed my trip to the left and rested in the channel while studying the peak. It was an inauspicious start, but things could only get better from there.

About ten other surfers were out, a mix of longboarders and shortboarders plus a couple of janitors. A sea turtle bobbed in our midst a dozen feet from me. Several rockstars were launching into many waves, but others were less bold. The current pushed us all toward the channel, so we constantly paddled back to the peak. Although sometimes a wave would swing wide, the usual takeoff spot was tight with wrapping toward the peak; slim chance of catching any from the shoulder. General disorganization added to the challenge of reading the waves.

The current made it hard to stay in position, and I wasn't sure just where position was anyway. When one of the outliers lined up for me, it was quite clearly a right. "I hope I don’t regret this," I thought as I made the rampy head-high+ drop. Whee! Before I rode right too far, recollection of my beating on the way out made me turn left ahead of the whitewater to try to get closer to the channel, but I still took a few waves on the head before reaching calmer waters.

A Zodiac anchored nearby and two groms paddled over, followed by one of their fathers. (Must be nice to skip the long paddles and motor wherever you want to surf! And also to have a parent who teaches you at a young age.) The boys were maybe seven, and they ripped on their tiny shortboards, charging waves that were double-overhead to them.

There were two other women in the lineup. A grim-faced longboarder caught nothing until she paddled inside of me and rode a right in. Well out on the shoulder, a shortboarder mostly bobbed until her rockstar guy noticed and came over to offer advice. Still, she got nada, and he went back to sitting deep and riding waves. I asked her if she surfed there often, and she replied "Yes, we try to come here once a year" from Portland. (That's often?) I remember when that was me, sitting too far on the shoulder to have any chance of catching a wave, yet too scared to get in the way of overhead surf.

At last an elusive left came to me with no one on it, and I stroked in for a fast drop that blew back the brim of my new surf hat. A few turns later the wave lost energy over a deep spot in the reef, and I ended my ride with a woot and a grin.

It was great to surf one last time this year in only a 1mil vest and leggings, but I was getting tired and began to make my way back across to the opposite channel. This was not without another mild thrashing despite my attempt to stay well outside. Still I found one more clean right to take me farther toward my goal: the distant parking lot at the side of the rural road. My shoulders were burning by the time my feet touched sand, but I was still smiling. Stoked!

Black Pot

As I write, this is the view from our clifftop lanai on Kauai's north shore:

"It's not small" is an understatement. The surf is solidly overhead, has been so since we arrived three days ago, and is not forecast to drop before we leave.

Sigh. As I mentioned,  we've been here three days. And I'm jonesing.

So this morning I surf-checked much of Hanalei Bay. I started at Waikoko on the west end, hoping the lefts would look good as surfing Hennemans has made me comfortable in sizeable reefbreak on my frontside. I had almost worked up the courage when I started to chat with a couple guys who'd also been watching for a while. They said they surfed there a lot and it wasn't one of the break's better days. Just then one of their friends passed by toting his SUP, seawater dripping from his graying locks. "Don't even think about it! he warned, repeating it thrice for emphasis. He told them he'd gotten worked trying to come in, then headed for his truck in the dirt lot on a narrow strip between beach and road.

"Are you going to go out?" I asked one of the guys. "I don't know..." he mused. "It's not exactly calling my name today." It certainly wasn't calling mine. 8'+ surf at an unfamiliar break on an unfamiliar surfboard; it didn't take much to erode my courage.

I headed back around the bay, not bothering to check Pinetrees which had looked a mess yesterday. From Hanalei pier, the rights breaking on the eastern reef looked just as big and mostly disorganized as the western lefts. Unlike Waikoko, I've surfed there before, but my backside is not as strong from lack of practice. San Diego has spoiled me with lefts.

Again dissuaded from digging deep for my inner hellwoman, I noted the waist- to occasionally chest-high waves breaking near the pier at Black Pot Beach. It was the province of the surf schools, but there were a handful of real surfers in the mix. I am not too proud to acknowledge my limits.

In town, I searched the surf shop racks again for a suitable rental board. One shop had a Firewire Spitfire, but it was 6'8" and quad-finned. Across the street at Hanalei Surf Company, I found a Rusty surfboard that seemed as close to Rocket as I might hope to find, although two inches longer, a bit wider and thicker, and lacking a tail pad. The yum-yum yellow accents were only on top, where the Landlord thankfully wouldn't see them

Back at the pier, with time growing short before I had to get back for a yoga class, I scratched for near-shorebreak. A few drop-and-smashes bookended a decent left that sucked sand, turning the face beside me from blue to frothy tan before ending in the shallows. I take stoke where I can find it.

Rain Brings Rainbows (Diamond Head Cliffs)

Today was our last day of vacation, and we met Denis at Diamond Head for dawn patrol so I could enjoy tropical surfing once more before returning to wetsuits and the cold water of NorCal.

In the Hawaiian tradition of leaving shoes at the door, we added ours to a line of flip-flops at the base of the cliffside trail. With scattered rain and sunshine, a rainbow arched over the path behind us as we reached the beach.

Wearing a thin neoprene rashie against the morning chill, my ribs felt fine but the knee bruises ouched a little on the paddle out, though quickly forgotten in the lineup. The sea was glassy and Denis said more crowded than usual after days of wind. Early on, a longboarding surfer girl dropped in on my left and another did the same on the next one, a bit annoying since they weren't even goofyfoot. A dude in a black helmet, perhaps used to driving mules, called me off his wave with a "Hee-yah!"

When it started to rain, a bunch of surfers left the water. I don't understand why; we were wet anyway, and the shower was brief. No matter, more waves for us! They were slopey and mushy but the waves in Hawaii have more power. I rode many, mostly lefts, mostly long. I'm comfortable now on the yellow board, ready to take on the north shore, but alas, it's time to leave.

Denis waiting for waves on his shortboard, rain in the distance

It's been a great trip and I've loved every minute of the warm-water time, especially the last two sessions where the waves were pretty good fun and I was dialed in to the yellow 6'9." So stoked!

Surfline: 2-3 ft knee to waist high occ. 4 ft, fair conditions. Combo of declining trade swell and background SSW swell providing surfable but choppy waves for the Diamond Head area today. The Cliffs and Lighthouse locations have chest/shoulder high wedges laced with multiple chops. Steady trade winds will produce a bumpy ocean surface for south east exposures. Partly sunny in the morning then clearing. Isolated showers. Highs 78 to 83. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent. Buoy 51101: (Wave) SWELL: 9.8 ft at 14.8 s NNW 99 / WIND WAVE: 8.9 ft at 5.9 s NE / WVHT: 13.1 ft / APD: 8.0 s / MWD: 333° (Met) WSPD: 19 kts / GST: 23 kts / WVHT: 13.1 ft / DPD: 15.0 s / WDIR: 20° / ATMP: 72.3° F / WTMP: 76.3° F. Tide: 1.5' rising slightly.

Fade (Tongs)

Fade: a surfer's movement back into the most powerful section of the wave... a (usually) subtle angling back toward the whitewater so to position oneself deeper in the barrel or to wait for the wave to stand up more vertically as it moves over shallower reef/sand.

Since we've been staying on the 13th floor overlooking Tongs, I've had time to mind-surf, studying the wave from a broad vantage, trying to predict where the surfers should be to catch it and what they should do to stay on it. I could see a clear need to fade often else lose the wave on the mushy shoulder. With that in mind, I made the 5-minute paddle out. A couple of surfers soon rode in, leaving just me and a dude in boardshorts. I'm still not sure how folks surf with such minimal clothing, since my ribs have gotten lightly bruised despite due care, and there's good reason surf shirts are called rash guards. Still, in the even warmer waters of Nicaragua next month, I'm going to try surfing in only my allegedly wipe-out proof bikinis by Calavera and Ola Chica. We'll see if they live up to the claims.

One thing I like about Tongs, aside from it being walking distance from our condo, is that it's primarily a left, at least in the current conditions. Although there was much less wind than last time, it was still offshore and required more forward and downward push to get into and stay on the waves. I worked it for a bunch of fun rides, once scraping my foot on the reef at the end of one. I've lost the wobbles on the yellow board now and it's pretty fun.

The swell bumped up briefly to punchy shoulder-high, and I caught a very long ride to the inside, fading to stay with the power and make it through the flat sections. Woot! The bigger set was followed by a lull. Denis told me later that Diamond Head is notorious for such sneaker sets.

The other surfer left and I had the break to myself. Sweet. I rode a few more waves but the breeze was chilling me so I caught a series of three waves to get closer to shore before paddling in over the shallow reef. Stoked!

Surfline: Small South swell provides knee-waist occasional belly-chest high sets for the better spots in Town, inconsistent. Light ENE wind early, gradually increasing and veering NE through the day, becoming moderate. Partly to mostly cloudy skies. Buoy 51101: (Wave) SWELL: 6.6 ft at 13.8 s NNW 98 / WIND WAVE: 3.0 ft at 5.0 s N / WVHT: 7.2 ft / APD: 8.2 s / MWD: 342° (Met) WSPD: 16 kts / GST: 19 kts / WVHT: 7.2 ft / DPD: 14.0 s / WDIR: 10° / ATMP: 74.8° F / WTMP: 76.3° F. Tide: Falling from 0.5'.

Snorkeling with free dolphins yesterday. So cool.

Ketchup and Mustard (Haleiwa)

Amanda on her red fish

My buddy Amanda was on the north shore of Oahu with her boyfriend when Scott and I were on the south, and we wanted to meet up for a surf. I'd hoped to time our trip up to coincide with Carissa Moore's wildcard heat in the Van's World Cup of Surfing, but the contest website was abysmal and provided zero information on when that might be. We drove up today to see what we would see, taking the long route meandering the windward coast and stopping at Turtle Bay for lunch at Ola, our feet in the warm sand, looking at the ocean.

Just after we'd ordered, Amanda returned my voicemail. She had a short window to surf and we agreed to meet at protected Haleiwa since I didn't feel comfortable in overhead waves on the still slightly-tippy yellow board. (If I'd had my own surfboard, Emm or Rocket, I would totally have been down for her suggestion of catching inside waves at Chuns. Damn airline board fees!) So I could find her in the water, Amanda told me she'd be on a red fish. I said "we'll be like ketchup and mustard," looking at those condiments on the table.

Amanda's directions were good and I joined her on the inside, soon launching into my first ride. On the next wave, I was just about to pop up when I saw two large rocks exposed in my path. My brain screamed "Abort! Abort!" as I quickly pulled out of the wave. We moved away and outside of the exposed reef, and had to paddle frequently to stay clear of that danger zone.

It was good to surf with Amanda but she had to leave after I'd been there only about half an hour. Funny that we hadn't been able to meet up to surf for probably the last three years in NorCal but managed it, however briefly, several thousand miles away. I got many rides on waves up to chest high, weaving through surf schools and over one none-to-bright swimmer. The waves were mushy and I had to catch them near the peak or just broken. My best was a left with a shoulder. When it started to slow, I turned back to the peak for speed, then left again. Woot!

Sadly, I learned later that Carissa's World Cup heat had started shortly after my session ended a few miles to the south. Had I known, we would've dashed back up to Sunset Beach so I could cheer her in person. (Grrr, Vans! I'm never ever buying your shoes.)

Surfline: 4-7 ft shoulder high to 2 ft. overhead, fair to good conditions. Haleiwa looking much more manageable than yesterday as the winds and surf has dropped down. There are some fun waves rolling through but it is already looking pretty crowded....remember to share waves and show aloha. Sunny, highs 74 to 81. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent. Buoy 51101: (Wave) SWELL: 6.6 ft at 9.1 s E 97 / WIND WAVE: 4.9 ft at 5.0 s E / WVHT: 8.2 ft / APD: 6.6 s / MWD: 82° (Met) WSPD: 16 kts / GST: 19 kts / WVHT: 8.2 ft / DPD: 9.0 s / WDIR: 110° / ATMP: 74.8° F / WTMP: 76.8° F. Tide: Less than 0.5' and rising.

Offshore (Tongs)

Following an afternoon storm, the wind howled strong all last night. From our penthouse condo (it seems they didn't want to call it the 13th floor), I could see a surf break called Tongs (or Tonggs). There was no one out, but at least it was blowing offshore.

Later a few surfers had appeared and it seemed like it was it was only getting windier, so I succumbed to the pull of the ocean. Blocked by the high-rises for most of the long paddle out, the wind hit full force as I reached the lineup. Without wetsuit padding, I've often gotten bruised ribs surfing in warm water, but they felt OK. I think that's because I'm on a smaller board - a big longboard gets knocked into me harder than a shorter board - and because I now arch my back more when I paddle, like a real shortboarder. My bare knobby knees, however, continue to attract bruises.

Shallow water

Some kayakers were catching waves in the inside shallows and for a while I was the only surfer. Then a dude paddled out teaching a lesson, pointing out that my shortboard had more rocker than the beginner longboard his charge was trying to stay atop. The yellow board felt less tippy than yesterday; I'm getting more used to its narrowness.

I rode four or five gutless waves, fighting blinding spray and the offshore wind to get down the face for a brief ride before they petered out. I triangulated with a rock and a pink condo and paddled constantly to maintain position on the shifty peak as I was blown about, but got pushed to close too the rock and found my feet touching the reef while I sat on my board. Tongs breaks shallow, and Denis told me later than this gets especially hairy when it's big. That wasn't a concern today. It was good to get wet, and after a while every else went in, leaving me alone under the sun in the warm shallow sea.

Surfline: Small SSW swell continues. Look for mainly knee-waist high sets through the day, with occasional plus peaks at best breaks. Strong ENE wind 15-20kts. Buoy 51101: (Wave) SWELL: 7.9 ft at 12.9 s NNW 96 / WIND WAVE: 5.2 ft at 5.3 s E / WVHT: 9.5 ft / APD: 7.0 s / MWD: 344° (Met) WSPD: 19 kts / GST: 25 kts / WVHT: 9.5 ft / DPD: 13.0 s / WDIR: 90° / ATMP: 75.0° F / WTMP: 76.3° F. Tide: Falling from 0.5'.

Canary in the Tropics (Diamond Head Cliffs)

We arrived on Oahu on Thanksgiving, and the day after I was first in the door at the surf shop to which Luke had consigned his 6'9" surfboard. He'd kindly offered to let me use it during our week on the island, since the airlines extort $200 to fly a board there and back.

After waxing it up, and getting a little lost when a lighthouse proved curiously hard to find, I met Denis at Diamond Head for my first warm-water surf. Mahalo to him for passing on his local knowledge of the entry point, the current, the nearby break names, etc. We surfed at Cliffs, in between the Lighthouse and Mansions.

The yellow board is narrower than any of mine and noticeably tippier side-to-side. Fortunately the waves were small and forgiving. I caught a few and fell before making a nice right. Denis was riding his wife's wide 8'6" while his 7'0" is in for ding repair, and offered to switch boards with me. But her board was a huge tanker and I quickly swapped back. The board was lacking a leash so I'd bought one, and sorely missed my XM Tangle-Free leash as the standard one kept catching between my toes and wrapping around my leg.

Still wobbly but slowly getting the hang of the yellow board, I rode a long whitewater right and then a left. The water was so clear and warm - ahh, nice! I love to feel the surfboard under my bare feet.

Surfline: 2-3 ft knee to waist high. Fair conditions. Small SSW swell trying to provide ride-able surf on southern shores today. The Cliffs and Lighthouse locations have semi-smooth open rights rolling in. Lighter trade winds will produce less choppy conditions for south east exposures. Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of light showers. Highs 69 to 83. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Buoy 51101: (Wave) SWELL: 4.6 ft at 12.1 s NW 95 / WIND WAVE: 2.0 ft at 5.3 s ENE / WVHT: 5.2 ft / APD: 6.4 s / MWD: 319°(Met) WSPD: 14 kts / GST: 17 kts / WVHT: 5.2 ft / DPD: 12.0 s / WDIR: 10° / ATMP: 75.4° F / WTMP: 77.0° F. Tide: around 0.25'.

Fickle (Pinetrees)

The north swell had come up overnight, so I surf-checked from the Hanalei Pier at the near end of the Bay.

Tiny waves near the pier were the province of kooks on softops...

...while the break closer to the point was packed, SUP-infested, and shallow.

Hoping for a repeat of yesterday's fun session, I drove on to Pinetrees. But like a playful kitten who suddenly extends her claws to scratch, the beachbreak had changed overnight into a more threatening beast. The increased swell transformed the break more than I'd expected, producing overhead waves that often closed out, with the occasional shoulder nugget for the lucky. And the offshore/sideshore wind was on it, creating a lot of chop. No longer a stranger to my rented board, I was confident enough to paddle out, but felt some trepidation once I'd ridden a marked ripcurrent out to the lineup. I'd forgotten to wipe the sunscreen from my legs and they were slippery on my board. The waves were heavy, the pitching closeouts a bit scary. Sitting too close to the rip, I found myself pulled too far out, and there was a steady drift to the west as well, so I was paddling constantly to maintain position. I paddled for a few waves, but they were moundy before they jacked up, and I couldn't get into them.

From the beach I'd seen a smaller left farther west near a creek mouth, but there'd been no one out so I'd picked the safety of numbers instead. Now I saw a couple people in the water there, so I decided to head in that direction. Partway, the water changed from blue-green to murky brown, and I could taste the mud as the the breeze blew spray in my face. I was far from anyone else, thinking the S-word: They attack in murky water. And wasn't Bethany Hamilton hit near here? (It was at Tunnels, up the road.) I turned my board around and paddled back to the first spot.

I was determined to get a ride, and forced myself to move in to be in position instead of a bit outside and safer from those overhead closeout bombs. A big left started to rise behind me and I committed to it, felt the wave catch me and popped up - only to be blown off the back by a gust of offshore wind. Damn. I thought then to try for some of the smaller inside waves, anything, but only managed to rise from the whitewater for some short and bumpy rides. Paddling back out for another attempt, a 7-foot closeout detonated in front of me. No one was near so I ditched my board and dove deep under it, but the infernal leash wrapped around my leg like a noose. When the wave caught my board and pulled it sharply shoreward, the leash tightened painfully around my calf. raising a large bruise. I called it a day and caught a belly-ride in. Standing in the shallows, I watched a hot-shot shortboarder on a fast right. He launched above the lip, grabbed his board, flipped upside down, and landed in boiling whitewater. Wow.

Kauai Ocean Explorer: North shores topping the surf heights in the 4-8' range. Easterly tradewinds have returned - expect choppy conditions at all East-exposed locations on N, E & S shores. Small S swell. Hanalei 3-6 ft. 10-20 kt. Surfline: SSE-SSW Southern Hemi swell mix set up knee-waist-chest high surf for the better south exposures. More NNW swell fill in with waist-shoulder-head high waves at north exposed breaks in the morning. Buoy 51201: (Wave) SWELL: 3.0 ft at 11.1 s NNW 40 / WIND WAVE: 3.3 ft at 7.7 s NNW / WVHT: 4.6 ft / APD: 7.0 s / MWD: 339° (Met) WVHT: 4.6 ft / DPD: 11.0 s / WTMP: 77.9° F. Tide: 0' rising slowly.

Beachbreak Fun (Pinetrees)

Disillusioned with the south shore of Kauai, as crowded as Santa Cruz and not half as pretty, I decided to try the north coast since small swells were running toward both the top and the bottom of the island. Hanalei Bay, aka Bali Hai, is one of the most beautiful curves of coastline in the world. The swell was small, but at Pinetrees it was forming into some fun-sized waves, and there were plenty of the aforementioned pine trees to shade Scott as he read a novel on the beach while I surfed.

I'd stopped by Tamba Surf Company for a new leash on the way north, since the ankle strap on the one the 6'10" came with was dangerously frayed and close to breaking. The new leash was seriously kinked, wrapping around my leg, getting underfoot and snagging between my toes at inopportune times. Note to self: If I can't bring my own board, at least bring my own leash. Nevertheless, I had a blast on the 2-4' waves rolling through at Pinetrees.

There was a bit of a crowd, but enough kooks catching nothing and enough space to spread out that I got my fair share. Surfing in warm water was heaven, even if the break didn't offer a floor show as there was no fish-filled reef below, just clear blue-green water over sand. I wore a 1 mil rashguard to protect against rib bruising, and it did the trick. The Tamba board proved a close cousin of Emm, and I dialed into it for many good rides, mostly lefts. Surfing nearshore in the shallows reminded me of days at the Jetty without the inherent chill. And as it's Spring in NorCal, it was one of my better sessions in quite a while.

After a tasty lunch at the Mediterranean Gourmet, Scott and I returned to Pinetrees and went sponging, waiting for waves by standing almost in the surfing lineup. We got a lot of fun rides though I'd rather have been on my feet. I caught one sectiony wave with a surfer but I went left and she went right on a collision course, so I straightened out and ended the ride in the shallows simultaneously. I also had some success at body surfing, to my surprise. We returned to the condo waterlogged, saltwater-encrusted, sandy and content.

Kauai Ocean Explorer: North shore surf increased Wed & is currently in the 3-5' range. East winds becoming stronger into this weekend, with associated choppy wind-swell at all East-exposed areas. Hanalei 1-3 ft. 5-10 kt. Surfline: SSE Southern Hemi swell set up waist-shoulder high surf and some better sets for the good south exposures. A new NW swell fill in with waist-shoulder high waves at top north exposed spots. Buoy 51201: (Wave) SWELL: 1.6 ft at 12.5 s NW 39 / WIND WAVE: 2.0 ft at 9.9 s NNW / WVHT: 2.6 ft / APD: 6.3 s / MWD: 319° (Met) WVHT: 2.6 ft / DPD: 13.0 s / WTMP: 78.6° F. Tide: 0' rising slightly.

One (Poipu)

Ah, Kauai! Warm azure waves kissing hot sand as palm trees sway in the tropical breeze. Such a change from Spring in NorCal. My first surf opportunity came on Sunday afternoon, but the precursive challenge was to find a suitable rental board. With United Airlines extorting $200 roundtrip to transport a surfboard, I was forced to leave mine at home. Steve recommended Tamba Surf Company, just up the road from our rented condo on the east side of the island. Bizarrely, Tamba did not list its open hours on its website, on its voicemail message, or even on its front door, but in any event, it was decidedly and inexplicably closed on the second day of the weekend. We made our way to Poipu, where a surf shop also proved elusive, but on a brief surf check walk I saw that the Marriott had a rental booth just off the beach. Alas, they stopped issuing surfboards at 4 pm (WTF?!), and it was past 4:30. A nearby stand on the beach had only Softops (no friggin' way!). I watched surfers enjoying the sweet south swell, and silently cursed the airline. A Sunday surf was not to be.

Dolphins on the Na Pali Coast

Monday was nearly windless, and we headed out on a catamaran sailboat that didn't sail for a pre-booked tour of the lovely Na Pali coast. The return to port was choppy, and I stood in the bow, "surfing" down the oncoming swell. It was just a bit like making the drop on a overhead wave, and left me smiling and soaked from the spray.

Tamba's rental quiver

In the late afternoon, I found Tamba was open and secured a surfboard that at 6'10" x 19 7/8" x 2 3/4" was a little shorter, a little narrower, and a teensy bit thicker than Emm. I hoped I hadn't made a mistake, but the next alternative was a big step up to a longboard, which would've felt like a step backward, and posed transportation issues as well. As at other surf shops I stumbled upon during our stay, there was a gap in their rental quiver where Emm would go. The Tamba board fit comfortably inside our whiny Ford Focus, where it could live for the rest of the week, available for surf where I found it. Having finally secured a wave riding device, I felt better, and was cheered further when I got carded buying a bottle of wine at Safeway. Do I really look that young in a bikini top and boardshorts?!

At long last, Tuesday was surf day. The tides were negative low in the morning, so we drove south again in the afternoon. Scott had agreed to join me in the warm water, and I'd seen a good beginner spot near the Waiohai Marriott on my Sunday surf check. We picked up a longboard for him at the hotel booth and walked the short distance to what the guides said was a south shore beginner's break. Unfortunately the swell had dropped and the inner peak that had been serving gentle waves near the beach was no longer working well. We paddled out anyway, but the water was shallow over the reef. One of two body-boarders on the inside warned us off of surfing there due to the lack of depth, but the cynic in me wondered if he just didn't want the company. 

The outside was packed, and the left was breaking like at Rachel's Point: a quick jack-up folding back on itself, and no possibility of taking off on the shoulder away from the peak. With conditions not really suitable for a beginner and Scott's ribs already bruising despite a 2 mil rashie, we decided to bag the session.

Party wave

As we paddled back in, watching the reef close below through crystal-clear water, I felt a wave lift past on the inner peak. I sat up and waited for the next. Foolish perhaps, but I just had to get one! I paddled as a thigh-high wave approached, and popped up over water maybe that deep. The board was similar enough to Emm that I nailed it and rode the little wave, hooting as fat fish darted in all directions underneath me. 

A rare Hawaiian monk seal dozes by snorkelers

Kauai Ocean Explorer: More beautiful beach weather today. Surf around Kauai is generally small with South shores topping surf heights as a new swell builds. East winds decreasing, then building again into this weekend. Poipu 2-4+ ft. 5-15 kt. Surfline: 1-2 ft. Very Small short period wind waves from the south-southeast. Light and variable east winds with smooth seas.  Easing Southern Hemi swell mix set up knee-waist high zone waves for south exposures, as top spots saw plus sets. Buoy 51204: (Wave) SWELL: 1.6 ft at 10.5 s SSW 38 / WIND WAVE: 3.3 ft at 7.7 s SSE / WVHT: 3.6 ft / APD: 6.5 s / MWD: 212° (Met) WVHT: 3.6 ft / DPD: 11.0 s / WTMP: 78.8° F. Tide: 1' rising slowly.

Do We Really Have to Leave? (Pinetrees)

Since our flight home wasn't until 2 pm, there was time for a last surf in the morning. I skipped the paddle to the reef in favor of the closer beach break in Hanalei Bay. Every once in a while a head-high cleanup set would come through, but mostly the waves were smaller.

I rode a bunch, finishing up with a long left almost to the sand, and then it was time to go. Mahalo nui loa, Kauai, for the fun surf!

Surfline: A small-scale, fading NNW provides mainly waist-chest high sets this morning at the better spots with clean conditions. Select reefs still produce occasional waves up to shoulder-head high. Kauai Ocean Explorer: 2-4 feet.

Hau`oli la Hanau (Hanalei Bay)

For my birthday surf, I returned to Hanalei Bay and made the paddle out to the reef. I arrived a bit earlier this time hoping to beat the crowd, but if anything, there were more people on it than yesterday. And I had to join the pack since my inside left wasn't working, perhaps because the tide was higher. The tidal variation is much less than in NorCal, only about 0-2.5 feet while we were there, but the small change seemed to make a difference on the reef. Surfline mostly neglects Kauai, but the LOLA forecast was totally wrong, calling for 2-3' when the waves were larger than yesterday, solidly overhead at the main peak.

On one head-high wave, I stuck the nose on the drop and sailed through the air before taking a tumble in the spin cycle. I can now confirm that the Ola Chica "wipeout-proof" bikini isn't. When I surfaced, both the bikini top and my rashguard were bunched under my armpits. Fortunately no one was nearby to take in the view.

The reef beneath my board

Although I didn't get as many rides as yesterday and only a couple of long ones, the thrilling drops more than made up for it. The best was a slightly overhead right. I hooted down the face in a fast swoop and rode for a few seconds before the whitewater crashed down everwhere, throwing me into the warm water with a big stoked smile on my face.

Surfline: Waist- to chest-high, small NW swell. Kauai Ocean Explorer: 2-3 feet.

Bali Hai (Hanalei Bay)

As we drove north from Lihue Airport in Kauai, the first surfer I saw launched himself several feet into the air and did a flip. Later, in the sand-bottomed condo hot tub, I met a group of Canadians on the island for a wedding. The goofyfoot groom told me he'd surfed a 4-5' left called Grampas that day in Hanelei. I was itching to get in the water.

Memorials to Andy Irons were everywhere on the north shore of Kauai, where he grew up. The proprietor of a surf shop near our hotel pointed at the FreeSurf magazine in my hand and rued the irony that he was on the cover. The rental boards at his place as well as a few others were sad wrecks, but outside a shop in Hanalei, a particular epoxy board called to me. I pulled it from the rack and guessed its length correctly at 7 feet. It felt good in my hands, so I made it mine for the duration of our stay.

At the east end of Hanalei Bay, with deliciously bare feet, I walked out on a sandy and silty river bar, then made a long paddle to the reef break. The water flowing from the Hanalei River was cool, but the water over the reef was warm, clear and shallow. It was delightful to surf sans rubber, in a rashguard and boardshorts. The main peak was going head-high+ but was infested with janitors. It seems SUPs were invented so guys can keep surfing when they've grown to fat and/or old to use a real board, but some of them could rip.

I employed my frequent Santa Cruz strategy, taking the shorter lefts when most everyone else was going right, and sitting inside to catch the neglected smaller waves, which were waist- to shoulder-high. The 7' Channin was a perfect fit and I got many, many fun long rides. It was lovely to watch the reef speed by underneath while surrounded by steep green mountains.

 Surfline: 4-5 feet, NNW swell.

Sharing the Stoke (Canoes)

On our last morning in Hawaii, Scott joined me for the first half of a two-hour session. Since Koa doesn't open until 10 am (I guess they dawn patrol every day), we got surfboards from Moku, which starts renting at 6:30. Once again the 8'2" NSP was already claimed, but they had an 8'6" NSP for me and a 9'0" for Scott.
The waves were a little more closed out than yesterday but I got countless fun rides, and Scott caught a nice left down the line. It was hard to force myself to come in when my two hours were nearly up. I squeezed in just one more, and then another that took me through a surf school and close to shore. I'll miss the warm water, consistent fun waves, and island aloha. But the stoke goes on!

Drama on the High Seas (Canoes)

In the late morning, I put on my sleeveless shorty and walked the short distance from our hotel on Waikiki Beach to Moku, eager to repeat yesterday's awesome surf session on the 8'2" NSP. Alas, the board was already rented, and the little shop had nothing else to offer that was around 8 feet long and not a soft-top. So I walked another half block to Koa, which had a bigger selection. I passed on an 8' fattie and took out a Koa 8-footer instead. I had only a couple of hours to surf, but it was just $15 for the rest of the day.

The board proved suitable but the surf was not as fabulous as yesterday, though still good, with many fun rides left and right. I got a stoking super long ride all the way in to the swimming area by the beach, and had just paddled back nearly to the lineup when a bigger set wave came through, sending kook boards flying toward me. I caught the whitewater in a little, and collided fairly gently with another board. Tossed into the water, I immediately turned toward the other rider with a "Sorry! Are you OK?" To my horror, he was floating face down and motionless. OMG! Dude, are you dead?! I swam over and touched his arm, and was relieved when he flipped himself and said he was alright. But still, he wasn't moving. I asked if I could help him, but he waved me off. Then I glanced at his longboard, which was modified with foam paddling and straps, and it dawned on me that he was in some way partly paralyzed. I offered to help him get back on his board, but he again refused. By then a couple of muscular Aussies had swum out to us from the beach, and he let them take charge of putting him right again. Guess maybe he just didn't want assistance from a girl. Feeling useless, I paddled back out. I saw the guy later in the lineup, lying facedown on his board, with another surfer pushing him at times. Of all the people to run into at a crowded break - and he was the only one - I had to hit a disabled guy! Bah.

While I was chatting with a woman from Vancouver (Darelle?), a sea turtle swam under my board, then took up brief residence under hers. Unfortunately he took a fancy to her leash, first nibbling it and then getting entangled so Darelle had to take off her leash to free him. After being so close to turtles in the ocean the last few days, it made me sad to see one later on TV, surfacing in a patch of spilled oil in the Gulf.

South Shore Stoke (Canoes)

On a gorgeous sunny afternoon in paradise, I rented an 8'2" NSP from Moku (only $14 for 2 hours) and carried it a block to the beach, past the statue of Duke Kahanamoku, to the warm inviting waters of Waikiki.

 

What followed was surely one of my best surf sessions ever. It was crowded like a tropical Cowells, but not too crowded. Also like Cowells, there were many beginners who were imitating buoys and letting waves pass unridden. I found a clear slot and caught wave after wave, mostly lefts, long rides that shifted as they passed over different sections of the reef. I could really feel what the wave wanted me to do to keep riding, and the NSP was a good vehicle, turning with a thought to follow the wave. STOKED!!!

What GoeSUP, Must Come Down

I've found Mother Ocean always tends to slap me down when I start getting a little too cocky, like crowing about not falling once my first time paddleboarding. And she didn't have to try very hard when we took SUPs out in ocean waves instead of on flat water. I didn't even make it halfway to the lineup at Canoes before I was knocked off the board by a little broken wave. But at least the water was translucent blue instead of murky green.

Then again, sometimes it is the equipment, at least partly, The SUPs we rented on the North Shore yesterday were much better, but Moku only had two for rent (cheaper than on Waikiki Beach), and I was stuck with a soft-top. I loathe soft-tops. The leash was too long; every time I fell, it seemed the board ended up far, far away. And the paddle wasn't scoop-shaped, just flat on both sides, which is a less efficient design (although I saw others using the same, so perhaps there's some reason for it?). I did manage to catch a couple waves, but didn't get my feet shifted from the parallel paddler's stance to surfing position in time to ride them, instead being tossed off the back as the board went forward without me. I think I'll save the waves for regular surfing and confine my janitorial activities to flat waters.

What'SUP?

In the late spring and summer, Oahu's North Shore is transformed from a big-wave mecca into a lake-like snorkeler's paradise. The offshore wind was adding a little chop when Scott and I made our first attempt at stand-up paddleboarding. We rented SUPs from Surf-n-Sea in Haleiwa and set out into Waialua Bay. I was a bit unsteady at first and after a while had to consciously release the death grip my toes had on the board, but didn't take long to get the general hang of it.

After an unintended detour through the boat harbor, past a large, decimated floating fish head (I was hoping whatever killed it was long, long gone - and then I really didn't want to fall), we made our way up the Anahulu River. We paddled past riverside shacks than reminded me of a Louisiana bayou. There were many fish and turtles in the shallow and murky green water, and I nearly fell when a large turtle surfaced suddenly within a foot of my board. Thankfully I quieted the board's rocking and made it out of the river and back to the beach without falling once. Yes!

On our way to have lunch with our feet in the sand at Ola in Turtle Bay, we stopped at Shark's Cove, one of the best snorkeling spots on Oahu, and I got up close with a sea turtle.

It's Intermission

I'm taking a vacation from the virtual world to better enjoy the real one.

A hui hou! (See you later!)

Pipe Wipeout

From a NYT article on North Shore localism.