Thank you for making this. As a lifelong surfer, I found this fascinating, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. This is surfing footage I want to see- experiential stuff, long-attention span stuff. And correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the first time anyone has captured this experience, and that's got to stand for something.
Hey Tuskedbeast, great observation! Yeah, after finally getting to live in Hawaii I found the practicalities of surfing spots just as interesting as the waves. Like how hard is it to paddle out in pumping Waimea. Also, my camera is not all that great so that kind of factored into the equation too. Anyhow, I'll keep my lens geared to this same style and hopefully continue to interest. Aloha and mahalo!
totally agree - can't stand the way so many surf vids won't even show people paddling into waves and popping up, let alone paddling out to the lineup, getting in position etc , just the up and on the wave already, each time, with often nr identical turns
There are a couple of very interesting "Paddle Out" videos on RU-vid worthy. I love watching them because only a surfer knows the feeling of getting worked paddling out, and I can feel the anxiety. Search "Epic Paddle Out".
A 6 minute paddle out isn't bad at least they have a channel. Where I surf it takes 15 minutes in 6 ft surf with no channel you get hit with one wave after another
dudes hair was still dry when he got out. compared to when i paddled out at Ocean Beach, SF this winter when it was about the same size, 15-18 ft, that took me 20-30 minutes and i had to take maybe dozen waves on the head. this guy had it easy. until he paddles for one of those waves, that is.
Thanks like i say i know i m not a string enuf swimmer but not surfers their condition by this stuff...i live florida west an the surfers only show up when its stormin...pretty funny...
Yes that’s probably a lifeguard patrolling the Surf so that nobody drowns and to keep everyone safe out in the surf lineup or it could be one of the north shore surfer crew that has a watercraft and is trying to keep all his buddies safe.
Guy on JetSki not life guard. Just random surfer who takes out a ski with a buddy to tow each other into big waves. Very hard to paddle into some of the big set waves but much easier when you’re being towed in via the JetSki onto the wave. Plus when you got a ski you can help bail out your buddy and others.
Hey Sunsensational, thanks for the gouge! I thought Hawaiian Lifeguards were tasked with going out on skis during the big surf...crazy to think its a random surfer!
I disagree with sunsensational, most likely that was a lifeguard on the jet ski giving guys a free ride. No one tows at Waimea. Sometimes a tow team will stop and watch for awhile but they're unlikely to give someone a ride. Same for the photographers, they don't stop taking photos to give someone a ride. When Waimea is breaking the lifeguard on a ski does hang out there and give people rides.
Yeah lifeguards are always on jetskis at waimea when it's big. Every time a guy loses his board outside they go get him if he looks like he'll drift towards the jumping rock where the massive shorebreak is. Otherwise there is nobody towing surfers at waimea. That would get you beat up very quickly and ejected from the bay!
@@57streetsurf There are lifeguards on skis in Hawaii, the original commentator is incorrect. Some of the skis are also surfers, but I think the one seen in this video was a lifeguard.
I told the short of my attempt at surfing rented aboard an with no clue i could get past these little 2 foot fall storm waves they beating me to death i could the board by....the whole time yelling up to surf Gods how fork do u guys do this....duck what than i accidently was wztching a neighbors house saw mavericks...oooh u buggars...oh yeah float..dah
6 minutes to paddle out at Waimea seems very fast, since when it’s actually big it’s much more challenging and will take much longer unless riding the rip. And after wiping out, it can be a 1 hour swim to get back in. This video makes it seem too easy, which is going to encourage inexperienced swimmers to try their luck. whereas when it’s really big only very strong swimmers capable of say a 5 mile swim when tired should be out
It took Ken Bradshaw 45min to come in on a massive Waimea day (25 foot + hawaiian = 50 to 60 foot faces) when the bay was closing out. He had to swim back outside 3 times so he could come in from the right side of the bay where the shorebreak is smaller. Otherwise, going straight, he would have drfited and died in the shorebreak on the left side (west). This is only 15 foot waimea (20 to 30 foot faces) in this video. Coming in can be very quick even swimming unless you drift in the middle of the bay and then towards the massive shorebreak. It's very hard to come in swimming near the jumping rock due to the rocks but mostly beacuse of the steep beach slope and the relentless shorebreak rushing up and then down, pulling the surfer back into the washing machine over and over! More people have died in the shorebreak than outside.
Ah Chris you must be one of the young chickenshits that stay on the beach and film those of us who paddle out. IF you knew anything about the bay it doesn't get challenging until it hits 15+
You speak the truth. It took me 15 minutes or more to swim out to 6ft. Majors bay on Kauai to bodysurf. These people don't get how damn amazing big wave surfers are. I know you aren't claiming to be a hero. These people have no idea how tough guys like Kelly Slater, Jaimie Mitchell and John John Florence really are. Paige Alms is way beyond anything any of these poseurs can imagine. I know, I can only dream of doing what she has done.
The biggest waves I have ever surfed were measured from the back at approx. 12 feet Hawaiian scale. This has a 25 ft wave face. Nothing to brag about by today's standards. Nazarre, Mavericks, Cortes Banks, etc.
