6:45am-10:00am
Kewalos
Sunny, light side-offshores
1-3' (Hawaiian)
me- 6'3" T&C thruster
rich- 6'4" T&C thruster
Makani- shortboard
e-mail from Makani the previous night scheduled the morning session. brother rich picked me up at 6am & we met Makani and his friend "Mo" in the parking lot at Kewalo Basin. Mo is a good guy to know when you're not a "regular" at Kewalos; tough crowd. ‘specially with cannon- like cameras on the breakwater.
rude awakening: we have been spoiled by uncrowded surf. lot's of animosity in the water amongst the guys (& gals) scratching for what was left after the "boys" got the best waves.
Makani was going vertical on the end bowl near the channel, and he hung out on the lefts. me & rich tried for anything, rights or lefts. the waves were pretty good, easy to surf & had some tubing sections, too. some overhead but mostly shoulder high & smaller. rich's board is falling apart; that and the crowd made him grind his teeth. still, he managed to score an (almost) "stand up" tube and many backside lip blasts. i seemed to be in sync with the crowd situation & had much more than my fair share of set waves.
all in all, a mega packed week of surf for me. . . looking forward to some more.
good surfing to you,
bud
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Saturday August 29,1998
See the Pictures
8:15am-11:30am
Somewhere off South West Oahu
nearly cloudless, light side-offshores
1-3' (Hawaiian)
me- 6'3" T&C thruster
Makani- shortboard
brother rich was committed to a morning beach party so i hooked up with Makani for a mid morning session at the "secret spot" (Neal had family visiting). we knew that the swell was dropping but we figured that this spot would still be happening.
i went to Makani's place & we hopped in his truck. hit the beach & checked it out with his binocs. . . looked real good, but there was at least 5 guys out already! as we made the 25 minute walk to the jump-in point though, several of the surfers that we saw out, were on their way in. tide was high but the waves looked like great fun; excellent conditions.
we surfed all morning, getting cooked by the sun and grabbing tons of waves. Makani was ripping as usual, super smooth and lightning fast snaps & cutbacks. even pulled a couple of "airs". between the two of us, we ended up shooting the whole roll in the disposable camera (only a few came out presentable).
my "bad" knee was bearable, but the throbbing pain was a constant reminder. still, I had a blast & scored a few good rides. when we climbed out of the water, we discovered that someone had stolen Makani's buck-ninety-nine slippers! . . bastards. he had to walk back barefoot on the trail, about a mile of loose gravel.
good surfing to you,
bud
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Friday August 28, 1998
See the pictures
6:00am-8:45am
off the west coast of Oahu
overcast becoming sunny, light sideshores
2'-4', (occasional plus sets)
me- 6'3" T&C thruster
Neal- longboard
i woke up in the middle of the night in incredible pain. i "popped" my left knee the day before, but didn't think much of till now. looked like it might ruin my weekend of surf (didn't want to imagine beyond that). finally at 3am i remembered i had some Naproxyn left over from a broken ribs biking accident last year. let me sleep for a bit before the alarm went off. walked the dog and tried to work the pain away, but i was worried.
brother Rich had military duty again. picked Neal up at 5:20am & we headed for the beach. much anticipation ‘cause we weren't sure if the swell was gonna show. we were lucky number 7 at a military gate and had to pull over for a search (still on higher threat conditions cause of the US missile strike). open all doors/gas/hood/glovebox, present ID and step away from the vehicle. lighted mirror on a pole checked out the bottom of my SUV, but i guess they didn't find any bombs. one of the guards was a surfer & knew we were gonna score. as they finished up, the guy says to us, "hey, catch one for me".
pulled up to the beach & even though it was still dark, we could see a line of whitewater out at the break. by now the pain killer must have really kicked in (or something) ‘cause I was feeling ready to surf.
three others were already out, including friends of mine, brothers Billy & Pat. waves were good; overhead & clean. some clean up sets kept it interesting. southwest swell was throwing consistent waves for about 45 minutes before it started to slow down. by 8:15, the waves were almost non-existent.
while the waves were happening, Neal was fully rushing it on his tank again. seemed confident to make late take offs and had some long down-the-line rides to the inside. too bad the waves disappeared so fast. still, it was great to catch overhead surf in good conditions with almost no one out.
read Neal's write up on the session at his website
good surfing to you,
bud
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Oahu Session Report Thursday 8/27/98
3:00pm-6:00pm
White Plains Beach (BPT-NAS)
sunny, light sideshores
1'-1.5' (Hawaiian)
me- 6'3" T&C thruster
rich- 6'4" T&C thruster
south west swell hadn't lived up to our hopes (yet), so we decided to hit it were it might show the best, Maili Point. i took off early from work & went to rich's place where we jumped in his truck & headed west. drove up to the edge of the beach & checked it out; head high surf wasn't hitting the reef very good at all. we grew up surfing the spot so it didn't take long for us to judge that, although the surf size was ok, it sucked. not big enough for the direction of the swell. decided to check out a favorite "secret spot" & then go for a slop session at Barbers Point.
on a shoulder high wave, I fell to my back after a sloppy off the lip. I tried to stand back up because my feet were still on the board & I was dragging along in the whitewater. suddenly, I heard a "pop" and my left knee felt like someone had stabbed it with a screwdriver. worked it with my hand for a while and was able to surf a bit more.
some double ups made for a fun session. the waves on the outer reefs were good signs for the weekend swell. rich was surfing real well in the small mushy surf. we had a good time yelling at each other and being obnoxious.
good surfing to you,
bud
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Sunday August 23,1998
See a few Pictures
6:10am-9:30am
off the west coast of Oahu
overcast, strong sideshores
3'-4', (occasional bomber plus sets)
me- 6'3" T&C thruster
Neal- longboard
not a good sign; strong winds as i stepped out of my place to walk the weinerdogfromhell. i picked Neal up at 5:30am & we headed as planned to a semi-secret westside spot i had been telling him about. Makani was to meet us there about 6. it was just 10 minutes from Neal's place so it was still mostly dark when we pulled into the parking area. two other cars w/boards were already there! recognized a friend's (Kyle Chu) ride & exchanged howzits.
the break is very deceiving from the shore; it is so far out that it looked minuscule & blown out. i knew that there was sizeable surf and that it could be pretty good. the early morning wind was bad, but i was more concerned about the swell direction. it was clear that many of the waves were breaking from the east end too soon. we waxed up & locked the vehicle, and just before we hit the water Makani popped over the top of the beach. he was shaking his head about the bad wind. hard to argue, but knowing that me & brother rich had surfed the place in much worse conditions encouraged me to convince them that the surf was better than it looked. Neal looked like he was game for anything, and after a short discussion we agreed that (anywhere the waves were) the conditions were likely to be the same, so Makani said he'd see us out in the lineup.
southwest swell was inconsistent but the majority of the waves we caught were overhead, many were well over head and a few almost double-o. the sideshore wind strength fluctuated but remained strong. it was good to surf waves with some juice. major tubes can be had here, but the spot is not a full-on-shallow-reef-pitching tube-type-wave, rather it is a thick, meaty, open ocean type that breaks only when the south swell is big enough. and if you pick the right waves, you can score racing walls & long rides (& a long paddle back out).
cool to see Neal fully rushing the surf on his longboard. the wave is difficult to judge; many of his take-offs were late and he was pulling them off. except one particular lip-launch that me & Makani were in perfect position to witness. i was ready with the disposable camera as he took off and "inadvertently" snapped a shot as the lip caught him in the midsection. he quickly recovered after he popped out the back, but as he tried to sneak through the impact zone he got drilled by multiple sets. we were genuinely concerned when we didn't see him for what seemed like 20 minutes or so. finally he came back out & got right back into the thick of things. we saw him catch a bunch of waves, arms thrown in the air and all stoked.
Makani was on a 7'0 that he said wasn't working for him. put the wrong set of fins on it (FCS). i did notice that he was sticking to the inside, so i didn't see most of his waves; the ones i did see, he ripped as usual.
two or three other surfers came out while we were there. the last half of the session it was just the three of us. i had several rides that i was very happy with. board was working good in the punchy, sometimes choppy waves. pulled into a close-out on a well overhead set wave & got a nice cavern before being slammed. life is good.
read Neal's write up on the session at his website
PART 2
brother Rich called in the afternoon & managed to twist my arm for another session at the same spot. surf was badly blown and mostly closing out, but it was a bit bigger than the morning. knowing i was on my way, rich had already gone out. i paddled out at 4pm and surfed another 2 hours. we were the only ones out the whole time. i ached all over as i was thinking about the new swell forecasted for later this week.
good surfing to you,
bud
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Oahu Session Report Saturday 8/22/98
3:00pm-6:00pm
White Plains Beach (BPT-NAS)
sunny, moderate sideshores
1'-1.5' (Hawaiian)
me- 6'3" T&C thruster
so far, the forecasted southwest swell didn't appear to be all we had hoped. decided to work a few hours in the morning and then take off for a solo afternoon session. brother rich was on military duty till 8am Sunday. Neal & Makani had previous obligations. i had just received a new ID card that was supposed to give me access to ceratin Navy bases, and i was looking forward to see if i ran into any problems at the gate. stoked to be waved right through at Pearl Harbor and Barbers Point! . . . even with heightened "Threat-Condition" (because of the US missile attacks overseas). funny, i figured i'd be the one pulled off to the side & searched, what with a reflective tinted SUV & non-military ID. instead, the guards were going through tourists' rental cars & guys with military decals on their windshields.
didn't feel like fighting for waves at a "name" spot, so i went for a fun slop session at the officer's beach at Barbers Point NAS. plus it would it give me a feel for the swell & the possibility of hitting a semi-secret spot down the coast the next morning. all the whitewater on the outer reefs confirmed what i was hoping for. the swell should be big enough to surf the spot i had been telling Neal about.
White Plains (or "O-beach") was almost as good as it ever gets, which is not saying a lot. but the shoulder high mushburgers were fun. excellent place to learn how to stand on a surfboard. lots of women/girls on longboards having a go in the surf. add a swarm of military dudes on boards & sponges and you have quite the slalom course on your hands... i had a few decent rides; a couple from outside then almost to the beach.
good surfing to you,
bud
________________________________
Sunday August 16,1998
See the Pictures
6:45am-10:45am
Somewhere off South West Oahu
nearly cloudless & windless
3'-4' (Hawaiian)
me- 6'3" T&C thruster
after the previous night phone calls w/Neal & Makani regarding the swell & conditions, we went for Makani's longshot call of (spot to remain unnamed). the break requires at least a fair sized swell and then you have a 25 minute walk and a 10 minute paddle ahead of you. we were doubting the call all the way out to the lineup.
Neal was on his bodyboard and Makani was longboarding. I brought a disposable camera and my shortboard. the conditions were perfect, & it seemed our timing couldn't have been better. Makani seemed to know that the surf was better than it first appeared. about a half hour into the session, the surf began to fire. the tide was coming in and overhead waves were non-stop. the lefts were rideable for a hundred yards. certain rights wedged perfectly along the channel. two other surfers on longboards came out for about an hour & left. otherwise it was just the three of us.
the takeoff was a distinct bowl near the green channel marker which required a "right or left?" decision. one of us was always in position for a set wave. Neal was tearing up the lefts and rights and always surprised me on how fast he could get back out after a 30 second ride. Makani, wearing a full-brimmed camouflage hat, was surfing his tank like a shortboard in slow motion.
i was fully stoked on several waves i had, including a couple of nice tubes, several solid snaps and top-to-bottom cutbacks. mid-session, i (can't believe) was talked into trying Makani's longboard....but i have to admit i had a blast (did i say that?). Makani, after surfing his tank all morning, went nuts on my 6'3", snapping & slashing everywhere.
completely "surfed out", i told Neal & Makani i was going in. right then one of the biggest sets came thru. i caught the first one and immediately f***ked it up. as i popped out the back i watched as Neal pulled in behind the peak on one of the biggest waves of the session and whipped a barrel roll right in the pit. cool. See Neal's write up here
good surfing to you,
bud
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Oahu Session Report Saturday 8/15/98
6:15am-9:30apm
Lighthouse
mostly clear, very light tradewinds
2.5'-3.5'
me- 6'3" T&C thruster
Rich- 6'4" T&C thruster
dawn patrol glass must have been on the minds of everyone. place was pretty well crowded. several longboarders abusing their advantage made for some frustrated surfers, brother rich included. overhead sets were pretty good but not as good as last Sunday.
highlights:
(for me) several attempts at "close-out-air" almost successful
rich pulling his hair out over his frustration at the weenies in the lineup
good surfing to you,
bud
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Oahu Session Report Friday 8/14/98
1:45pm-4:00pm
Lighthouse
mostly clear, light tradewinds
1.5'-3'
me- 6'3" T&C thruster
Rich- 6'4" T&C thruster
rich talked me into an afternoon session (twist my arm). lingering south-east swell was still throwing some fun summer surf. very mellow midday crowd. light winds meant almost no windsurfers over at cliffs. we're getting spoiled by the rash of good condition, wind-free days.
highlights:
rich went leashless & didn't have to swim
lowlights:
large, hairy, naked dude walking on the beach
good surfing to you,
bud
Oahu Session Report Sunday 8/9/98
7:00am-9:45am
Lighthouse
mostly clear, windless
2.5'-3.5'
me- 6'3" T&C thruster
rich was to spend quality time with his kids on Sunday & Neal was still work-bound. i called Makani the night before to hook up for a mid morning sesh, hoping to catch some of the lingering south-east swell.
i came around the east side of Diamond Head & nearly drove into the mountainside when i saw the surf & conditions. i was right on time (6:55) and i saw Makani had scored front row parking, right in front of the trail. i pulled a u-turn next to him & leaned across to the passenger window, "is this for real?" and Makani sez, "man, it's going OFF!". full moon was visible in the blue sky and the blue-green water was like glass. lines were stacked and overhead waves were wedging off the reef. the extreme high tide was holding the waves from breaking too soon. 2 juicy bowls were making distinct takeoffs, one at the middle and one on the outside. the sets connected all the way across to the inside.
the surf was packed but the crowd was unbelievably mellow. everyone had big smiles and seemed to know that we were experiencing a rare treat. me & Makani scored more than our share of waves. friends Hiram and Keoni were out, as well as old friend Michael Akima. Hiram paddled up to me & shaking his head said "man, that fucking Makani rips!". yup.
i had some excellent waves but an on-going armpit & chest rash was burning real bad. first hint of wind didn't show till about 9:15. on a long ride i almost ran aground so i decided to make it my last one. didn't realize how fast the tide was going out, almost tore my fins off. excellent summer waves. didn't bring the camera out in the surf but here is post-session view from the cliff.
Good surfing to you,
bud
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Oahu Session Report Saturday 8/8/98
2:00pm-5:30pm
KMCAS
mostly sunny, light onshores
1.5'-2.5'
me- 6'3" T&C thruster
rich-6'4" T&C thruster
because of the light-to-no wind situation, we decided to do it a bit different this day. instead of the usual dawn patrol, went for an early afternoon session & popped "over the hill" to the east side. Neal had another work filled weekend but we connected with Makani the night before & he said he'd probably meet us there.
rang Makani with the cell from the beach & gave him the scoop. looked pretty good. clear green water over a sand bottom. decent peaks firing off little rights & lefts that let you get several snaps before dumping onto the sandbar. maybe 2 other board surfers. . . lots of body boarders, mostly military groms making like bouys in the impact zone. everyone having fun in the sun.
brother rich and Makani, both goofy, took advantage of the better formed & longer lefts. lots of lip bashing snaps were had by all. Makani popped a couple of airs. Rich snagged the biggest set of the session (overhead & a half) & slammed the lip hard (pulled it off) right after a freefall takeoff.
last hour, 3 young surfers who lived Waialua side came out & surfed well. chatted with them on the beach & talked about mutual friends & recent surf (or lack thereof). i got stung by portugese man-o-war again. Makani rushed home to take the kalua pig out of the oven. . .
good surfing to You,
bud
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Sunday August 2,1998
(a few pictures from this day, and last Sunday at Maili Point here)
5:45am-9:15am
Lighthouse
slight overcast, moderate trades (sideshores)
1'-2.5'
me- 6'3" T&C thruster
rich-6'4" T&C thruster
dying south swell, plus winds kicked up overnight so we went for the sure thing at lighthouse. Neal had to work but connected with Makani the night before & he said he'd probably see us there. brother rich's long-time friend & surf partner Hiram Johnson called us while we were on the road to the beach (cellular), said he'd meet us there too.
typical Lighthouse head high stuff. several surfers in the water before much light. contest tent on the beach at cliffs seemed to increase the crowd. turned out to be a windsurf contest, although the winds didn't seem to be strong enough. probably coincidence, but not long after Hiram, his older brother Gideon and nephew Keoni came out, the crowd thinned out considerably. Gid is as local looking as you could imagine, about 6'4, maybe 300lbs and very intimidating-looking; needless to say his board was a boat.
Makani was pulling off his usual lightning fast lip blasts. Rich seemed to always be on a set and nailing some killer re-entries on the inside cloesouts. Hiram was intent on getting air and finally pulled one off right in front of us; off the top & clear of the wave and back down, then another nice snap.
i had a few very satisfying rides. but my "friends" will only remember the wave where i got sucked over the falls onto a Japanese tourist surfer. that's all i'm gonna say about it.
Good surfing to you,
bud
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Oahu Session Report Saturday 8/1/98
5:45am-9:15am
Somewhere off South West Oahu
cloudless, windless
2'-4'
me- 6'3" T&C thruster
rich-6'4" T&C thruster
over the past few days i had been talking to Neal Miyake about what would be the best call for surf for the weekend. storm Darby wasn't producing as expected on the east side but a bump from Tasman way was making an occasional (almost) double-o in town. Neal said he was gonna hit a limited access-little known-hard to reach "secret" spot. brother rich said he knew how to get there so i told Neal we'd see him there. rich picked me up before 5am and even after grabbing coffee & doughnuts, we were at the beach by 5:10am.
waited a while for Neal then decided to hit the surf. we had not surfed the spot before and it was still pretty dark, so we asked the 2 others guys who were unloading their boards if they minded if we followed them out. no prob. Neal had advised that i wear slippers cause it was about a mile walk to the jump-in point. i shrugged it off, figuring it was yer typical surfer "oh you should have been here yesterday" exaggeration. forty minutes later we were still walking and i would have kicked myself if there was anything left of my "Hawaiian feet." loose, marble sized gravel on a hard dirt trail; barbed wire topped fence on one side and breakwater boulders on the other.
finally got close enough to see the surf and realized the conditions were classic. should have brought the damn camera. pure glass and milky green water. surfed a few mushburgers right off the jump-in point and then paddled across the channel to the open water spot at the channel marker. 2 longboarders and me & rich had the place to ourselves. kinda lumpy, but well overhead, loads of fun, and easy to surf. about an hour later, new friend Makani Macdonald came out. a few minutes later, a sunscreen covered Neal Miyake on his trusty longboard joined us.
the takeoff was a decent bowl. and while Neal was splaining why he overslept : ) he swung his longboard around mid-face on a set. a second later he was airborn, paddling gloves and all. i winced, thinking he was going down hard, and started to paddle for the wave too. i pulled back (before i went over the falls) as he landed with the lip and pulled it off. . . very hootworthy.
brother rich & Makani, both goofyfoot, made the most of the predominantly left breaking wave. the lulls in-between sets made us see most of the rides from behind. lots of board off the top and big fans seen from the behind.
about a half mile out to our right, the end of Multi-National military sea exercises (RimPac) made for interesting traffic into Pearl Harbor.
friends having a blast in great conditions and very good waves... lucky we live Hawaii, eh? (see Neal's write-up on the session here)
good Surfing to you,
bud
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