If you want to become an underground charger, you need to move to the North Shore. The closest FL has ever had to an underground charger is probably Todd Morcom, but he transitioned into that role after being a sponsored pro. Running with rocks in the Banana River all summer and then surfing Tres Palmas twice a winter isn't going to cut it...unless that's what you're looking for. Don't mean for that to come across as negative.

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"If I say it's safe to surf this beach, captain, then it's safe to surf this beach!"

 Bring your money and your balls to the North Shore. I would think cold water breaks would not be a good learning ground.

This is the most retarded, redundant, made for flat out ruding thread evaz!!! Go to Puerto and paddle out on a 10'-12' day on a 5'10" twin fin!!! If you dont drowned, you are a big wave surfer and carry on from there!!! Always remember that stupid is as stupid does, and if you ask a dumbass question, expect to get an asshole answer!!! God Bless and stop being such a Barney,... Barney!!!

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Tubes, Boobs, & Doobs!!!

Tres Palmas is like a slower version of sunset when its big but still doesnt match the north shore. Take a couple weeks and get out to hawaii and work your way up. Get the right board too because a 6'0 thruster used here is almost useless once its overhead there. The waves are very fat and fast; a wave a couple feet overhead looks about as wide as a house. Dont paddle straight out into overhead conditions because you will get your ass kicked and wash up back to shore completely rattled and stunned. A lot of the spots have outer reefs that break when a big set is coming and thats your signal to start paddling further out. When you get steam rolled by a large set HOLD ON TO YOUR BOARD. If you lose it you are probably not going to be able to tread water between waves because there is so much air coming up its almost impossible so you might be holding your breathe for a while. Its worth the experience though. Once you spend a couple weeks getting pounded out there youll have a better idea if you really want to pursue big wave surfing. 

.

Edited: 01/25/2018 at 07:01 PM by SurferMic

Time for CROSS-training...take off the leash & go for a paddle/surf/swim

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East winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 10 to
15 knots in the afternoon. Seas 7 to 10 feet with a dominant
period 9 seconds. Choppy on the intracoastal waters. Slight
chance of showers.

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Would be cool if you could go out with a buddy get to the outside and give him your board and do the swim in...maybe just easier to swim all the way to the outside, body-surf a few and swim back in.  Endurance and learning to be being alone without any floatation "in the mix". Beats doing yard work.

More X-traning...Merrit Island FunPlex, go to the vert ramp , look over the edge and drop in on the 14 foot extension (if you sk8)..Looking ove the edge of a giant vert ramp saying , routine stuff, no big deal....tail drop and feel the rush. Locally that is about all you can do.  There is a similiar feeling of fear many get when looking over the edge of a 12-14 foot vert ramp. After a while the fear is gone..

Edited: 01/26/2018 at 09:07 AM by SurferMic

I wish.... WT is 53 here 

Bodysurfing in big surf can sometimes be really fun and its a hell of a workout. Lol

 

Video

Http://youtu.be/c4blxjvsckq

Edited: 01/29/2018 at 05:41 AM by Sector9surf

 

Is there any way I could get in contact with him? I would seriously appreciate it.

Edited: 01/23/2018 at 08:22 AM by Julianuribe23

At age 26, you might check possibilities for a work permit in New Zealand or Australia.  Chances of fitting into one of their areas of need are slim, but for all I know you might be an electrician or the right kind of nurse. 

 

 

I'm gonna look into an extended stay in Oahu sometime during the late season. Thanks for all the input guys!

that's what you need to do. Hopefully you score.....

I'll sell ya a 6-10 and a 7-6.  They've seen alot of action and have a decent tan, but they'll be cheap, so you can charge and break em with little consequence 

The 7-6 has gone over the falls on plenty of big waves and it's still in one piece, so you know it's solid.... moreso than it's owner 

Unless you're looking to pussy foot around, you need to go straight to Nazare and get on with it.  In fact you should have been there on Jan 18, 2018

Read my mind! Board shorts or a speedo at nazeres and paddling in or you're just another kook in the line up!



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I type on fone 99% of time. Let the typos slyde. Thanks

Can't go wrong with that!


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Replace turf grass with native plants that don't need irrigation and synthetic fertilizers or chemicals that can go into our waterways and ocean

A key thing that I haven't seen mentioned is to get a board by a very reputable shaper who specializes in guns and who is either located where you are going, or who really knows that specific wave well. Get a board shaped for the exact spot, or short list of spots, that you specifically plan on surfing. If you go to Hawaii, order a gun by the local shapers there before you go, so it's waiting for you when you arrive. My gun was shaped by a local shaper for the wave I was surfing, and it definitely worked so well that it saved my butt on a couple of really late drops.

No, the Boom isn’t a good suggestion. I have surfed it big and heavy and it was still manageable for a slightly below average surfer like myself. Maybe if you paddle around the impact zone against a rip at low tide when it is big there you would get adequate training I suppose. It will beat you up good from personal experience.

Excellent story waveaddict. Charging!

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I was right.

Another vote for parking it on the N. Shore for a few weeks, 7'6" at Sunset bch. get there at dawn, Dry hair paddle then work your way into the main peak.  Everything happens twice a fast as compared to PR.  Getting a few wipe-outs and geting caught inside is good, once you realize you can survive you can continue learning.  Many would disagree on this but a SIMPLE floataion vest may be a good investment, not the type that have Air canisters but the slim ones that will give you some flotation when your leash breaks (and it will).

Many years while on my annual N. Shore trip(s)...a surfer lost his board @ Jockos and another Ozzie came to his rescue they both got swept out to sea, they could not make it back in on one board, night time came they were still missing, Coast Guard finally located them late that night...everyone thought they were dead.

http://getwashed.com/coast-guard-rescues-2-surfers-off-oahus-north-shore/

Also remember Kirk passing a few days before I arrived on a trip many years ago..entire N. Shore was in shock, went to Banzia Sushi to pay respect to the memorial they had for him.

https://www.surfer.com/photos/kirk-passmores-final-wave/

at 26 you are fearless...things can and do go wrong for many expeirenced surfers, do not have kids and stay single as bad as that sounds cause you never know...

Pratice in FL is only paddle, paddle, paddle and swimming laps underwater, and go out on the days that are 12'@9 secs to practice geting out through 20 walls of whitewater..not much else you can do. Ever been denied in FL? if not you have not gone out on a great practice day we rarely see.

Edited: 01/24/2018 at 07:03 AM by SurferMic

Literature department:  Bruce Jenkins must be getting close to 70, but the San Francisco sports writer knew the North Shore.  

Not specifically aimed at surfers, but expert:  Beaches of Oahu.  University of Hawai'i Press periodically has big sales.   

Hatteras lighthouse and vicinity seems to have been a good training ground for Hawaii.  So this photo should make Plan B's look even better.

This was a miserably cold January 15.   I was having serious back pain, walking from the car was miserable, and an epic runny nose was getting started.  Water was allegedly 39.  And the waves, while decent, were not looking exactly easy to find takeoff spots.  

Edited: 01/24/2018 at 08:18 AM by ww

Some of your stories really get me stoked about going for this, thanks for sharing guys!

.

Edited: 01/25/2018 at 07:02 PM by SurferMic

I don't understand the desire for giant surf. Once the surf is a certain size, things become more survival oriented than anything. It's humbling, gratifying, etc..., Maybe done right it's not so dangerous, but it seems to me to be a lot of training with little reward, and situations which you might not get yourself out of. How much time do you need to spend training, plus then bobbing around in giant surf before you get a good ride?

What do you consider big wave surfing? Tahiti and Pipe up to double or triple overhead seem to be surfed regularly by CT pros and are still big waves, but then spots like Nazare and Puerto Escondido or Mavs have a different crew. I wouldn't claim either of those as being easier to surf, but it does seem like more pros would be comfortable surfing Pipe and Tahiti than a wave like Nazare or Mavs, and I assume this is mostly based on skill vs brawn. (Why risk your life?)

Do pro's survival train for waves like Pipe or Tahiti, or you mentioned Tres Palmas? It seems to me that, they just surf a lot and have been in those conditions enough times to be comfortable. I could be way off, but I don't think early pros trained in the same way people think of it as now. I'd imagine you could surf equally well just by surfing those same spots on smaller days until you feel comfortable in the big stuff.

So what is the appeal of big XXL waves?

Edited: 01/24/2018 at 03:48 PM by Sector9surf

I started a reply to the above and my battery ran low on my iPad. 

Surfing in Big waves is not for everyone. 6 Foot Hawaiian was scary.  Most of the people I knew in Hawaii where much better in bigger conditions. 

 surfers surfing Big waves that you would never see in Surf video, magazine or even hear of in a surf web sight. Most have regular jobs of one kind on the other. Some have Families the one thing they have in common is the love of surfing big waves. There was this one Teacher and Coach at a High School in the San Diego area. He was a a regular at Swamies and often surfed Big Blacks. When massive swell hit he disappeared across the boarder to a then very secret spot. When word was getting out about Todos Santos. We know that that is where he was going. Todos is not an easy wave to surf it is a shallow rock bottom shifty wave with big boils in the face.  The water is cold. The out and back can be cold and wet. 

I applude anyone that has the desire to Big Waves.  By building your skills getting mentored by one of those that know the wave is the best way to earn your place in the line up. 

Edited: 03/05/2018 at 04:17 PM by artz

I honestly would have no shame or issue with wearing a vest and a helmet, especially when starting off. I remember reading about Kirk's death a while back and that was one hell of a way to go.

Edited: 01/24/2018 at 08:39 AM by Julianuribe23

Thanks Cole! It was a humbling experience for sure!

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Think and seek and you shall find.....

Looks like you’re gonna have a chance to get a taste here, let us know what time you’re paddleing out at RCs on the big days  

I'm pretty excited......  hopefully we don't get Charlie Browned

Some scrumptious fresh pics from around Dunedin, NZ with a hand planer among the boarders.  Box of Light.

 

I'll definitely be out there... this is what I've been waiting for

I'll definitely be out there... this is what I've been waiting for

Reef Road

Pump House

Stuart Rocks

Hobe Sound

Juno

Monster Hole

 

Go Get it Roger

How exactly is Tres Palmas like Sunset???

 

Reef road and Stuart rocks is where I was thinking of surfing 

Morcom charges no doubt...but lets not forget about "H"..me paw has shown me some pretty heavy barrel pics...he gets the XL shit as well...goodluck