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.

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.

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.  

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

.

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?

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. 

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.

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.

Originally posted by: surfmcc32 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'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