Swell-Monster at the Wall/Rufus 9/5, about 3:30pm

biffmalibu · Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 556

I don't have any photos; the Swell-Monster ate my camera. But I have a good memory of a rogue swell starting at the east end of the Wall which I followed to Rufus. Anybody get a photo or video of that thing? Anybody know what I'm talking about? It was extraordinarily long and well-developed for the day. And it was a very good day.

Mulekick84 · Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 407

This rare Wall wave reminds me of Garrett McNamara at Nazare, Portugal.

biffmalibu · Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 556

I know this post is kind of funny, because there were a lot of large swells that day. But seriously, this one was very large and well-developed. I imagined myself on a fast-moving wave such as Banzai Pipline. The best vantage point would have been the boat ramp at the east end of the Wall and maybe a hundred yards east of there too. I know others will remember it having seen it or been on it.

By the way, iwasphotographed.com now has photos published. There are close-up shots of windsurfers/kiters, but there are really none with the correct far off perspective that show the scale of giant swell monsters. Those shots would be from shore and above the water level.

LeeD · Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 1175

Err... NO...
Before you blindly, and uninformedly refer the the Pipe, you should try going out there and FEEL what that wave is like, hear the sound, and see all the surfer's getting destroyed by the Pipe.
A "perfect" surfsailing wave like CaboVerde is more akin to Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz at low tide, South swell, than anything in Oahu.
Nobody short of PRO surfsailor level can come close to handling the Pipe, and most Pros like Jason Polakow or Robby Naish can barely make waves there.

swchandler · Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588

The Banzai Pipeline, as a fast left moving against the direction of the tradewinds, is truly off limits for windsurfers. Also, the surf crowd wouldn't permit an intrusion of windsurfers, even on the occasional rights that can line up. Even if one was foolish enough to attempt to ride the Pipeline, it usually breaks very close to shore, and the coral heads inside would be an ungodly nightmare to face.

windfind · Joined: 18 Mar 1997 Posts: 1901

I have wiped out a number of times riding big swell swell on blasting days at The Wall but I don't think the swell or the wipeouts at The Wall are remotely in same league of ones like the one below that are common at the Banzai Pipeline.

Mike Godsey

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Well for sure, they're ridden t-poo bigger and hairier than little ole Pipe.
Polakow and Naish have successfully ridden left's at Pipe, Kona winds, up to 12'.
But there are pics of T-poo ridden a lot bigger, and exponentially much hairier.

biffmalibu · Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 556

I'm blind and uniformed. And my Johnson obviously doesn't measure up either. Fortunately, my imagination still works great.

I'm still waiting for some telling photos from that day. Anybody?

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Some deep water mushy, but very big wave, off the coast of Spain or SW France area.
It's just a takeoff, very bumpy, huge, very mushy, and the sets seem to occur very infrequently.
Nobody wants to get caught in the whitewater of waves that size, but the whitewater only breaks to the bottom right inside the takeoff spot, so back's off a bit as the rider angles left.
Tow in stuff.