Do some folk have no fear?

i have a massive amount of respect for these big wave riders. Great link.

i watched that earlier it looks awesome

that last wave looked pretty impressive… but, in all honesty, doesn’t it all look a bit… boring?

If you find that stuff interesting then I recommend you watch the film “Riding Giants” about the progression of big wave surfing – a really excellent documentary.

SPOILER: here’s the climax (**** HUGE wave): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYQQtxb8wv0

its a lot safer than it looks, jetski tow-in and support, they are probably wearing bouyancy vests.

this is a real mans wave….

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJWNVpVjY2A[/video]

I used to be a reasonably ok surfer (20 years ago) at places like the North East coast, North Wales coast etc. Went to visit my sister in 1996 in Australia and tried surfing in Syndey and The Gold Coast, I was hopeless. Even their small swells and rips were much bigger and extreme than I’d ever experienced before.

If you pause it at 2 mins 15 seconds and picture yourself in that situation.. then you might see where the excitement comes from.some find it boring to watch but if you have experienced even a small wave hit you on the head and tumble you.. then it might give a better idea of what it might be like.

For most of us the “idea of what it might be like” is the reality and will never be anything more.

The noise inside those waves and the power must be incredible and those guys like to put themselves in those positions.They know they might not make it home.. unlike us on our bikes where we most deffo expect to make it home in one piece. To go out in that surf,its like looking for a head on car crash. you wont find me trying it!

martinxyz +1….. that wave is truly humbling.
a 2ft at Croyde is enough to make me have more than a little respect for the power of the ocean. Those guys deserve huge respect just for being out there.
Anyone know what the break is?….. seem to recall something about a huge rock shelf????

that last wave looked pretty impressive… but, in all honesty, doesn’t it all look a bit… boring?

Out of interest, have you ever surfed?

As others have noted, taking a 3ft wave on the head can make you feel like you’ve been through the spin cycle (I’ve got the scars to prove it!) . You can’t really fail to have respect for the guys who do this.

As far as it being safer with jetski support – what about the jetski riders themselves?

Not sure whether this is the same spot, but see link here for some more footage from a couple of years back in slightly cleaner conditions:

There’s an article on magicseaweed.com, there’s a shot of that wave with a near vertical face and a lip so thick I think being run over by a double decker might be more preferable.

I got caught out by a sneaker set in North Cornwall last year (8-10ft) when the rest of the sets were 6ftish which was about my limit. Had a very bad case of washing-machine-itus and dragged my sorry carcass up the beach and retired for the day.

Then again surfing with aching limbs, a streaming nose mixed with beachams cold&flu and Monster energy drink may not have been a wise idea.

Chuffing Nora!

personally, paddling into anything over 3ft is absolutely terrifying!

Got to say it doesn’t look *that* exciting as a sport, but I’ve been out in waves not quite as large as that but not a million miles off (kitesurfing, the surfers and windsurfers went in because the waves were messy and they seem to be less able to have fun in that sort of mush) and just being in that sort of location, experiencing the forces and sounds of nature when they’ve absolutely no interest in your life and survival at all. We were only out for an hour or so but genuinely felt it had been a case of survival out there and the fun had come from pitting ourselves against the fury and coming out alive. Regardless of what safety equipment you have or the fact that you have an 8m kite pulling you about stopping you from being held down too long, the waves still knock the wind out of you, pin you to the floor and when you’re in a trough between waves and look all around only to see walls of water and foam you don’t notice that you have any equipment helping you survive! It’s fun trying to keep a kite in the right place in the sky from 10ft under the surface!

Maybe they should think about getting proper jobs instead of messing about having fun all day.

As far as it being safer with jetski support – what about the jetski riders themselves?

It’s breaking on a offshore reef with deepwater all round. They are fast enough to outrun any of those waves.

Unless they stall under a set. Then their screwed….

Maybe they should think about getting proper jobs instead of messing about having fun all day.

😆 epic troll attempt.

Biggest danger I ever found sharing such waters is the other people in it. Boards, people, kites, windsurfers all crashing and tumbling through it and the surfers seem to claim some sort of right of way and just plough through anyone in the way like they’re of lesser stock. Add that to the fact that they bob about for hours in the best spots just getting in the way!

I surf a kayak and look on waves like that with a sense of terror. I have ridden double overhead at Thurso and Brims and just about pooed myself trying to get out on a big day at Machrihannish, on a day like that looking for a break with much smaller waves would be the order of the day for me.
The lip on that wave is chuffin massive and would do some serious damage if (though in my case it often seems to be when – not that I would ever contemplate anything remotely approaching that size)it landed on you.

Coffee I am with you an the boardies attitude problems, one of the advantages of a kayak is you can sit further out and catch the wave sooner. For some reason that often seems to send some boardies in to apoplectic fits of rage…..

I windsurf and the general attitude of some surfers is horrible. I understand the ‘my wave’ principle and general right way, but the reports of tyre slashing around Brighton, Hove , Lancing and Shoreham are just nasty.
There are unsigned surfing beaches where kite sufers and windsurfers are not welcome. great. ‘Unsigned’ fantatstic, and there are breaks where if you come ashore in the wrong place you will be verbally abused.
Yes , they are brave squaring up to a 12 ft wall of tons of fast moving water , but they are towed in and plucked to safety off the shoulder by a jet ski.
I get scared hitting a boom high face at speed and getting a nice high floaty jump in. Till I flat landed one and snapped my board in half.

Coffee I am with you an the boardies attitude problems, one of the advantages of a kayak is you can sit further out and catch the wave sooner. For some reason that often seems to send some boardies in to apoplectic fits of rage…..

A couple of goaties out with that attitude, add in some laird wannabes on SUP’s and some grumpy old men on longboards and its will ruin a line up rapidly. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

Well yesterday was only head high but it was aot of fun!

EdwardH surely you understand why that is?

I used to Kayak surf here on the NE beaches and also down in the SW. if there’s a group of people out the back and then all of a sudden a paddler appears from behind and takes the wave you’d be miffed if you’d paddled for it. Even more miffed it was repeated over and over again.

Incidently I’ve never had a bad experience with other people on a board or in a boat. Don’t do it anymore but even so I appreciate how scary that would be. Several hundred tonnes of water behin you, if you make a mistake it isn’t just being picked up by a jetski, you’re going to get an absolute beating before help comes.

yeah..

I’m no expert.. I’m not habitually a wetsuit clad hero.. but I know that the people sneering at the intrinsic dangers of riding this wave are clearly full of BS..

As a rule I go sit in the line-up. Only if silly teritorial behaviour starts or things such and someone deciding to surf across the back of my boat when on a wave happens will I move further out, either that or move to a diferent part of the break for some peace and quiet.

I dont get the them and us attitude of many boarders, the secret breaks and this is my beach comments. Its surfing, its fun, accept there are many ways to enjoy it.

I dont get the them and us attitude of many boarders, the secret breaks and this is my beach comments. Its surfing, its fun, accept there are many ways to enjoy it.

Agreed.

Recently localism has flared here too (granted it was a secret spot for years) but you know it’s become a problem when signs go up saying “locals only”. The ironic thing is the people who put them all up aren’t even local. They have to drive, in some cases, 50 miles just to get here.

Coffee I am with you an the boardies attitude problems, one of the advantages of a kayak is you can sit further out and catch the wave sooner. For some reason that often seems to send some boardies in to apoplectic fits of rage…..

To be fair longboarders get grief from shortboarders for much the same reason.

I think in terms of the relationship between kayakers and surfers there is a bit of a history here…. although the situation is a lot better now, whether through wilful ignorance or lack of experience a surprising number of kayakers still routinely ignore the drop in rule and paddle into waves that surfers are already up and riding. Apart from being annoying, this is also really dangerous.

Added to that is the tendency of some university canoe clubs to turn up mob-handed at spots which can only handle a small pack and pretty much take over completely.

This sort of stuff does generate some animosity, no matter what craft you’re surfing and there are clearly some dumb-ass, macho aggressive idiots out there who think they’re in Point Break and take things a step further. They’re d***heads, plain and simple and shouldn’t be seen to be representative of the sport.

If someone drops in on me then irrespective of what they’re riding I generally make a point of politely telling them about the drop in rule, and its generally well received.

Bit of respect and understanding on all sides goes a long way.

Surfed all over the World and never had trouble. Few aggro moments in Cornwall but nothing to worry about.

Looe Harbour on a big day is the only place i’ve ever had any bother. guy was all mouth though. oh and newquay in the summer when everyone is a local….

as for kayakers in the surf. the problem is that most see the surf as something to do when the rivers are dry and have little concept or care of how it works. the serious ones in surf boats are just fine and get accepted pretty quick.

EdwardH – aaaaaaargghhhhh!!!!!! Kayaks in surf are the worst thing in the world!!!!!!

Added to that is the tendency of some university canoe clubs to turn up mob-handed at spots which can only handle a small pack and pretty much take over completely.

….and then steam-roller through the line-up when they wipe out as they haven’t got a clue what they’re doing. 👿

One saving grace is knowing that their (helmeted) heads are bouncing off the bottom 😈

Re. the OP there’s great clips on youtube of surfing Aileens, at the bottom of the cliffs of Moher. Surfing’s great but I do tend to agree its not that interesting to watch for extended periods of time. Although staring into the eye of a Teahopuu (sp?) barrel is pretty mesmeric…

To be fair, I’ve never really experienced bad localism in this country other than the odd bit of stink eye – mainly from young groms who think they’ve got something to prove to the older guys. Even the spots which are pretty notorious (eg Langland) are OK if you respect the locals and don’t act like a complete ****>

the serious ones in surf boats are just fine and get accepted pretty quick.

I’d agree with that – some of the more experienced surf kayakers really rip and are great to watch. I think the issue is that although the whitewater tends to filter out beginner surfers in bigger surf, even a relatively inexperienced kayaker can get out back and cause mayhem if they don’t know what they’re doing.

… but on a lighter note, proof that all types of surfer can get along in harmony on the one UK wave where the drop in rule doesn’t apply:

A very small day, but this is the start of a 1.5 mile ride, within sight of Gloucester cathedral. I’m third man in from the front. What you can’t see is the guy on a bodyboard getting a battering from the roots on the inside bank!

To be fair, on a kiteboard you’ve little choice but to sail in at the last minute as you can’t hang around waiting. I normally avoid the best bits of the beach just because I’m fairly sure I don’t enjoy surfing with the best waves as must as I enjoy surfing head on into them after they’ve broken, or where they’re still rollers. But on the odd occasion that I fancy carving the front of a nice wave I find it really annoying that I can’t get anywhere near it because of hundreds of scattered surfers and if I do I get moaned at for going for it when any number of the 10 guys bobbing about waiting can’t decide if they wan’t to go for it or not and then decide last minute they want to.

I just tend to stay away now and consider surfers to be some of the most aggressive, self obsessed people on the beach, after dog owners who want to let their dogs snap at your kite as you’re launching and idiots in corsas handbrake turning over your lines as you lay them out. Obviously not true of all of the above and I don’t like to generalise but that’s my experience.

That said, I left my last beach because it got so full of “local” attitude that the club I’d helped to run made me feel unwelcome as I wasn’t there regularly enough for them.

Too many egos on the water, regardless of craft.

Balls … of…. steel!

Coffeking, I’d be interested to know where you kite surf. I’ve always thought conditions for the two sports are pretty incompatible (inshore / offshore winds etc), so have found friction between kite surfers and surfers is pretty rare.

As a surfer, I have to say I’d be pretty wary of kiters buzzing through the lineup – it would make me pretty uncomfortable. Surely you’d have a better time further offshore? I can understand some bad feeling.

Are you sure you’re not going out of your way to wind up surfers??

The break featured in the OP’s post is about 8 miles offshore, Aileens is just off the Cliffs of Moher. I know the Mennies, watched them grow up and their surfing progress when they lived in Castlerock, great surfers and good lads too. They’re both well over 6ft too, so its not like they are wee fellas making teh waves look big!

Fair F&^%s to them!

But on the odd occasion that I fancy carving the front of a nice wave I find it really annoying that I can’t get anywhere near it because of hundreds of scattered surfers and if I do I get moaned at for going for it when any number of the 10 guys bobbing about waiting can’t decide if they wan’t to go for it or not and then decide last minute they want to.

Just jump over them. Winds them up brilliantly.

Kiting strapless on a surfboard really pisses them off too. Catch 20x as many waves in the same time as a surfer and ride them for longer.

I surf too when there is no wind, but up here in Scotland we don’t really get localism except one or two beaches which aren’t that good for kiting anyway so not much contention for waves.

I pity you lot down South, I really do.

andy, do you live in castlerock? my big bro is there, never seems to go in the sea though. wuss.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1swPZzxv0tI[/video]

awesome vid filmed on the west coast of ireland. some incredible water shots.

iDave, I’m a blow in, live in Belfast but have had a holiday home (and before that a caravan) there since I was a nipper. Who is your bro, might know him, its a small place!

Kited Castlerock quite a few times – wicked place.

This is worth a watch too Powers Of Three