Rob, you got a photo of this

[Wildman]

So, you ever hang on one like this? You ever ride one this big? Makes your stomach churn just looking at the picture -

photo from swellinfo.com

[AtTheWall]

Danno - During my 20s I lived in Northern California...working for the Coast Guard. Not only did I drop in on a couple of waves like this......I nearly died 2 times taking heavy wipeouts on two waves....the biggest wave....we measured at about 2.5 telephone poles tall which equates to nearly somewhere between 50 - 60ft.

Mavericks....Northern California.....my old Coast Guard bud Kevin Perkins and I surfed this place as well as Ano Neuvo, Steamer Lane and the Golden Gate Bridge South span. Each spot.......cold....huge....and full of Great White sharks.

I was 20 - 23 years old......a Texas surfer riding the big show. I surfed with a few of the 70s - 80s Hobie surf team at Steamer Lane - Santa Cruz...on a BIG DAY. Big day there....15 - 20ft....this wasn't even close to the biggest bombs I dropped in on elsewhere in NoCal. Some breaks we could only watch...too dangerous to try...rocks and shallow reefs = dead.

During those days.....being a PROFESSIONAL WATERMAN (US Coast Guard) by day and big wave surfer when it was on....that's what I lived for.

Now.........all I have to look forward to are good clean days along the South Texas coastline with a periodic trip to Costa Rica to keep the salt flowing in my veins. I will surf the biggest Texas has to offer but....it pales in comparison to my days gone by. It just doesn't have the power here to scare...as it does on the left coast.

A clean South Texas day....the old form...works from this size all the way up to HUGE! LOL!

[AtTheWall]

Old Goat paddling out and another Old Goat dropping in LOL!


It's harder to surf small waves than big set waves.....the energy is there on the bigger stuff. That is...as long as you have decent surfing skills to handle the size and are in decent enough shape to handle the wipe outs. Some big wave wipe outs will have you under water up to 2 minutes...with 2 or 4 more big set waves following in behind the wave you are riding....the entire time...knowing if you blow it and wipe out....you will get pummeled by the wave you are on and all the other set waves following behind. It takes years of knowledge to really put the waves together at certain places.....elsewhere where it's heavy. Certainly not Texas.


The old bottom turn on a 9'6" Nose Rider long board.....no power in Texas so you work it to it's best to harness speed and drive. Longboards don't carve and cut like my old 5'8" Three fin Thruster...still have it but.....can't use it here in Texas. Tons of memories bundled up in my old shortboard...can't get rid of her but I need to hang it up over a bar somewhere for the memories? One day..I'll do just that!

[Krivoman]

knarly bro....

[Deathrow Jethro]

Awesome pics.

[jmangrem]

I tried surfing on my honeymoon last year in Costa Rica...I found out that its not for me. But I will say that you've gotta have some big ol' goat sized cahonies to get in on those big ones.

[bowhuntertex]

Still living the dream Rob! Rock on Amigo!

[Chad C]

I can Water Ski, Wakeboard, and Snowboard, but I have never attempted to surf...

I'm not a fan of sharks unless they're on TV.

[AtTheWall]

I learned to surf in 1972 - Surfside - Freeport Texas at the old Fishing Pier. Rode a 6'7" Ocean Magic surfboard as well as a 6'2" SeaSki surfboard...both single fins.

In California I had two Ben Aipa boards....one 7'2" and the other was a Pipeline Gun a 7'9" - needle nose pintail built for size and speed.

In 1982 I moved to a Twin Fin custom I picked up from a guy in Santa Cruz.




Here's my 1983 ride...she's 5' 8" long and turns on a freaking dime!


I caught Cape Hatteras at the Lighthouse roaring with 10-15ft faces...spitting barrels big enough at wave's pitch to stuff a truck inside the barrel....huge barrels....riding this tiny small board. Back in the day......I was one of those dudes that ripped and tore up waves riding these little thrusters.

I dropped in on a wave on Assateague Island Virginia - dropping hurricane ground swell riding this little board below....the wave was roughly 15ft from bottom to top. Needless to say...once I hit the bottom.....I broke all 3 fins out of the water and only managed to save my bottom turn....digging the right rail into the water till I recovered and carved back up onto the face...gaining forward momentum and control......as my buddies sat on the beach yelling GO DUDE GO!!!!!!

The memories....OH MAN!!!!!! What a rush!!!!!

[AtTheWall]

Now it's Texas waves....cruising and living life at peace with Mother Ocean.

[AtTheWall]

Texas LUMBER LOL!

[KSHogman]

Not me

[mboltm]

Bringing back a lot of memories Rod, Surfside in the 70's, you gotta remember Bingo, I think with some past communication we prolly crossed paths at "The Bowl", One of my buddies is trying to get me back on a stick, but it sure seems like it would be a lot more work than fun now days,

[sailor]

I surfed Wakkii,Hawaii once in 1972. Just so, I can say I had.
The brusies are almost healed.
(sorry about the spelling)

[AtTheWall]

you've gotta have some big ol' goat sized cahonies to get in on those big ones.

LOL Yes....or borderline INSANE!!!! I'm not gonna lie....I've been scared out of my mind many times.......once you get outside you have to come back in and if you opt to sit out there....it may take days before the swell drops.

I remember riding Hatteras with a few military guys. One of them was a Marine.......the waves were sucking up so much water at low tide...barrels blowing over with a tiny little window to make the drop...breaking on shell covered sand with about 2-3ft of water and a wave face about 10-12ft over that. Needless to say...the waves sucked up so much water at it's pitch and barrel...shells and sand got sucked off the sandbar and floated in suspension....shells chattering and clicking the bottom of our surfboards and fins as you shot over the bar....riding the wave......barrel over head and covering you up into a liquid cavern...riding at speeds of 35+ mph. The Marine....he simply would back out on each wave right at the last second.....too scared to make the drop?

We nick named the Marine BUOY LOL! He wasn't too happy with us Coast Guard guys making fun of him but......it allowed us to find the strength....at his cost....to make the drop. Several boards got snapped that day.....luckily...no snapped necks and or backs....that happens if you don't fall off and loosen up at impact...during wipe out.

I surfed a few point breaks in California where the wave would jump up over a rocky ledge....pitching over with a wave face about 4-6ft thick from top to bottom as it barreled over....if you timed it right....you could make the drop and pose as you ripped down the line making it all look so easy from the beach. But out there in the lineup....we all knew how risky it was. Several folks have died and or drowned at some of these places...every year. The risks were high but...it was a measure of your skill as well.

MBoltM - Yes we rode THE BOWL together....I am sure of that! I was a BOWL regular from 73 - 78...as well as THE GRINDER along the old Brays Bayou watershed. Surfed out in front of the OCTAGON in Surfside as well as trips to Port Isabel when those of us could break free to do so.

My Dad would take me on his Business trips to the Rio Grande Valley and rent a place at the SEA RANCH HOTEL there. He made business calls during the day, leaving me with my surfboard at Port Isabel. I have fond memories surfing with the porpoise...jumping off the North Jetty....at times out past the 6th and 7th sand bars....all at a whopping age of 13, 14 & 15. Thinking back on this....that was BIG STUFF for a TAD POLE....and I cut my teeth on serious Texas waves before joining the Coast Guard....for MORE of the SAME LOL!