Buddy, making his way to no-name spot #1

Date: February 5, 2006
Time: 0700--1000
Spot(s): Two new places
Conditions: Light offshores
Swell: Funky mega-swell wrap
Surf: 3-6' Haw'n

Words: Guest words and photos by Buddy

Me and Neal met at the default other side spot when it ws still dark. Couldn't see much but knew it was much bigger than we thought. As the light filled in, some of the in betweeners looked really, really nice -

But it didn't take long for the reality to set in, it was fully closing out. The inside was a long wall of top to bottom nastiness that would have washed you right up into the cliff -

I have not seen this side lit up like this in a long long time. Almost every stretch of the horizon we could see huge tubes a couple miles out there -

After some other spot checks, we decided to chance a left that showed some promise (and a channel!). After a super hairy reef jump, we made it in and paddled out to the inside section here (note the tow surfer on the foil on his way back out) -

In 20 minutes I caught 2 waves, maybe a couple feet overhead, but could not keep up with the rip that was taking me out to sea, I did not stop paddling the whole time, paddling hard. Was lucky to catch the second wave that I rode up to the reef. Fabian and Derek found us in time to watch as I caught my last one in, trying not to get killed on the shoreline reef -

Neal managed to clear the rip by staying a good 300 yards deeper and further out. Later, he saw me on the beach and decided to come in also.

This was the scene a few miles down the coast on the way to round 2 -

Still hungry to surf, Neal that nut jumped off the cliff lookout to grab a couple waves that were practically breaking against the wall.

I used up too much of my window to get in another session but had enough time to watch Neal cliff dive into some small grinders at the last stop down the coast.

The cliff below Neal is about 15 feet of jagged lava -

Ready to jump -

Just in time -

Another angle of where he jumped in, with Fabian and Derek watching -

Needless to say, he had it all to himself -

Fabian took this shot of Neal from Round 2, maybe the same wave -

Aloha from Paradise,

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