Jimmy had told me that he and Jerry (whom I have also written about) had scored some good waves at this secret spot; I'll call it Jimmylands. It was overhead, walled out, and most importantly, uncrowded.

Actually, I had already longboarded Jimmylands, so I knew the potential of the place. However, I didn't think it could get as good as how they raved about it.

We met up near the spot after four pm. Although the break was far away, we could tell that conditions were decent. I was jumping out of my skin with anticipation.

I brought my 6'10" hybrid, and Jimmy came armed with his 7'10" minitank. We waxed up the boards, got suited up, and began our long walk to the jump area.

Halfway there, I realized that I'd forgotten my H2Odyssea paddling gloves (shameless plug) in the car. Although they are a crutch, the gloves enable me to catch a lot more waves, so I just had to get them. I told Jimmy to go ahead, then dropped my board and ran back to the car.

When I got there, I reached into my surfshorts pocket and found... a hole at the bottom. I'd lost my key!!! I frantically searched around the car and came up empty. So I ran back to my board and retraced my steps. After 10 frenetic minutes, I spotted it by sheer luck, camouflaged in some dirt. So I ran back to the car, got the gloves, and hightailed it back to Jimmy.

I had wasted at least 20 minutes of valuable water time, was tired, and was sweating like a pig (actually, pigs don't sweat, but that’s similes for you). In the meantime, Jimmy was patiently waiting for me while assessing the lineup. Jumping into the cool water was like taking the Nestea plunge--Aaaahhhh!

There was only one guy out at the first break, so we joined him. The wave was a nice peak that pitched softly, peeling symmetrically on both sides. As it rolled toward shore, the wave backed off and eventually disappeared. Jimmy and I split the peak on our first wave--no maneuvers on either side; we just cruised--stoked!

The lone surfer soon paddled in, leaving us completely alone! It was a great feeling, enjoying the spot with just my friend, hooting and hollering at every wave caught and missed. However, the session was tinged with just a touch of apprehension from the solitude, which actually made it all the more exciting.

After a bit of a long lull, we decided to paddle across the channel to the other peak--Jimmylands! This spot was more of a deepwater break that had a bigger swell window that increased its size and power. However, it was also more susceptible to the stiff offshores blowing intermittently.

I was having a great time with my hybrid, trying to do some carves on the rights. I love standing upright on the takeoff, then compressing on the bottom turn, like a skater dropping in on a half-pipe.

Once again, Jimmy took a little bit to get used to the lineup. Halfway through the sesh, he started clicking, catching one really long one going left (maybe 100 yards). He also stayed in the hook on a nice right that peeled all the way into the channel.

I had brought my disposable camera and took some shots in between rides. Jimmy even used it for a while and got yours truly on celluloid. The camera was conveniently stashed in the rash guard during rides.

I caught a lot of waves, but wasn't really having fun until we swapped boards. Having that extra foot of foam on the nose helped me smooth out my riding. Just at that time, the winds died down and the ocean glassed off. With the sun setting over the Waianaes and two rainbows forming on the Koolaus, the whole ambiance was like a dreamscape come true.

After catching a rather long left, I started hearing some voices. "Was Jimmy talking to himself?" I wondered. It turned out that two guys sneaked up on us and joined us in the session. All of a sudden the big lineup felt surprisingly crowded. Guess we got spoiled by the emptiness.

It was getting pretty late, so I decided to paddle in and start the long trek home. Jimmy stayed a while longer with the other surfers, wanting to catch a few more before dark.

It's nice to know that even on this overpopulated island, there are a few places that are relatively unknown and uncrowded. Wonder how this place will look when a solid south comes in. I think we've found our South Shore spot for the summer.

Aloha from Jimmylands,