The tradewinds laid down early yesterday as a south swell filtered in from storms off New Zealand, giving South Shore surfers some sweet rides. “It was nice and glassy and fairly good-sized,” said Nukomoi Surf Shop manager Miguel Graham. “It
The tradewinds laid down early yesterday as a south swell filtered in from storms off New Zealand, giving South Shore surfers some sweet rides.
“It was nice and glassy and fairly good-sized,” said Nukomoi Surf Shop manager Miguel Graham. “It was definitely the best waves we’ve had this summer.”
Graham called the conditions “4-foot Hawaiian.”
South Shore water safety officer Kaleo Hookano translated “4-foot Hawaiian” to mean 8- to 10-foot faces. “It’s supposed to get bigger tomorrow,” Hookano said yesterday.
Yesterday’s double-overhead waves had enough juice in them to offer up tube rides from “First Break” in Po‘ipu to “Pakala” on the Westside.
Graham was out at “Centers” yesterday morning on his 6’2” Al Merrick design when he pulled into “a closeout wave that buckled my board.”
On his next wave, Graham did an air drop and snapped his board in two.
He had already nailed several good rides by then so resigned himself to get out of the water and go to work.
“I get off at 3:30 or 4 so I’ll be back out there,” Graham said.
Since he works in a surf shop, boards are not that hard to come by. Graham said he only rides shortboards though.
Hookano has been riding just about anything for a half-century and said the swell will continue to build through the night and should peak sometime today.
“Tomorrow is supposed to be the big day,” he said yesterday. “It all depends on the velocity of the waves … right now it is hitting O‘ahu more than Kaua‘i.”
Some of the famed breaks of O‘ahu such as Ala Moana Bowls face a more southerly direction and are protected from westerly influences by Moloka‘i. Kaua‘i is more isolated, permitting westerly swell energy to compete with the incoming south swells.
“The strength, or how strong the swell is, is determined by how fast it moves,” Hookano said. “The sets right now are an hour to 45 minutes apart.”
Swell forecasts put today’s swell conditions at 6 to 10 foot with a 16 second period. The period is the time between successive waves. The longer the swell period, the more energy the wind has transferred into the ocean. Long-period swells are able to sustain more energy as they travel great distances across the ocean.
And since this swell is traveling all the way from New Zealand, the longer period means more energy.
“We’ve had to tell people that if they are inexperienced and they get in trouble, they put themselves in trouble as well as the guys who have to go out and get them,” Hookano said.
The water safety officer surfed his favorite break the day before.
“I surf any kind of board … long or short … I’ve been doing it for 50 years,” he said.
When asked where his favorite break was, Hookano offered only a chuckle.
“Riding waves before was much better,” he said. “There was far less people.”
But some said crowds died down a bit since the weekend.
“Yesterday it was packed,” Graham said yesterday. “It wasn’t as bad today.”
Despite that, Graham said his shop rented a lot of boards ranging from 5’10” to 10 feet.
“I think it is supposed to peak Tuesday afternoon and then get some reinforcement by Thursday,” Graham said. “It should be pretty good Saturday for the KSA contest at PKs.”
Graham was referring to the Kauai Surfing Association’s 8th annual Ho‘onua ‘O Ke Kai Ocean Festival Saturday at Prince Kuhio Beach.
With higher surf, stronger riptides and treacherous conditions will prevail.
“We have been warning people coming to the beach to be careful,” Hookano said. “Especially if they are planning to go surfing.”
• Adam Harju, editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 227) or aharju@kauaipubco.com
