Biggest surf you've ridden?

[Long duc dong]

Maybe double overhead Cottons a few times, as far as actually riding waves. Maybe a couple of days on the reefs out by devereaux in Isla Vista. I'm not much of a hellman, so if it is 2x overhead I like a flat faced wave, not something pitching that will kill me. I paddled out at little corona in CDM around April 20(remember that swell) and it was easily 3x overhead on the sets. Little Corona was one of the only manageable spots in the OC that day. I caught a couple of smaller inside peaks off the jetty, which were much smaller, overhead, but had great shape. It was rolling, not pitching, so it was pretty mellow for how big it was. Still, I got scared in by what people were calling the biggest set of the day. It happened right as I was paddling out to the outer break. Biggest waves I've ever seen. I turned around, and took the white water in. The waves were actually not that dangerous, given that they were not all that powerful, and I wish I had stayed out longer. It was a good day to get comfortable in bigger surf, given the lack of pounding.

Overhead + 1/2 to 2x overhead Playa Hermosa scared me much more than consistently 2x overhead Cottons or dp reefs ever did. Playa packs some punch. Sitting inside waiting for the head high sets is fun but scary, because you know what is coming outside...

[comish]

A bunch of years ago, probably like 10ish, surfed PV Cove during Xmas break on what locals on the beach were calling a triple overhead day. Most waves were closing out so prolly rode something that was DOH + and just stroked for the horizon on the TOH waves. Basically tried not to get killed by any of giant close out sets. Kinda tough to really evaluate size at that point. But waves ridden were somewhere in the 14-16 foot face range. Really too big for that spot which I learned that day and didn't repeat on the most recent large CA swell.

[nufenstein]

2x overhead @ trestles OC, December 2005....5th time i had been surfing...oh you wanted successful rides? almost drowned that day...foolish underestimation of my ocean swimming ability.

[pappag]

Man, WHAT were you thinking on that take-off?
Looks awfully late and in the wrong direction to less.

Actually ridden? or attempted to ride?

[Joey Bag O' Donuts]

20 - 25' @ The Wedge. That was stupid

[Razorslug]

Man, WHAT were you thinking on that take-off?
Looks awfully late and in the wrong direction to less.

probably the 5th time I ever went surfing.

[pappag]

probably the 5th time I ever went surfing.

Ballsy move that's for sure.

Hope you have the broken board hanging on a wall somewhere with that picture next to it.

[emetic]

about 12 ft with some 15 ft sets on a beach on the south coast of NSW, Australia when i was 16. recently the surf was about 8 ft here in sydney this weekend. i snapped a leggy when i copped a solid 8 ft set on the head.

[snow_slider]

This was a good day:



heh, heh.

[peterslovo]

This was a good day:



heh, heh.

I know where that is...that's VA Beach, right?

[snow_slider]

I know where that is...that's VA Beach, right?

Yep, on a flat day.

[Dudley]

I think it would be interesting to see what everyone deemed double overhead. I bet there would be a huge discrepency... additionally, what folks call double overhead in the water vs. on film. Kinda like pitch on the mnt. I'd say 12' Blacks or Mal Pais would be my biggest. I'd love to try a Todos or Mavericks on a "tame" day but then again, maybe its just as well that I dont have anything over 7'4'' that isnt a longboard.

[Dudley]

And to the point above I'll never forget all the times I'd tell my older brothers it was "overhead and firing" only to paddle out with them cursing my over optimistic view on the surf. The reply?

"Wait for the sets"

When that backfired...

"Man, tide must be totally fucking with it. We shoulda hit it earlier"

[Ottime]

From the front? From the back?

I call it from the trim line. Head high means I can not see over the back of the wave, while I am fully standing in trim. Usually only call it double overhead from the channel - when I can see.

[Dudley]

I tend to get overexcited when I see overhead surf and start to stutter incoherent jibberish... I agree with the above though. Best "happy medium" between East Coast Optimism and Big Island Machismo... Not sure why all the caps...

[emetic]

From the front? From the back?

I call it from the trim line. Head high means I can not see over the back of the wave, while I am fully standing in trim. Usually only call it double overhead from the channel - when I can see.

i measure the face, not including the lip and trough when it jacks up ... so basically the same as the back of the wave i guess. a 4 foot day is easily overhead. and an 8 foot wave looks about 20ft when you're about to get lipped by it

[Binky]

Rode the inside, Port of Galilee inside, K39 years ago and it was so big that K39 was the only place in RI that you could even paddle out.
The swell would hit the breakwater monster rocks and shoot 30- 40 feet in the air, you could hear the boulders rumbling.

my leash stretched a few feet that day.Easily double overhead and clean

Punani's pics = sweeeet

Summer of '95 Pt. Judith and Matunuck were largest I've seen. We were even seeing 2x overhead in Weekapaug... Pt. Judith gets HUDGE!

[TIMMAY86]

panama city beach for hurrican Rita was huge. red tide and 10+ft wedges of death.
And i surfed a north shore spot called Lanis, had to be 12+.
i like a good head high wave, much higher and i crap my pants and then i get weighted down in the water.. hard to surf

[cito]

Is a better question. I'll take warm, blue, deep 15' breaks over fullsuitworthy, ominous, super shallow, thick 8' shit anyday, the f'n takeoff...bottom type another story. Nice pics fellas tho.

[Hugh Conway]

good to see cito is a fellow TGR pussy

[cito]

Too tired to pull a Jessie James tonight and fight my way out and pick off each. It's exhausting. I would post tons of pics, but learnt that doesn't mean shiz. Take it theoretically, not literaly. Pussy? Always got to sack up if you make it out to a dangerous lineup, it's called honest preference. Don't get me started.

[Hugh Conway]

8' and thick scares the shit out of me but is amazing. 15' is meh, but sounds good at the bar, hence the TGR comment.

Hellmen surfing 25', thick, fit a house inside the barrel, but pulling out because it's sucking drying over the reef and they are a day from decent medical care, consequently never getting published in the magazines are the people I respect

[cito]

Like I said, don't take it literally. Not being toughguy, but believe me, 8' in 2" doesn't faze me. I'm trying to be believable. And if you think 25' shiz in those scenarios doesn't get the redic's blood and nerves going nuts, your kidding yourself.

People I respect most are those that walk into your backyard break in gnarl conditions and rip in a way that makes you think, "that shits fucking fake". Only thing that tops that is when you get props.

[Hugh Conway]

And if you think 25' shiz in those scenarios doesn't get the redic's blood and nerves going nuts, your kidding yourself.

oh it does - thats why I respect people with way more skills and stones than myself who get themselves scared shitless by pushing the edge Like I said, the pics will never see the light of day, but they are fucking amazing

[cito]

But I hear you, werd.