A couple of surfers head for home after enjoying some good waves at the surf break off Kawaihae.
Surfers heading in
Tag Archives: Surf
Surfing at Keokea
Last week, I went out to Keokea Beach Park for the first time in quite a while. It’s a scenic little park, with a breakwater protecting a shallow area where kids can get in the water safely, a rarity on this stretch of coast.
Outside the breakwater, waves rolling in from the northeast had lured some surfers into the water. It looked a little hairy, riding those waves, apparently headed for the rocks. But the surfers were angling across the waves, from right to left as I looked at them, and so were pretty safe unless they made a major mistake. Those who did end up in the water were dismounting rather than wiping out.
Salt burned trees
At my local snorkeling spot, a lot of trees on the shoreline have suddenly sported fall colors. I’m sure this has nothing to do with the season. Rather, I think a series of large swells has battered the trees with more salt spray than they’re used to and this is the result. Hopefully, they will bounce back when things settle down again, although swells in Hawaii were large enough last weekend for The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational surf competition to be held for the first time since 2016.
Favorites from 2022
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Your 2022 Year-in-Review.’ See more responses here. Like last year, I’ve gone with a favorite photo from each month of 2021, with a caption and link to the post the photo first appeared in.
High surf
Recently, we had our first big high surf event of the winter. Here, big swells roll in on the northern tip of the island.
High surf
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Power of the Elements.’ See more responses here.
For the past couple of weeks or more, we’ve had a series of sizable WNW swells reaching the Big Island. What this has meant is lousy snorkeling conditions on the west side of the island and a surge in calling in sick to work amongst surfers.
The photos below show surf from one of these swells crashing ashore along the North Kohala coast. The first of these photos was taken from the parking lot of one of the parks there. In the bottom corner of this area is a metal boat hoist and concrete barriers blocking access to the corner of the lot, where it’s no longer safe to park. When big swells wash over the lot, these big concrete barriers get pushed around, such is the power or the surf.
The top photo is from a previous event of this kind several years ago, which dwarfed the recent swells. This particular swell not only washed over the entire parking lot, but also engulfed the boat hoist, swallowing it from sight. As the water receded, two portable toilets in a recess near the top of the lot, started sliding down the lot towards the water. Luckily, some people watching from nearby were able to corral them before they fell over or were washed into the bay. The boat hoist wasn’t as fortunate. After the waves subsided, it was discovered that these powerful waves had twisted the metal frame of the hoist, rendering it unsafe for use. It was several months before repairs made it usable again.
It’s bright, it’s white, it’s Sunday Stills
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘White.’ See more responses here.
In the top photo, frothy surf barrels ashore at Upolu in North Kohala. Below that, a cattle egret surveys the scene in the middle of a water fountain. The third photo shows turbines at Hawi Wind Farm against a backdrop of snowy Mauna Kea. And the bottom photo features a bee collecting on a Maiapilo flower.
Pololu beach
Pololu beach, at the northern end of the Big Island, is not a place for swimming, despite these people in the water. Strong rips can take an unwary person out to sea in a heartbeat. But it’s a good spot for a walk or just for viewing from Pololu Lookout, up above, at the end of the end of the highway.
