Chi's or Ethels? (yorks)

If you're new to surfing and still grappling with bottom turns, neither. Go to Richards, Baby Lizards or some other less critical spot, where you are less likely to cop a spray or cause some pain (to either yourself or others).

haha chi's...ethels is scary as shit. but they're both excellent waves

it's unlikely they'll both be pumping on the same day but Chi's is by far the better wave. Don't hesitate, don't pull back, yeww!

Or got to Mysto's if you want a left

no brainer - Chi's is the wave. Chi's sucks.

and you don't want to be 'caught outside' at Ethels when the new 6-8' chi's swell hits

Anyone surf Baby Chis? What a hoax of a wave!

I have never seen Chis spit like the Ledge does,Ethels is a much bigger wider heavier barrel but is way more fickle,not many crew around with big enough figs to take it on over 6ft.Remember those shots of it in Surfing Life a few years back ? made Chis look like kiddies corner,pros shacked off their nuts standing bolt upright with arms above their heads,I remember Squizzy said he just watched in awe and it was out of his league which says a lot coming from THE MAN himself who calls maxing out Chis about 5ft. it is a rarity but it happens.I would go Chis as I would probably drown at the Ledge.

baby chis goes off! it's a killa wave when it's on and chis is maxing out

I recall surfing proper 6-8 foot chis with Sean G on my sister's birthday in May probably about 1992 breaking right out on the outside boil. Sean said at the time he had hardly ever seen it break like this at that size, perfect wind and swell direction / period. Scary good.

Both top quality waves on their day. There was a time when chis would have got my vote, but deathels gets my vote these days. I did enjoy both waves more without the pretty stairs, but I do understand it's necessary with the amount of traffic. Hope there's a wave at chis today with the northerly.

Take it one step further and head over to Cactus.

Haven't been looking at the forecasts with that eairler call, but with this glass off, maybe an all-time evening at the ledge..?

One good thing is they work in different seasons so there is always a chance of a slab in summer or winter.
Both are known as lefthanders but the rights are filth too.
And even though Ethels is considered more tubular big Chinamans seriously holds you down longer, even two wave hold downs are not uncommon.
Ethel's just slams you harder but you seem to come up quicker from my experience.

Chi's is scary once pushing above 5ft. As you said yorkessurfer, the hold downs and fear of getting caught in one of the nooks/caves is terrifying.

Worst feeling is getting caught inside as a backless double up focusses all its energy right towards you. There's nothing you can do except prepare yourself for a solid beating, definitely a spooky wave.

They are both shit...wouldnt waste my time surfing either of them. Tickera is heaps better. please end this thread

i wish owen would of had a dig at the ledge while he was alive he would of charged it as did at big chi's - im sure old dog would agree. watched it break at difference sizes and swell angles through the seventies,dont recall any one having a go. were the lids the first to surf it ? maybe rodger the dodger may have surfed it ? rodger and foxy broadbent surfed chi's one 6-10ft day with a howling norwester, fine performance....very heavy waves.

Yorkesurfer I agree. I've been shoved into a cave in the reef out at Chi's before with a two wave hold down but popped out quickly after the second with only my leggie caught. Scary but not too dangerous as I could see the light of the surface and at that stage had a great set of lungs courtesy of surfing, endurance running and young clubbies. Also landed on the pinnacle on the inside ledge first time I surfed it as a grom probably about '87 and hammered my coccyx, sore for a year. Only started seeing a chiro this year who discovered I had a L5/S1 spondylosis (fracture where one vertebra is pushed forward on top of the other) probably from this fall - no acute probs just compensatory stuff that comes up when you are a bit older. Just tried to post an old grainy pic from that day I referred to earlier which was 24 May 94 (taken by PD's wife at the time), but no joy. I recall there is a knack to posting pictures on this forum but cant be arsed digging up the details from threads months ago. Moderator - if you wanna post how to do this again? Otherwise perhaps upgrading to make it a simple file attachment would be great.
Some of my good mates had a low key bucks weekend at MB last weekend at a mates shack near the jetty, scored a 5m swell apparently and had all the usual suspects for that type of swell on, firing and uncrowded from what I hear although I think they timed it well as they are shit at getting up early.
One more point to this ramble. Yorkessurfer there are rights at both spots but unless you pick the good ones and make em cleanly you are fucked. The rights take you into a ledgey closed in section of reef at both spots and even straightening out rather than hopping off the back before they shut down can be dangerous at a bit of size. If the only option at either spot was the right as they break now there'd be way less participants...

There ya go - chis 24 May 94