Watch: Cahuil Perfection

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
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First things first: Kudos to the filmmakers for not releasing the footage until well after the fact.

The following is taken from the video's introduction:

"In August 2023, a warm frontal system brought intense rainfall to central and southern Chile, accumulating up to 791 mm of rain in just six days. This event caused significant flooding in rivers and estuaries, altering the natural course of the Cahuil estuary in the O'Higgins Region of Pichilemu.

"The Cahuil estuary expanded unusually due to the rains, temporarily changing its geography and creating ideal conditions for the formation of a perfect wave.

"On August 28th, coinciding with a south-westerly swell, waves with long, powerful, and perfectly formed barrels were generated, the likes of which had never been seen before in Cahuil.

"This wave, born from an exceptional combination of natural factors, will likely not be repeated under the same conditions."

 

Comments

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 11:51am

damn.

adsi's picture
adsi's picture
adsi Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 12:07pm

wow looks like chopes on that opening ride!

Gowsa's picture
Gowsa's picture
Gowsa Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 1:18pm

Enjoyed that
Thanks Stu !

Island Bay's picture
Island Bay's picture
Island Bay Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 3:37pm

Reminds me of somewhere I know...

poo-man's picture
poo-man's picture
poo-man Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 8:39pm

Yes very similar

Moonah's picture
Moonah's picture
Moonah Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 4:18pm

Jeez that’s magic.

Iced vovo's picture
Iced vovo's picture
Iced vovo Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 4:33pm

Really enjoyed that, the water quality didn't seem so bad considering the flood waters. Wonder how cold it was?

YoungOne's picture
YoungOne's picture
YoungOne Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 4:46pm

Wow! Waves don't come much better than that, do they!
That first sizeable wave looked just like a cold water version of Cloudbreak.
Oh, to have been on the spot!

basesix's picture
basesix's picture
basesix Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 5:36pm

unreal! I love the 'surfboard view' as opposed to the jetski view.. catching glimpses of a thing, as you would if you were in the session.
(though 'Ambient Background Harp Relaxing' is an epic name for a musician/group, the tune is Frozen Time by royalty free composer Epikton: https://motionarray.com/browse/producer/epikton/ )

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 5:46pm

Love the water angle.

Island Bay's picture
Island Bay's picture
Island Bay Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 6:29pm

What would you be riding?
I had a good think and a talk to a couple of shapers (about a spot that's sort of similar, but mostly faster and - mostly - less throaty). My ideas: 6'6-6'8 swallowtail quad; just enough nose rocker, but not too much; subtle single to double to mini vee out the tail; extra volume but not too fat through the nose. No surprises shape.
Not claiming any revolutionary deep insights, just what I think would work.

basesix's picture
basesix's picture
basesix Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 6:33pm
Island Bay's picture
Island Bay's picture
Island Bay Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 6:37pm

Without feeling it up or seeing the rocker, I'd say pretty much spot on

Fliplid's picture
Fliplid's picture
Fliplid Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 6:53pm

Ha b6 you beat me to it, was gonna suggest the same thing. That's an heirloom board with that glass job

basesix's picture
basesix's picture
basesix Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 6:55pm

driving me nuts. will you buy it @fliplid?

Fliplid's picture
Fliplid's picture
Fliplid Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 7:10pm

It's been a process to tone down the temptations and I've been making progress so don't want to fall of the wagon now. Gotta say though, Udo ain't helping

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 7:33pm

Whaddaya Mean...
:-]]

basesix's picture
basesix's picture
basesix Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 7:45pm

: P
word to that @fliplid.. this stick is such a solid looking generic reliable for just positioning, paddling buoyantly, and keeping your head down with a hood on.. partly it looks like the dream lone option in a minimalist bolthole I wish I owned somewhere like nth/w Alba/Eire..
(but then I also wish I was still young and bendy and didn't get short of breath after an hour's sesh in cold water..)

Fliplid's picture
Fliplid's picture
Fliplid Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 8:03pm

I'm not young or bendy either but thankfully there's too much volume in that one for me, and udo, now you're just twisting the knife

poo-man's picture
poo-man's picture
poo-man Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 8:44pm

I once got a step deck board made for me to get some extra volume. Saw one with a travelling surfer once. Actually felt like surfing in thongs or thick shoes though. I hated it and I still have it somewhere

Nick Gee's picture
Nick Gee's picture
Nick Gee Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 6:45pm

wow. heavy. from multiple aspects.

seeds's picture
seeds's picture
seeds Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 7:13pm

Oh so glassy too.
G maps usual set up below
IMG-1179

Island Bay's picture
Island Bay's picture
Island Bay Friday, 6 Jun 2025 at 7:21pm

Yeah, looks like a unicorn setup. Probably why they were happy to broadcast it.

sloth's picture
sloth's picture
sloth Saturday, 7 Jun 2025 at 12:57am

On top of the unicorn sand buildup was that it was only on for a couple of hours one morning, Wind came up mid morning - one local pro who missed it the morning deemed it unsurfable in the afternoon. Following days conditions didn't come together like that morning

Would have been difficult to get waves I'd imagine - didnt look overly crowded, but it was most of the main locals out.

mredhill's picture
mredhill's picture
mredhill Saturday, 7 Jun 2025 at 10:36am

Ramon Navarro must surely be the surfing world's equivalent of Forrest Gump, he's ALWAYS in the right place at the right time.

velocityjohnno's picture
velocityjohnno's picture
velocityjohnno Saturday, 7 Jun 2025 at 12:00pm

Beautiful. Isn't it wonderous when storm and river and sand; wind and swell and tide come together?

Well delayed. The secret to happiness is to admire without desire, I can take great joy in seeing the session these guys had. Mind surfing it, if I could make the drop goofy, I'd surf this one goofy.