Watch: Nathan Florence // Waimea

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
Swellnet Dispatch

Where does Waimea sit now that Mavs is cracked, Jaws is paddled, and we're running out of 'X's to describe Nazare? I'll tell you. It occupies the same place Makaha once did: a fearsome beast that, on all but the very largest swells, has been declawed. It's been surpassed by the drive to surf larger and larger waves.

Still, it's convenient, seems like a good place to catch up with friends, and provides a bit of a tickle for those who don't wanna fly somewhere on every swell.

Here's Nathan Florence staying home. Filmed from shore plus some unflattering cuts from his GoPro (how to make a big wave look...well, not that big).

Comments

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Sunday, 24 Mar 2019 at 8:02am

Mikey wrights barber?

manic- mat -rider's picture
manic- mat -rider's picture
manic- mat -rider Sunday, 24 Mar 2019 at 1:41pm

He always looks like he is having fun. Enjoying his videos on Youtube .. Waimea is still a serious wave for most surfers although compared to Jaws etc can look quite tame.

Elliedog's picture
Elliedog's picture
Elliedog Monday, 25 Mar 2019 at 3:32pm

why am I not getting the videos your posting?.

caml's picture
caml's picture
caml Tuesday, 26 Mar 2019 at 12:46am

Great clip

Spuddups's picture
Spuddups's picture
Spuddups Tuesday, 26 Mar 2019 at 4:50am

Fark, I dunoo, maybe a bit much writing off Waimea as a big wave spot. Looks pretty goddamn heavy to me. Especially from that angle.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Tuesday, 26 Mar 2019 at 2:33pm

Reckon you'll find very few big wave riders that fear Waimea the way it was feared up to the 90s. It might sound disparaging but it's just a result of advancements in the sport.

I mean shit...back in the day crew were terrified of the Waimea shorey - "you'll get pummelled to your death" etc etc. Yet the same time the above video was shot this was going on: (fwd to 7 min mark)

OHV500's picture
OHV500's picture
OHV500 Wednesday, 27 Mar 2019 at 9:49am

Is it just me, or should some guys stick to what they are great at, and just ride waves ?
PS: That shorie is so heavy

radiationrules's picture
radiationrules's picture
radiationrules Tuesday, 26 Mar 2019 at 12:14pm

"unflattering go-pro footage" - a guy at the top of his game, laughing all day in the sun with his big wave mates? The less talented surfer wipe-outs; looked pretty scary to me.

Beats reading about how the One Nation fuck-wits spend their days hand down.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Tuesday, 26 Mar 2019 at 2:27pm

Maybe it's me, but I think the fixed GoPro - fixed to the deck of the board that is - makes for the most misleading image of surfing. The board remains still while everything else moves to a haphazard rhythm, there's no sense of motion, and wave size is flattened.

Just....unflattering.

t-diddy's picture
t-diddy's picture
t-diddy Wednesday, 27 Mar 2019 at 12:36am

Agree! wave looks shoulder high

spencie's picture
spencie's picture
spencie Tuesday, 26 Mar 2019 at 3:17pm

For a bit of interest you can always throw in a wank or a datum.