Anybody want to try this in a kayak

My friend sent em this link to an insane wave. I don't know if this is Laird Hamilton. Whoever it is has a lot more balls than me.

http://www.big-boys.com/articles/hugewave.html

that is just amazing.  Sometimes I get apprehensive about launching/ landing at, say, New Brighton between sets.  I wonder what that guy is thinking, and more importantly, what color are his shorts after he's done?

I don't know about you guys, but to me this looks like it's been doctored up.  I'm a little skeptical... looks too huge and he disappears into the whitewash for too long before emerging.

Partypooper Erik

If it is doctored, it is a good job.  It made me squinch big time...

This one may be doctored up, I don't know. Rent the Movie 'Riding Giants' and you might be more of a believer. I didn't even realize waves got that big until I saw the movie, and yea, people do ride them. Now when I see it done in a kayak, that's when I will REALLY be impressed!

This one may be doctored up, I don't know. Rent the Movie 'Riding Giants' and you might be more of a believer. I didn't even realize waves got that big until I saw the movie, and yea, people do ride them. Now when I see it done in a kayak, that's when I will REALLY be impressed!

Isn't Half Moon Bay a monster wave area?

Isn't Half Moon Bay a monster wave area?

when Mavericks starts to break - my surfer neighbor and I will paddle out to the safe zone (with kayaks) and take some photos. I CAN'T WAIT  

I wasn't able to view the video but I wouldn't pass it off as a fake too quickly.  There's some crazy MF'ers out there and 75' seems doable.  I think I read an interview where Laird was claiming that 100'+ is possible.

As for the Yak, I have a contest promo video that came in a mag with a 20 sec. clip in the credits of two guys in a regular tandem surfing a powerful six foot face.  I thought they were gonna flip immediately but they had a nice long ride and the clip ended before the dumped.  Blew me away.


Edit:
Are you serious Joel?  I seen a nutcase in a SIK paddling out of the harbor at the last contest.  The water was so bumpy and breaking randomly all over the lagoon, guy looked like he was gonna die so the ski's had to come in and see if he was alright.

I don't think this is doctored up. Take a look at lairdhamilton.com The guy is insane. He has done more crazy stuff in the water than most of us can imagine. His website is pretty glichy but on the trailer for "The Day" you'll see guys riding some pretty crazy waves. As far as Mavericks is concerned, I've only seen it once and from the base of the cliff right at the water it looked like a freaking nuclear powered washing machine. It looked like 6-8ft. whitewater shorebreak. I sure hope the safety zone is far away from the point cause those rocks looked like they would eat you!

Edit:
Are you serious Joel? I seen a nutcase in a SIK paddling out of the harbor at the last contest. The water was so bumpy and breaking randomly all over the lagoon, guy looked like he was gonna die so the ski's had to come in and see if he was alright

Art - I've personally have never seen Mavericks up close - but my crazy surfer neighbor has. In fact, he and his other crazy surfer friend took a "canoe" out by the safety zone at one point and "chilled" while watching all the rest of the crazy surfers surf the big ones....now, I'm not even sure if this "safety zone" really exists but I'll never know if I don't go out there with him...so, stay tuned to .......Joel & Josh's most excellent adventures...

My first thoughts were "No Waaaay"  That was a really big mound of water.  Hope he survived that.

He probably did those crazy fools practice holding their breath for days. They have to be able to stay down and Wait out a set if they have to. Can you imagine waiting out a set of those monsters! That's why they use the jet-skis, so there partner can run in and pick them up before the next set comes in. On Laird Hamilton's site you'll see there is even a helicopter and he runs in to show the jet ski where the surfer is.

There was an Imax movie a few years ago about a surfing contest in Hawaii that was canceled because the waves were too huge. The Coast Guard closed all marinas on the island so these crazy guys went and launched from the beach at a place they called log cabins. One of the helicopter pilots that was filming it was a Vietnam helicopter pilot. There are actually some scenes where you see the helicopter disappear behind the waves and then pop back out before he gets washed away. It would take a big wave to hide a helicopter.

I've also heard of an undersea mount somewhere off the cost of San Diego. I think it is like a couple hundred miles off shore. When there is a huge surge waves actually break out there in the middle of the ocean and these guys supposedly go out with a mother ship and tow into the waves.

People do some insane things on the water. I'm not too skeptical anymore after seeing some of the feats these guys pull off. If you want to see something crazy look up foil board surfing. Laird Hamilton invented it. Their boards get up on a hydrofoil and the go planing along a foot or so above the wave. Joel you should rig some up on one of your kayaks for your little trip to Mavericks  

The yak surfing videos we had at Elk were pretty impressive, but the boat they tend to use are too short for a wave that big.  Don't know if the ever yak the really big ones...but those guys that do are nuts and so are the ski guys that keep them alive.

Alright... I'm not quite as skeptical anymore after watching some of the trailers from Laird Hamilton's site.  Doctored or not, it's nuts what these guys do.

IF, and it is a big IF, the person is very skilled. I am not talking about surfing like the big wave guys--that would be suicide in a kayak--even much smaller waves. I am taking about kayaking in 10-meter seas (that's 30 feet). Experts have done it as long as the wind is less than gale-force--too much wind and no mortal can paddle. There is a guy who lives in HMB, John Lull, who wrote 'the' book on sea kayak safety and rescue. He is good enough to go out 365 regardless of weather, though he still uses judgment on where to go. I personally know BCU 5-star Sea Coaches (the top rank) who specifically drop what they are doing and go out in 25-knot winds and Spring Tides to 'surf' tidal races and overfalls that would swamp 20-foot powerboats and do every Winter somewhere on the Cal coast. Then there are the Tsunami Rangers out of HMB--Eric Soares and crew.  Check out their web site. He talks about Mavericks and narrowly escaping a break there. http://www.tsunamirangers.com/ they are the 'blue angels' of rough water sea kayaking. But mostly like to play in rock gardens and sea caves.

The safety in a SIK is that is can be rolled even in very rough water--if you are skilled enough and is very maneuverable and water tight with the spray deck on. But speaking of surf, while those same people will play in 12-foot waves in white water 'play boats' they wouldn't surf even an 8-footer in a 16-foot or longer sea kayak. They'd think it asking for a dislocated shoulder or worse. And they always wear helmets surf launching--people have been very seriously injured. It isn't for me--I gave up hard-core mountaineering and rock climbing to do something safer--not trade one white-knuckle sport for another with the same 'pucker factor' as Chuck Yeager put it.