Saturday, February 27, 2010

Big waves + tsunami warning

Here's some photos from Friday February 26th.

The waves up the coast were big and mean. Nonetheless, a few sailors were out. This is Russ who, together with Art, tried to make it out for something like 30 minutes or so. Dale Cook, instead, was on the outside catching waves and kicking out carefully early enough.




Yes Russ, chicken jibe was a wise idea.


Art's turn to try... good luck.


In the meantime, Bart was able to catch a wave at Hookipa.




Chris was out too and here he is making his way back in.


Finally Russ and Art made it out. This is Russ. He rode this one in.


A couple of tow teams showed up.


Bart caught a medium one at Hookipa.






Art broke his mast. That's one point in the cup and a tough swim back in. I met him later at the Kuau Mart... he was ok.


Another wave for the tow surfer.


Dale's last wave was actually a pretty good one... three top turns!
My respect to all the sailors that were out there.






I, instead, chose a way more mellow session at Kanaha. I put the GoPro camera on the mast above the boom and took a few pics. The conditions weren't that great and most photos had droplets on the lens.
This blog gets almost a thousand readers a day. Is there a water photographer amongst them that feels like sharing a tip for avoiding that? I tried Rain-x and sunscreen with no success. Thanks.
Lil bottom turn.


In search for better conditions, I sailed up to Uppers. Didn't find them, but I saw this amazing kind of catamaran on some kind of hydrofoil literally flying on the water pulled by a kite. I think to have recognized Don Montague. Wouldn't be surprised, since he's a pioneer of kite boating. Unfortunately, the usual droplet covers most of the boat and the kite is out of the photo.


This is a funny one.


It's 12.46 pm. It was pretty cool to watch the water going so fast out and in at Hilo bay on TV. Never seen anything like that. It looks like nothing destructive happened. Pretty impressed by how organized the warning was and everything else.
An unexpected day off and an unexpected day of rest too. Both very welcome. My thoughts go to the poor people in Chile that got their lives devastated by the earthquake.

PS. The 2010 ASP season started. The Quicksilver Pro Gold Cost is on. I just watched on the heats on demand Dusty Paine advance in his first heat against Jordy Smith and Drew Courtney... way to start your first ASP World Tour year, Dusty!!!
As while you're at it, don't miss watching heat 5 to check in what kind of form Mr. Slater is...
Great surfing also from reigning champ Fanning, but it's going to impossible to beat Slater if he surfs like that.

8 comments:

Leedslass said...

My comment about your chums who attempted to sail in those conditions is "silly, selfish buggers". If they get stuck it's the poor lifeguards who have to risk their lives to save them.

azuldeultramar said...

I'm using RainX on my water housing and works fine, not great but good enough most of the time.

Anonymous said...

Yo GP, I was watching a video shoot documentary on surfing and they rubbed their lens with a cut potato.

cammar said...

Leedslass, they all went out after 4, i.e. after the lifeguards went home.
And even if they went out before 4, if the lifeguards think that rescues are too dangerous they always have the power to close the beach, like they did for other reasons a few days ago (shark sighting) or yesterday (tsunami warning).
If you become a lifeguard in Hawaii, you know you'll have to rescue people in dangerous conditions.
Plus all those sailors are very experienced watermen. The possibility that they will eventually need help is still way smaller than when a mainland tourist steps in the water at Makena with a three feet shore break... no kidding!

Dani, thanks. I'm assuming you use it on the water housing of your regular camera, not a gopro. I'm starting to thing that it may be more effective on a bigger lens... not so much on the small lens of the gopro.
But I'll give it another try... also because of lack of alternatives.
There's no way, in fact, that I'm driving around with cut potatoes in my car! Anon, thanks for the tip anywway.

Robin said...

Thanks for the update, luckily the Tsunami didn't strike as badly as some feared. Good to hear you are o.k.

Impressive pice b.t.w.

Greets from a wet Holland,

Robin

Arnie said...

Old trick: try regular dish soap. It breaks the surface tension of the water and leaves no streaks/marks. Unfortunately, it will not last long.

MaxxDog said...

Giampy - Peter Sterling once told me the glass he uses for his housings he built was the most expensive part because of the coatings to shed water. There's always spit.

Unknown said...

GP,
Have you tried baby shampoo,
works great, coat the lens and let it dry before going in water