So....
What is a big wave?
Whats your ideal wave size?
How do you measure waves? I measure in head heights.
here's my view.
Up to shoulder high Small.
Head to double head Medium.
double to tripple head BIG
tripple + monster
My ideal wave is probably 1 to 1.5 head. Double head gets pretty ring puckering.
Anything above double head is pretty terrifying.....
It's all relative. We are not all as crazy as you are Plummet. Anything over head height I consider large.
when people say it was pretty small, "only 10 foot or so".
you get to beach with indo gun in hand ready to charge. look at the surf and its less than dbl overhead...
ahhhhh, the old measuring from the face system.
I always found measuring the back of the wave pointless. Do you ride the back? Why measure it?
Is a 4ft midget surfing a double over head wave twice as glorious as a bohemouth 7ft guy surfing a head high wave? I tripped on the lip of a 6ft'er and fell down into the trough face first at speed, stars everywhere, at that point I was concerned about the height of the back of the wave
nah, i dont usually ride the back of the wave. lol. 
when you read the coastalwatch report or hear the radio report they are always using a measurement of the rear of the wave.
i generally use the system referencing to 'head' when its big, over double head height.
otherwise when its small referenced to the rear of the wave (just to make it easy when talking to other surfers etc.)
Select to expand quoteDl33ta said..
Is a 4ft midget surfing a double over head wave twice as glorious as a bohemouth 7ft guy surfing a head high wave? I tripped on the lip of a 6ft'er and fell down into the trough face first at speed, stars everywhere, at that point I was concerned about the height of the back of the wave
Definitely the midget riding double head!
I measure in good old masts! When there's poles out there and they disappear behind the back of a wave then its on. I just live for these days. Been out a couple of times this season in 1 1/2 mast and once bigger than than, nobody out to see but then you'd be mental to take on the outer reef at Point Moore on a windsurfer when it's busting like the other week, retrospectively not a good idea on your own and could have potentially been in trouble if the **** did hit the whirly blade.
So how do you judge a day when you can't see the trough of the wave because its blocked from the wave in front?
A couple of examples of this:
Select to expand quotesurfingboye said..
So how do you judge a day when you can't see the trough of the wave because its blocked from the wave in front?
My local waves only get to waist hight but it's the depth that we like to talk about. It's either knee, waist, ankle or dry as the desert deep till you hit the reef.
Select to expand quoteaustin said..
I measure in good old masts! When there's poles out there and they disappear behind the back of a wave then its on. I just live for these days. Been out a couple of times this season in 1 1/2 mast and once bigger than than, nobody out to see but then you'd be mental to take on the outer reef at Point Moore on a windsurfer when it's busting like the other week, retrospectively not a good idea on your own and could have potentially been in trouble if the **** did hit the whirly blade.
Above mast height , which is maybe 2.5 head high is scary i reckon. But coming in, no worries... Getting out through big braking waves...phew that's my challenge..
What is a big wave?
Any wave you think twice about lacing one strapless and switched frontside down the line. Anything smaller is just another day in the office
Well Teahupoo is a classic example on why measuring the back of waves dosnt make sence.
On a 10-20 ft face Teahupoo has a 1ft back end so based on those measurements is it big or small.
Go figure
haha i love this topic...
Also my ideal wave height is 1to2 head But there are waves and waves, Nice clean face and breaking away in to deep channel,
' love it' and then wave that just do not hold up and dumps
since we are posting wave pics heres one of my local breaks. I've posted it before but im sure you don't mind
id call that mast and a half,
Been caught up like this before, best way out if to figure 8 the kite, keep the kite powered and forget about the board...unless its on a leggy
In this situation, ^^^
fly the kite back and head out to sea,
and confront the wave.
It takes courage.
Swoop the kite back over the wave and pullstring yourself thru it.
Keep the pressure on your front hand on the kitebar.
Try to dive as 'deep' as possible under the foam, that's not easy when you are hooked up to a chicken loop.
If you remain back-to-the-wave,
like the kiter shown in the pic,
the kitelines will lose tension when the foamball smashes and tumbles you,
and your kite will fall out of the sky.
lol.
, or you could just sit there and wait for the inevitable
He could consider body dragging Awayfrom the wave then at the last second before it hits throw that kite across the window and try some speed and air to hit the top of the white water. ?? Gonna hurt either way.
That pic was taken of me the same session as the others I posted up, super offshore and gusty that day!.,
My board got washed in after I came off a wave. I body dragged back out the back, but the waves were relentless with no gaps between the sets...
I decided I just had to try and gun it back in. Got into the breaking zone and got hit by this mother of a set.
Kept tension in the lines and flew the kite in figure of 8, back and forth through the window.
Was rag dolled by the whitewash for a bit but all good.
Lol.
Select to expand quotesurfingboye said..
That pic was taken of me the same session as the others I posted up, super offshore and gusty that day!.,
My board got washed in after I came off a wave. I body dragged back out the back, but the waves were relentless with no gaps between the sets...
I decided I just had to try and gun it back in. Got into the breaking zone and got hit by this mother of a set.
Kept tension in the lines and flew the kite in figure of 8, back and forth through the window.
Was rag dolled by the whitewash for a bit but all good.
Lol.
I love that photo surfingboy, I can't help but chuckle when I see it.. Been in that situation before and know the feeling. Awesome!
, or you could just sit there and wait for the inevitable
, or you could just sit there and wait for the inevitable
That was you sufingboye...damn! Your nuts must have been near your chin and your sphincter the size of needle looking up at that big ass wall of water! Damn! Can't say I have ever been in that situation!
