Spend time in a quality wave zone and it's more than just photos and a tan you'll return with. See the surfer who's just spent a season in Indonesia - walking a bit slower on land, and smoothly linking turns in the water. His (or her) surfing and mental space adapted to the conditions.

Same so for Hawaii, and Joe van Dijk can vouch for it. The night before this shot was taken Joe got off the plane from Hawaii, jet lag and cool water doing little to curb his enthusiasm.

Photographer Ed Sloane was shooting Nikki van Dijk before she set off on her rookie 'CT year. Nikki had her younger brother in tow. And Joe, jumped up from a succesful Hawaiian sojourn was, "darting around all over the place and getting tons of fun sections," according to Ed.

The surf was thumping but a month of Hawaiian surf put him in good stead. "After surfing the North shore and coming back to a beachie first day," said Joe, "it makes you realise how much more power the waves in Hawaii really have."

"There's just so many more consequences if you fall or do the wrong thing in Hawaii. Looking back at that almost makes this wave feel playful.” 

We think it shows in the picture.