The mystery of Honolua Bay - video
With the wavepool industry blossoming there's a desire to understand what makes a perfect wave. All the companies involved are questioning what goes on below the waterline and trying to replicate it in a pool or lagoon.
Well, here's one perfect wave that will remain beyond comprehension for many years, perhaps forever.
It all begins when swell lines round Molokai and refract south-west toward Maui, losing size but also any latent flaws. They then stand up near Lipoa Point before moving inside to Honolua Bay where the irregular sections of reef cause the wave above to break in bowls that can be linked by high speed runs. The better waves have a wall like a Le Mans berm; they corner their way all the way down the line.
It's not perfect in a Kirra or Rincon-type way, but the Honolua reef has depth of personality - "The type of wave you can commit your life to", as Bill Finnegan says in Barbarian Days.
It's one of the most crowded waves on Earth and yet it remains a mystery.
Comments
Shit that looks fun. I spent a month on Maui when I was 19. Some friends got a job there while I was bumming around the world so I flew over. Landed with $10 left so I couldn't do much beyond hitching around the place. I got some cash cleaning a pub two mornings a week which gave me enough money for food and to hire some fins, a mask and snorkel. Spent most days in the water following turtles around and swimming out into deep water so I could just float deep down.
I hitched out to honalua bay once. I'd just finished work and a Hawaiian bloke picked me up on his way there. I sat on the cliffs with his brother drinking cokes in the sun talking about the islands (he lived on Lanai), watching the crowd jostle for shoulder to head high peaks. Not classic conditions but fun to watch. Such a beautiful place. After a while I got a ride back to Fleming's and went for a body surf before heading home. I didn't even feel like surfing that whole month, which makes me wanna give myself an uppercut now, but I had a great time getting about.
A bunch of hippies gave me a ride half way up haleakalaa until their van broke down. They were gonna down some mushrooms on the summit. I paid for em to get in (which just about cleared me out) and then about 200m inside the park gates their van just stopped. I started walking until a tourist offered me a ride the rest of the way. Camping up in the crater is still is one of the only times I've been genuinely immersed in silence. Not a sound. It was amazing. And fucken cold too, I wasn't prepared for that!
Anyway whatever just rambling. I'm supposed to be working today so I should probably get with the present instead of these dreamy memories set off by that great clip. Have a good one everyone.
Could always do with more stories like that , Benski.
Nice work.
Joint looks incredible.
Yep, ditto. Stories of classic places like this make good reading. Couple of blokes our way were some the first Aussies to surf this place, many moons ago - lucky blokes.
High on my list of waves I want to surf before I die.
great wave. best angle for video IMO is more straight on than shown here.
mysto indeed. Lived on Oahu 7 years and went over many times to west Maui in search of this gold - never seen a ripple in the bay
How was chubby old mate on his backhand, did well considering he was a bit top heavy. Amazing wave I wonder how many times it breaks like that a year, and if this place is firing it must be huge at other places more direct on to the swell.
I surfed Honulua Bay over Christmas. Had it from 6 foot down to around 4 foot. Awesome waves but the locals are the most selfish surfers I have ever come across.
They will happily drop in on anyone and expect others to show surf etiquette ?? The Cave is a critical section ( best part of the wave ) but impossible to surf if you are being dropped in on. If you are out in the water and the dude says she/he are from Honulua Bay - don't show them any respect or etiquette because I guarantee you that won't show you any at Honulua.
Surfed it this time of year in 1986
Really turned on one morning 6ft
North shore was 20ft
Got out at sunrise it was packed with guys within 2 hours
Saw the most ruthless burnings of guys who were ripping
So just drifted down to the end bowl section and grabbed some scraps