Festive Cheer & Christmas Surf

So here we are with Christmas just a couple of days away and we've been looking to see where the best conditions may be for a Christmas Day frolic in the chilly waters around the UK & Ireland. According to the good folks at Magicseaweed we may be looking to take a festive trip across to Ireland to check out the waves at Bundoran, so get your 5mils, gloves and booties packed!

Here's a quick run down for you:

"One of Ireland and Europe's best waves. A good W swell, fresh S-SE wind and 2 hours either side of low tide, this place is a sight to behold - the legendary Peak can be an A-frame left and right reef break of immense power, breaking on rock bottom and spitting both ends! Prepare for a flogging if you get it wrong here - chances are you will too! One of those spots where sitting out on the shoulder and watching the locals show you how it's done is cool. Has a habit of breaking boards, people, hearts and, in summer, your constitution, as the water quality can be a bit suss. Rips can be heavy. Do not paddle out here when it's overhead unless you really know what you're doing. Great local scene. Be friendly, show respect and you'll find true Irish hospitality at its best. Think about searching for other options nearby. If it's too intense, or you just want to mellow out, nip round the corner to Granny's Reef, etc (ask around)."

Click here for info on more spots around the UK & Ireland.

Big & Scary at Jaws

With the monster swell that has been hitting Hawaii this week, it was only a matter of time before vids of the big wave crew at Jaws starting hitting the net. Sean Collins from Surfline.com has put this swell in the top 5 biggest ever and the surf is expected to stay large for the next few days.

There are only a few surfers with the nads to head out to Maui and take on Pe'ahi ... here's our breakdown:

"If you can handle it, launch your jet ski at Maliko Gulch and God be with you. One of, if not the world's biggest and best tow-in / big wave locations. Known for its capability to convert gigantic winter N swells into condo-block sized right handers and longer lefts that hold their shape up to 50ft plus. N swell is OK, NW is best, but WNW ignites the lefts, which can be awesome and very long. OK in trade winds. First named and surfed in the '70's, before hell men Laird Hamilton and Buzzy Kerbox really gauged its potential by riding it at 50ft plus. It is being pushed further each year."

Here's the vid of Monday's session featuring Mike Parsons, Luke Egan, Rasta, Ian Walsh (getting nailed 1.12 in!), Torrey Meister, Laurie Towner and Billy Kemper tackling Jaws ... awesome stuff!

Click here for info on more spots throughout the US & Hawaii.

Showdown at Pipeline

The Billabong Pipeline Masters waiting period kicks off tomorrow and it could well be an epic event. The Dream Tour winner will be decided, there's a stack of money at stake for the Vans Tripe Crown winner and then there's the swell that's been forecast, with Tuesday through Thursday this week potentially huge. With Mick and Parko all set to duel it out for the WCT crown, here's what we have to say about Pipeline:

"Probably the squarest barrel on earth ... when it's on. Pipe need trades, and the right swell (W to NW at 4-25ft) to work properly. Take one of these sway and you can have a shapeless, punishing mess. The rule of thumb is; the more west the swell, the heavier and shallower the wave.

Pipeline is a series of 3 reefs working from the inside to the outside as the swell increases. First Reef: At 4ft, you can have the most perfect barrels followed be a short whackable section here. The crowds at the size will frustrate and the dropping in is blatant! The wave is so close to the beach that spectators can get closer to the action than any other surf spot. At 6-8ft, the peak appears close to dry sucking off the reef, and the drop is a free-fall. A mistake could see you jammed into a crack in the lava reef, but successful riders will make the bottom turn, and stand tall in a super-wide almond shaped barrel. Then it's a speed-race out onto the shoulder, which eventually tapers into a sandy channel.

Second Reef: From 10-12ft plus, another crop of lava pushes up bombs another 100 yards out to sea. These can be mountainous jacking peaks which reform on first reef giving 2 rides in 1. Take-offs here are more critical than any wave anywhere. Timing, commitment and a heavy board are essential to manoeuvre into the elusive time-space window between being pushed over the back by the gusty winds funnelling up the face, and too-late drops straight to the bottom. The entire length of the wave is a full power situation, with the lip ready to cut a surfer down at any moment, and even the latter half of the ride can produce truck-sized barrels. There's an occasional 3rd reef too, for monsters up to a much contested 30 feet. Now a tow-in domain, and quite rare to see it perfect.

Paddle-out fast, west of Backdoor. Curretn will sweep you east off the peak into the channel. Crowds to the extreme. Drop-ins are the rule, not the exception. Frustrated caged battery-chicken surfing ... Experts Only."

Click here for info on more spots throughout the US & Hawaii.

North Shore Swell

Nice swell developing over the past couple of days for the final rounds of the Reef Hawaiian Pro and there should be some quality surfing from the guys who are left. A mix of surfers from the Dream Tour, WQS guys looking to make it and then the legend that is called Sunny Garcia, who has seen and done it all numerous times before - six (6!!) Triple Crown of Surfing titles.

Speaking of Sunny and swell, now that the invitees and alternates have been announced for the 2009 "In Memory of Eddie Aikau" all eyes will be on the forecasts to see if the conditions at Waimea are going to be huge enough to run the comp this year.

Here's a little run down on the mighty Waimea Bay ...

"Justly famed big wave arena, ridden from 6-30ft plus. Waimea proper is a right hand parachute drop monster breaking on a 28ft deep reef ledge. Not the world's longest wave, but perhaps the most exhilarating drop anywhere, followed by a massive wall section and possible annihilation by the foam ball.

Watch sets for at least 20 minutes before jump-off. Ask the lifeguards about the swell forecast; they will have incredibly accurate info from wave buoy, and will be able to tell you when the swell will peak, and how big it will be. There is even a pressure pad by Kaena Point that gives a few minutes warning if a 30ft plus set is approaching. Wave size can increase from 8 to 20 feet in a few hours.

Getting in: wait for a lull, then get in by running down the bank by the rocks at the Northern end and jumping / paddling like crazy. Keep right, the current will sweep you left into the channel. Too far left and you could be in the horrid dumpers at the South end.

Getting out: get a wave, then try to ride the foam ball back into the North end to beat the sweep and hug the rocks. This is you best shot at escaping the shore-break, which is at its most spine-snapping in the middle of the bay. Watch the approaching shore break and try to get back in on the back of the last wave of the set.

Crowds, drop-ins, Experts Only. If in any doubt, stay on the beach! On smaller days, Pinballs is an option on the inside. Shore break is notorious and menacing, although occasionally surfable."

Click here for info on more spots throughout the US & Hawaii.

Triple Crown up and running at Hale'iwa

Great week to start a blog on surfing with the Triple Crown finally getting under way out on Hawaii's North Shore. Conditions have been tiny but enough swell picked up yesterday to get through a few more heats of the Reef Hawaiian Pro with some quality waves being scored by Sunny Garcia and Clay Marzo.

Here's what we think about Hale'iwa:

"When it's on, it is one of the heaviest, fastest, hollowest rights imaginable. The main peak is about 300m out to sea, and the wave forms heavy sections all the way across to a shallow close-out spot (Toilet Bowl). Best a 6-8ft with prevailing Northeast trades and Northwest to West swell. When bigger, can get very rippy and bumpy, but quality is possible up to 10-20ft plus. Watch locals paddle out to gauge the current and best route. Flirt into the zone to get your wave, then hang wide between sets. Beginners can check the inside shore break. Crazy crowds in winter and for experts only, unless it's small.

Several hundred yards further out to sea lies Avalanche, a big wave with lefts up to 30ft not uncommon in winter. Tow-in-spot except Dec-May (whale season). An unreliable end section means that floggings are common even if you make the initial drop. Moving peaks mean constant paddling to reposition, and outside bombs are a constant risk - an avalanche of water on your head. Experts Only."

Click here for info on more spots throughout the US & Hawaii.