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.