Welcome Back Pipeline

Its back to the weekly blog posts and updates for all of you. Sorry for the long delay, just had to take a break with the website and other stuff, its been a crazy few months recently. Everything is slightly back on track and I can't wait to get back to my usual photo work.

Went out to Pipeline this past Monday afternoon after we finished early for our drill work day. Conditions were supposedly good in the morning but by the the time I came here before 4pm, it was ok. I already knew there was going to be some crazy current because in the since sandbar at Gums looked like a washing machine. Right when I got to the lineup, everything started to change all of a sudden. Bombs started rolling through one after the other. Then an hour later, Second Reef started to break out of no where. Myself, a few photographer friends I was by, and all the surfers started paddling for dear life as the inside was forming up and the lefts were opening.

Im so glad I had my zoom lens that day because Id Probably be way too close in the action and more prolonged to getting sucked over on a wave. Also it would be complete suicide, I would end up drifting towards Off The Walls area. The only worst part was coming in and as soon I decided to make a run to shore, I noticed my housing took in water (My camera housing I was using that day, always has a tendency to leak due to it being old and needing some service). My chance to come to shore was looking good up until I got close to the shore. I got caught by the inside breaking and I ended up dodging the shore break waves which got me stuck in the rip current. It dragged me past the lifeguard tower and I tried my best to ride in every whitewash wave there was to get closer to touch the bottom. I ended up riding a wave that broke in front of me that threw me over the falls and straight onto the sandbar. After that, the lifeguards checked to see if I was ok and I made my way back to my bags and called it a day.

There was a mixed crew out here surfing on the waves. Surfers, Bodyboarders, one guy bodysurfing, and photographers.

Did this guy make the landing? Nope, he dropped to deep and lost his balance and fell off, then got thrown over from getting sucked up on the inside of the wave. Probably one of the worst feelings out at big days at Pipeline.

Getting up close and personal with the inside breaks.

Ghost riding Pipeline.

One of my photographer friends Kammeron, was out here with another fellow photographer friend. We stayed together shooting the surf while watching out for each other whenever the surf started to roll through. These guys stayed till it got dark and they got scared after coming in to shore since the current dragged them far past the tower like I did. If theres no light, I'm heading back, can't take my chances getting pounded by waves in the dark.

Drew Heald enjoying the moment before the storm.

Even the girls bodyboarding out at Pipeline were dropping in on some big ones. Dang they got more balls than I do to ride waves over here when its this big. Al

Looking back and you see a massive wall of Pipeline dropping behind you.

After swimming in the water for a few hours, I was glad to be back on shore and out of the chaos. Got to enjoy the sunset this time since most of the times Im in the water I don't have my camera or I'm riding waves.