Sandy's

In September 2006 my wife and I headed off to Hawaii for a late honeymoon. I had never been to the islands before but anticipated seeing some of the surf spots I dreamed about for years. The North Shore was pretty flat when I was there but the East side was a different story. One spot I was not going to miss was Sandy Beach or "Sandy's". It is a heavy shorebreak that accounts for a high number of spinal injuries each year. I had not bodyboarded for quite awhile since I no longer can surf on a weekly or even monthly basis. And my last several sessions were in surf of no real consequence. Besides the very small days, Sandy's usually always holds waves of consequence. In other words, you can't just mess around too much without getting pounded. Don't get me wrong, shorebreaks are a ton of fun, but you just got to know what you are doing.



I surfed Sandy's twice. The first time it looked somewhat fun until I saw some big peaks come in and detonate on the shallow sandbar. The set waves were very impressive, and the others were still nice crunchy closeouts. The whole setup was a little intimidating. I could count the number of people out in the lineup on one hand that where not Hawaiian. Although I can easily pass as not being a "kook", I think it must have been pretty obvious I was a tourist.



I waited for a lull and quickly paddled out as my nervous wife looked on. I was very patient and non-aggressive in catching waves at first. The reason was two-fold: First, you don't come into someone else's house and act like you own the place. This holds especially true for surf spots, and even more so for surf spots in Hawaii. Second, when at a new break it is wise to get a feel for the place; a feel for the rythym of the sets, the takeoff zone, and how aggressive the lineup is.



I eventually caught a few decent ones which was a lot of fun. I saw a big sea turtle out in the water which was really cool. Eventually I somehow happened to be sitting pretty much alone in front of a huge peak that was jacking up right in front of me. Until this point I had passively conceited these behemoths to those around me. I decided my time had come and flipped around for a pretty late take off. The decision was ratified by the hoots and hollers of my Hawaiian counterparts. I headed straight down the face, layed a quick bottom turn, was encircled by a thick hollow barrel for a second or two, then went through the wash cycle for a few seconds before emerging to the surface feeling like a champ. I got more than I could ask for during the session. I had gotten one of the waves of the day. Respect earns respect as my Hawaiian brothers not only let me enjoy a few waves with them, but cheered me through my first big Hawaiian shorebreak barrel. Mahalo!