Big waves and Great Big Waves

There are great big waves and then there are great great big waves. Waimea Bay off Oahu, Hawaii, Mavericks off California, and Todos Santos off Mexico are great great big waves. These world -class big wave surfing spots are considered premier to many in the big wave surfing community. Waimea Bay on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii is thought to be the first and oldest institution for big wave surfing. Waimea Bay, Mavericks, and Todos Santos are to big wave surfers as Harvard, Princeton, and Yale are to students serious about higher education.

As with all venerable institutions of higher learning Waimea bay, Mavericks, and Todos Santos are in a pantheon of their own. Surfing great big powerful waves strengthens a surfers character, inner fortitude and mental facilitation. Physiologists have suggested the art of big wave surfing helps surfers to expand perspective, improve critical thinking, increase intelligence, and promotes heightened awareness. A degree in big wave surfing is extremely special and more difficult to attain than a Rhodes scholarship.

Academics and higher education can be found at many colleges including Harvard or the library for that matter. A big wave surfing education can only be acquired surfing big waves. It takes many serious hours of dedication to become a great big wave surfer, perhaps more time and study than it takes to become a doctor. A student studying to become a doctor can make a mistake and keep on going. When a big wave student makes a mistake it could be his last. Perhaps the great big wave surfers of the future will be come honorary P.H.D. of surfing.

Surfing scholars believe Waimea bay is the birthplace of modern big wave surfing. Long revered as the big wave surfers biggest challenge Waimea bay commands every bit of respect from today's super big wave surfers as it did for those who first paddled out, maybe more. In the hardcore big wave surfing world it is hard to call yourself a big wave surfer until you have surfed legitimate size Waimea bay. Calling your self a big wave surfer and never surfing Waimea Bay is like calling yourself a doctor and not having a degree. Each year surfers come to surf the great big waves of Waimea Bay to earn big wave surfing educations proving to the world and more importantly themselves they have what it takes to succeed.

Paddling out to Waimea Bay on a epic swell stirs up many emotions including fear and respect. Waimea Bay has great big wave surfing history or"mana" as surfing locals would say. Many of the graduates of Waimea Bay big wave surfing can rightfully take their place amongst classmates considered as some of the best big wave surfers in the world such as Eddie Aikau, Fred Van Dyke, Peter Cole, Paul Gabaur, James Jones, Reno Abellera, Roger Erikson, Brock Little, Ross Clark-Jones, Mark Foo, Chris Owens, Bobby Owens, Marvin Foster, David Stant, Blackie Kealoha and more. In Surfing a degree from Waimea Bay is as prestigious as it gets no matter where you go.

Waimea Bay is a beautiful, glorious place for a great big wave. Situated at the mouth of Waimea valley Waimea Bay is surrounded by huge black rocks perfect to view the high surf action relatively close up from. Twenty foot plus waves break off a rocky pt into deep-water bay and sparkling white sand. The view from the line up of surfers is nothing short of spectacular.

With surfing's popularity reaching zenith proportions, it is only natural interest in big wave surfing that is soaring. For those surfers who would like to test and improve their big wave surfing skills this winter take it easy one wave at a time. Big waves are best to work up to. It is a good idea to surf a ten foot wave to see how you like surfing big waves and how surfing big waves feels before going into fifteen foot waves and so on. Working up in size a little at a time allows a surfer to gain valuable experience to graduate naturally with confidence into bigger surf.

As time goes on more and more brave young men and women will discover the benefits and joy of great big wave surfing. They will learn about their environment, each other and most importantly themselves. For those who may never make it to Waimea Bay, Mavericks or Todos Santos, colleges around the world located near the ocean from England to California and from Hawaii to Australia are offering courses on surfing, perhaps Harvard will follow suit. PBS has a wonderful big wave lesson plan for grade school children. Apparently educators are coming to find out what great big wave surfers have known all along. -- The Ocean could be the world's greatest teacher. There is a new swell on the horizon, catch it.

For more information on the PBS great big wave lesson plan go to the PBS Big wave lesson plan.

    
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