Catch a Wave!

Last Saturday afternoon we loaded the kids into the Jeep and headed out for the beach.  Driving over the hill, we were amazed to see the size of the waves on the northwest side of the island.   There were surfers in Capoons Bay, too many to count.    All I could think is that we finally see real surfing and I didn’t bring a camera.  We were still determined to go to the beach so we went to Long Bay and it also had really big waves.  Since it was later in the afternoon and we all hate the sand flea bites we get in the early evening, we only got in to cool off and then headed home.

We also decided to head back to Long Bay on Sunday to play at the beach.  The conditions were exactly the same as the day before and I brought my camera this time!  Some of the Sunday regulars at Long Bay were there and I asked one of them if these conditions were normal at this time of the year.   She said that when big storms pass north of the islands, conditions like these are usual.  That said, she said that this time of the year it is usually really calm there.  Thanks to tropical storms Leslie and Michael churning to our north, this was the result!

Chris had a blast body surfing these super-sized waves.  The boys and I stayed very close to shore as the waves were big and the under-tow (rip currents) were bigger.  We made a game of letting a wave wash over us as close to the beach as possible and then float out a few feet with the current.  It was a good lesson for the boys to be able to recognize just how strong under-tow can be.  We also found a sea kayak that must have come off a boat, stuck in the water.  Chris and I tried to lift it out, but it was just too deep in the sand bank.

Finally, as we headed home we drove by the beach at Capoons so that I could take some photos of the surfers and the waves.  No, this surfing is certainly not Mavericks or North Shore Oahu, but it was great to see and watch for a bit.  Happy Friday!