Scared of Big Waves? Wear Sneakers

[Beasho]

It was opening day at Mavericks on Wednesday. 

I saw a picture of a Sasquatch on a SUP with one hand on the paddle on a beater board in a puke green wetsuit and thought "Who the heck is that?"

Then I noticed the sneakers.  That would be Haley.

He was wearing them a few months ago after he walked his gear to the water and just left them on.  I thought it was his small wave novelty trick.  He swears by them now.  I think he prefers Asics. 

Considering he is among the top 10 in total lifetime Mavericks wave count he might be on to something.

[Beasho]

VIDEO:

[Beasho]

Ian was not wearing sneakers.  He was wearing a Camelbak, which I too have adopted.

This was his attempt to jump over a 25 footer.

[Tom]

How  does  he  keep  them  on ?

[surfinJ]

He was wearing a Camelbak

Welcome back. What do you mean here?

[The Kernel]

When I was starting out SUP surfing in 2012, my booties happened to be falling apart so I switched over to a pair of Samba indoor soccer sneakers.  I had a pair that had been sitting unused since my days in New York City playing the occasional soccer game after work, so I brushed the dust off them and took them into the surf zone.

I was still learning on a Wavestorm SUP at the time, but the sneakers worked out really well; never worried about my feet hitting a rock and they got good traction on what was then an aircraft carrier sized board.  I eventually drilled holes in them to drain water better.  The main negative was keeping the laces tied after they got wet; some arts and crafts at the workbench with velcro could probably have changed that. 

When the Sambas disintegrated about a year later from repeated salt water dunkings, I got a pair of the Vibram five finger "sneakers".  Pretty much use them for SUPing, and tropical round toe booties for prone surfing. 

Now I'm thinking about going back to sneakers....God knows I'm not good enough that losing fine motor control from my toes will matter....

Big fan of protecting the feet....I'm no Hawaiian with coral proof callouses.... 

[Wetstuff]

Beasho,  I don't know how you guys do it.  Sneakers would not stop my testicles from shrinking into my pelvic cavity.

Jim

[jumpfrom13k]

Couple questions.

How long is the paddle out?

Water temp?

Is there any left off of Mav?

[The Kernel]

Awesome video more importantly....Wonder how long it would take to train up to something like that....short answer is probably a lifetime.

[magentawave]

So gnarly and cold but what an awesome video. Thanks. At least in Hawaii when you eat it it feels kinder and gentler cuz the water is warm. And such crowds now! Jeff Clark must pine for the good old days when it was just he and a couple friends.

You didn't tell us why so what's the point in wearing sneakers?

[eastbound]

i wore booties last friday--and i was scared paddling out. this (assuming i manage to post the pic) was a big day for these parts.

[magentawave]

I just watched that video again and this is the best footage of Mavericks that I have ever seen. I'm still wondering what the point is for wearing sneakers.

[PonoBill]

Easy, if one of those waves were bearing down on me I'd run like the Roadrunner. Beep beep.

Mean-ass wave. That guy on the big white gun way on the inside seemed to be getting more than his share of ass kickings.

[kayadogg]

Do you think the guy at 5:03 could have been close to coming in contact with the guy that ate on the wave before him? I never want to experience a wipeout that bad. And I know it gets even gnarlier than that. Hard to imagine just shaking that off and paddling back out for more.

[magentawave]

I'd be running on top of the water like Jesus!

Easy, if one of those waves were bearing down on me I'd run like the Roadrunner. Beep beep.