Hawaii
The North Shore in winter is NOT ‘the Mecca of surfing’ as previously, erroneously, reported.
Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is actually the Haleiwa of Islam. It’s that way around.
Whereas every able bodied muslim is expected to go to Mecca once in his or her life, every self-respecting surfer should do at least six North Shore pilgrimages, funds permitting, before they perish and rot silently back into the cool, dark humus.
Between November – Xmas particularly (but also right up until March) it’s fairly crowded. It’s much windier than Indo, the waves are considerably shorter and generally way less perfect, and it’s much, much more expensive.
You are even more likely to get hassled for waves by a Brazilian, Israeli, Aussie, Italian, Frenchie, or any other kind of blow-in than at Canggu.
Nevertheless, every self-respecting surfer should do at least six North Shore pilgrimages, funds permitting, before they perish and rot silently back into the cool, dark humus.
“The North Shore in winter is not ‘the Mecca of surfing’ as previously, erroneously, reported. Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is actually the Haleiwa of Islam”
I’m not going to go into the ins and outs of why here, because I don’t need to. That would sound desperate. I don’t need to plead a case for the North Shore, to twist arms, to cajole via a barrage of boasts and claims.
I don’t need to say ‘Kammies is really good on a north swell’ or extol the many virtues of Backyards. I shall merely calmly repeat that at least six times, yes six, you should visit the North Shore and elevate your surfing, your quiver and your consciousness, to all new heights.
Please note: You do not “do” Hawaii, ever. The phrase “I’ve decided; I’m gonna do Hawaii this year,” should never pass your lips, your impertinent, uncouth, heretic lips.
You will never ever “do” Hawaii. But if you’re lucky, sensible and wholesome, Hawaii will do you.
Morocco
Big unruly Atlantic storms that might batter much of Europe’s western frontier have propagated sufficiently far south to order themselves into long period belts of refined juice, which then taper and bend into the coast in such a majestic fashion as to make a regularfooter leak a bit of wee wee out of his (or her) pee pee, into his canvas slacks.
“Your sloppy, unruly local beachbreak and its unsightly oncoming sections will be but a bad memory, like a long-ago flushed turd”
After a few decades of surf exploration, Morocco has became the no 1. destination for those who cannot afford a long haul trip to Indo, Hawaii, Maldives, but yearn for quality surf in warm weather. And even those who can afford a long haul.
When you get there, the main attraction of Moroccan surfing is quickly understood; when you set eyes on Killer Point, Safi, Immousane, Boilers etc etc reeling off into the distance, promising tube time followed by thigh burn of the highest order, your sloppy unruly local beachbreak and its unsightly oncoming sections will be but a bad memory, like a long-ago flushed turd.
The proximity of cities like Agadir, Essaouira, Casablanca to the surf spots is nice when it’s flat, and you want to visit the souk, get into a bit of culture, show off on Instagram etc
Take your normal board plus a roundpin step up with the fin position pulled 1⁄2” back, a slight vee under the front foot and 1/16” more thickness and wid… Just kidding!
If you’re a hipster, take one single solitary 7’4” egg with a fabric deck inlay that you can surf in anything from 1ft to 8ft.
Serious, even if you’re not a hipster, do that. Quivers are so try hard!
p.s. Beware of hash that has hash as only a minor ingredient, and stuff like bits of plastic, vinyl etc as its main.
