Professional Surfer

The Inertia


Learn to push yourself, keep calm, and manage fear in heavy surf with Mark Healey’s Guide to Heavy Water. Enter code INERTIA10 at check out to save 10 percent.


This wave got a lot of attention at Pipeline. It was probably one of the more unique ones I’ve ever had out there. I think a common misconception is when people see a singular clip from days like that day, they think it’s so organized and lined up. This was one of those days where you’re getting cleaned up and caught inside a lot. There are good waves, but there are a lot of bad waves.

The swell direction had a lot of west in it, and it was just the right size for a really strange wave to come in.

Getting washed through Backdoor or Off The Wall on a big day like that is the last place you want to be. It’s not safe at all. You will hit the bottom very hard.

I have never in my life caught a wave like that; one that lines up all the way through from inside outside Off the Wall through the main reef at Pipeline. I might never catch a wave from there again and have it turn out like that. To me, that was a super special wave. That was a one in a million wave at Pipeline.

 
Newsletter

Only the best. We promise.

Contribute

Join our community of contributors.

Apply