C is for Cliff Jumping

One of the most common fears among people is a fear of heights. I am lucky enough to not have this fear. Instead, I find joy and excitement in scaling heights. However, one of my great joys comes out of being able to jump from things into water. In fact, if there is water, I will usually try to find the highest point to jump into said water. For this reason, "C" is for Cliff Jumping. 

Now, while a cliff is the common jumping point, one can jump from any point of height. I've jumped from trees, bridges, and more recently, the mast of a sail boat. The feeling of falling through the air gets the adrenaline going, which always results in a smile on my face. 

I started with this "hobby", so to speak, back when I was a young lad. We had a small waterfall about a half mile from our house. My little brother and I would ride our bikes down to jump and swim all day long.  I still enjoy going to that swimming hole whenever I am home. Brings back great memories. 

These days, I have two favorite jumps.  The first is from a cliff at a beach. It is about 35 feet up and you end  up maybe 50 yards offshore. The first time I jumped off this was because a friend and I had intended to go surfing but it ended up being flat. We dared each other to jump. Once we did, we were hooked. We ended up jumping 8 times that day. 

The second jumping place that I enjoy is a waterfall also on Kauai. The waterfall itself is about 20 feet tall. The highlight comes from the giant Banyon tree that is perched on top of the waterfall. This has two adventurous purposes. First, it serves as an anchor for a rope swing, which has given many great days of use. Second, the tree serves as a higher point to jump out of. I would guess that the jumping point from that tree into the water is somewhere between 50 and 60 feet. 

While I have jumped from some decently high points, one thing that I do notice is that the elated feeling I get is the same no matter what the height. It is for this reason that I encourage anyone to give it a try. Jump from a small rock into a pond or your pool deck. It will put a smile on your face and give you a sense of adventure. 

Side Note: I will definitely advise to start with a height you are comfortable with. I have seen people get hurt, some pretty seriously simply from landing wrong. Just because it is water does not mean it can't hurt you. Also, if you are jumping for a first time, please please please make sure you know the depth and dangers that may lie beneath. 

Yours truly jumping from the cliff at Shipwrecks beach

Kauai Trip in Pictures

We have all heard the old adage "Time flies when you are having fun." Well time also flies when you are busy. It seems in hardly a blink of an eye, it has been a week since I got back from Hawaii. I've had a lot of catching up to do with both work and sleep and no time to write, much less post. What is the best way to help this? A trip review in pictures!

 

 

 

Afternoon sun at Hanalei Bay

 

The above and below pictures are of the Hanalei taro fields. 

  

 

Waimea Canyon. Also know as the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific".

 Don't let looks deceive you, while it looks like no waves are breaking, I assure you they were. 

Just another sunrise. They can be pretty awesome. 

Morning surf at Donkeys Beach (This was one of my all time favorite surf sessions).

 

Mt Waialeale. It averages about 450 inches of rain a year so to see it without clouds is rather rare.

Sunrise at Waikoko.

It was quite an amazing trip. The weather turned out perfect. The surf was pumping. I couldn't ask for much more, well other than more time there. Kaua'i, aloha a hui ho.

Surfing on Kauai

The days leading up to my trip home, I wrote down a bunch of great things to do/write about while I was home. However once I got here I fell into this routine: Surf, Eat, Sleep, Repeat. Part of the reason is that my love for surfing is so great that given the option, I'll choose it every time. So what better choice that to write about surfing on Kauai!

Two of the great things about Kauai is the size and the surf. Everyone knows about the north shore of Oahu. Probably a similar number of people know about Jaws or Peahi which is on the north shore of Maui. The surfing on Kauai remains to be a nice, somewhat hidden gem. There are great breaks on all shores of the island which give us waves year round. Also, because of the vast majority of waves, you don't really have to fight too much in the way of crowds. The best part of all that is because of the size of Kauai, no break is more than 2 hours away. These are some of my favorite breaks on the island.

Shipwrecks - Located on the south side of the island, this is a beach break with reef bottom. It is known as a close out wave merely for getting barrels. But getting great barrels is what happens when the swell, wind and tides line up right. A hollow fast wave will be sure to give you your moneys worth. Drawback is that there is one main peak so the crowd factor can become a problem as well as localism if the waves are good.

PK's/ Centers - These are both located in the same area. PK's is a left while Centers is a right. These are both long fun waves when they are on. You can get a ride last 15-20 seconds. The bottom is reef but unless the tide is really low it is nothing you have to worry about much. Groms (little kids) tend to surf quite often here and sometimes they don't always have the respect thing down yet.

Pakalas - This one is one of the best waves on the island. Also one of the harder ones to find. To get here you would park along the highway, walk on the trail through the cow pastures (which no longer have cows as far as I know) across a stream to the beach. It is a left with several different breaks. Given the right swell direction and conditions, you can get a wave from the outside break all the way through giving you a ride of at least 30 seconds. The crowd is something you'll have to fight sometimes but the bigger worry is what lies beneath. There is an old sugar cane irrigation ditch which exits right near the break. This ditch makes the water constantly the brown murky color. The saying goes "If it weren't for the water color, between the sharks and the reef, no one would surf there." I've both hit the reef before as well as seen a number of sharks here before. So I wouldn't doubt part of that saying. But as the same time, when the waves are breaking, I find it hard to believe that some people wouldn't risk it.

Kalihiwai - This is a right handed point break like no other on the island. It breaks at the foot of a cliff. To get the best ride you want to take off on the other side of the point and ride in front of the cliff. Not as scary as it sounds but if you don't make it, you can easily end up like my favorite whiskey, on the rocks. Make it though and you have yourself and super fun right that will take you a long way. At the main point break, the crowd is sometimes an issue as it can be localized. But there are several other breaks which can still be tons of fun.

Hanalei Bay - This is probably the most popular break on the island. I would say the main reason is that it can handle wave sizes ranging from knee high up to 20+ feet. Get the right wave and you can get a solid 15-20 second ride in. One of my favorite breaks but because of the popularity, it is usually one of the most crowded as well. The people are can be pretty respectful as long as you are in return. Be prepared to wait your turn in the lineup. Also be prepared to paddle as the wave breaks at least a good quarter mile out.

Targets - This was the break that I lost my board. It is a fast, powerful wave that is known for barrels. Some times there are people towing in not for the size but for the speed of the waves. Catch it in the right conditions and it can be an amazing day of surfing. Catch it at the wrong time and you can lose multiple boards in a day (speaking from experience). It is some what out of the way so crowds are rarely an issue. Currents can be an issue but they are usually cross shore as opposed to one pulling you out to sea.

By no means are these the only beaches on Kauai. These are just a handful of my favorite. But the waves can be good anywhere at anytime. That is why I always just choose to surf while I'm home. I never know what the waves have in store for me.

Home Sweet Home.. Almost

 Image courtesy of My Country Cottage

The holidays have come and gone. People return to work with stories of being home, seeing family and friends. My holidays are typically different though. It is much too expensive for me to go home and see my family during the holidays. Now that's not to say I spend these holidays alone. I have what I've come to call my "second family" whom are in Southern California. But nothing replaces seeing my mom, brothers and niece and nephew. Next week though, it is my turn. I'm leaving Friday afternoon for  10 days of being home. It will be amazing to see my family and friends. It will be nice to get out and explore some of the old stomping grounds as well as some new ones. Yes I have been looking forward to this for a long time. I will be writing up on some of the things I do. Be sure to check in. Oh yea,  did I mention that home is Kauai, Hawaii?


Yep, 8 more days.