A neat video of a guy (actually, the most "surfer guy" looking dude ever) catching a big wave at Cloudbreak. Question - why do surfers stick their hands in the water (like at :58) - is it inadvertent or does it have a purpose (steering, speed, etc?)

Beautiful. So much energy.

surfer Anthony Walsh takes you into the Cloudbreak meat locker as he, first, records the Fijian Tevita Gukilau inside a twenty-foot barrel while a ten-foot gun goes over the falls and, then, pulls into a clean wide set himself. Point of View footage that will hammer you in the chest and steal your breath.


What da fuq did that say? I don't speak Spicoli!

quote:

Originally posted by ChicagoSigMan: Question - why do surfers stick their hands in the water (like at :58) - is it inadvertent or does it have a purpose (steering, speed, etc?)

Because you can...looks good on camera.
Dragging your hand you get a 'bit' of resistance, you're certainly not going to be able to push-off like you're trying to catch your balance; the water is moving very fast vertically, while you're gliding (surfing) across it horizontally.

Cloudbreak is one of the 'all-time' surf breaks in the world, being that deep in the barrel of the wave, has got to be a crazy-exciting-scary sensation all at once. These are not simple beach break waves but, large, tight, coral reef generated waves that dig deep into the bottom with a heavy amount of water crashing into a compact area.

Beautiful video! Us east coast surfers suffering the cold air and water temps right now especially appreciate a video like this.

Surfing is one of the best things you can do on this planet. When you catch your first head high wave and manage to ride it all the way to the shore break....it is life changing.

The bigger question (besides dragging your hand in the water, I mean) is: why did God give so much coordination and physical ability to some people, and then leave me with what I have (ability to walk OR chew bubble gum)?

as mentioned -- the hand drag can help create a tighter turning radius (like in a bottom turn coming out of your drop down the face)

in the tube like the guy in the vid -- it's really more of a cool thing to do

my retirement (hopefully in around 2.5 years...) will include as much surfing as my 50s-ish body can handle

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That’s pretty sick.