NARROW MARGINS
By 12:30 there was no improvement in the wind strength and, with the swell still on the rise, I decided to just give it a shot. This was to be my second mistake of the trip.
When it’s maxing-out, this place is probably one of the most dangerous spots on the North Shore because of the current and how shallow the end bowl is. Normally there’s a very small channel where you can sail to avoid the breaking waves.
If you sail out 30 metres too far to the side, the closeout sets will destroy you on the second outside reef. You literally have a window of about the size of a large living room to sit and everywhere else is suicide!
It’s super hard to judge where that spot is and when you’re sailing out and see 15 to 20 foot waves breaking 100 metres in front of you, it’s so hard to know where that safety zone is.