Koa - To hear your expert POV/opinion on these 5 waves is sincerely invaluable! Further emphasizes the notion of paddle fitness and breath hold survival. Love these educational videos that expresses your personality! Well done!
He is spot on!!! For those of you that do not surf …….. imagine being in a washing machine on “Heavy Duty Cycle” the violent rag doll effect . Occasionally in the early mornings after a heavy close out wave your swimming to the surface out of breath ………………. Only to discover you just touched dirt or rock. Reality sets in that you now have to swim the opposing direction back to the surface. Your our of breath your adrenaline is flowing and you know a truth is waiting for you as soon as you surface. A second wave hold down is coming KA-BOOM 💥 round two all over again. Rarely it happens but sometimes in the washing machine your board hits you and yes the skaggs contact you, and yes its hurts! I wish it was harder so the lineup would be less crowded. Now having said all that, the green room! You will never know the feeling of the green room on a clean kick out until your ready to endure all of the above. If you have attempted golf and thought it’s difficult, surfing is twice as difficult. If your a fighter you will master surfing in time with consistent practice and many afternoons in the washing machine. if your a personality is to flight do not even bother your just wasting your time and F-N up the line up with bad take offs !
Go to the sw of western Australia and surf the Right on a 6m swell and north wind. Hands down up there with the most heaviest wave in the world. Even if there was a major city on the coast with hospitals etc it is still so dangerous with its size and force, shallow reef, sharks. For those that don't know, the Right is extremely isolated and if something went wrong you would be air lifted to Royal Perth hospital some hours away.
This wave isnt dangerous because its mainly surfed by australians which makes it actually dangerous for the great whites and the reef when some hard cunt head butts the reef
Went to pipe once on vacation on an average winter day, maybe 8-10ft (californian) and got a couple of short barrels was feeling good. About to catch a wave in as the crowd was picking up and it must've been that backwash because I was vaulted, last thing I saw was everything upsidown as I did a frontflip in the barrel. Did about 3 cartwheels instantly and then just pinned on the bottom water rushing downwards for like 3 seconds. Came up, went to shore and vomited out of my eyeballs. Never surfed pipe since.
Great job Koa!! Your list is an excellent one. Very well thought out and hard to argue with your choices! By all means it would be great to see more episodes like this one. I’m all for it 100%!!! Please do more of this type of awesome subject matter.
Excellent video! Yes, that Mavericks undertow/current that you discussed got Mark Foo #rip. Non surfer here, and have massive respect for what you guys do - riding mountains.
@@KoaRothman hi, why dont you guys carry rescue air for surfing waves where hold downs are a problem , ive seen rescue air tanks and they are literallt a mouthpiece on a soda can size tank that give a few minutes of air ? Could easily be strapped to the waist or leg and not be a burden and if you get a hold down you have a goto situation leveller . There is an answer sitting there waiting no reason any surfer should die from drowning in a hold down .
Cool video. Great to hear how Pipe compares to other places in the world. Sad what's happened there over the decades too with crowds etc. And yeah, as a teenager I washed up at Backdoor after going over the falls. I was very lucky that day. I like how you point out it's more than just the size of the wave that makes it dangerous. If you don't get KO'd, and can swim, you can survive a lot, or not. Full respect for the waves you've surfed.
Wow, the reef ant Pipe looks like an explosion in a cement factory, only thing worse would be sharp living coral to give you a nice laceration and subsequent nasty infection.
Such a detailed, eloquent description of Pipe. I had no idea. Gives me even more admiration for the likes of Michael Ho and others who have mastered the place.
Nazare is weird to me it is big but what makes it super scary is the power and the amount of water moving. It's not the wave itself but the amount of water just running so hard and that is scary.
Thank you, Koa…a lot of good information about those breaks. I’m fascinated by how many factors there are in determining the danger of an area and how they all can combine differently on different days and sizes and swell direction and sea life, bottom contour and makeup, and you nailed the experience of rough waters and nicely broke down the experience of surfing tough breaks near shallow reefs and rocks, which for me was mostly my local breaks East O’ahu breaks like Chinawalls, but when also on days we had a car, Pipes especially and Makaha are some faves (partly because of the fun of the backwash), but you did a really nice job of the detail about Pipes, and that current, and the lineup…astounding. So that analysis, the only one I really know of your 5, was right on, which gives me great confidence about your other 4, which is a fascinating gift for me with my deep love of oceanography in general, so thanks so much for that. A really nice breakdown. Mahalo fo’ dat.
Great vid, did you ever check out Cyclops in South Australia? That place for me looks like the most dangerous wave due to how remote and heavy/shark invested that ocean is.
For those who are unaware I'm going to explain nazaree in a way that Koa either chose not to or maybe just simply is unaware of. Nazaree is unique because of a offshore deep water canyon that not only comes to a pinch point near off the cliff but it also significantly rises in elevation to get incredibly shallow comparative to its offshore depths of well over a thousand feet. This causes those deep water ocean swells in the North Atlantic to increase in speed significantly and up to between 60 to 85 miles an hour at times. But there's also one other part to it. Because of this canyon it's splits the swell in two and then focuses it right back together right off the cliff which causes that massive wedge effect that we see at Nazareth and in places like Newport Beach and California at the wedge. Nazaree is not only dangerous because of its size which it can produce wave faces upwards of around 110 to 115 ft at times But again as Koa mentioned the cliffs which are razor sharp with Jagged rocks as well as underwater caverns. He also touched on the inside currents. Because of the size and speed of the wave in the colliding currents from different angles This creates a condition which is unique to nearly every other place on Earth because it creates a massive inside zone of an oxygenated water column that is anywhere between four to 8 ft deep at times and spreads over the course of a 10 to 15 acre wide window. This makes it impossible for people to be able to swim to the surface because it completely upsets your typical degree of buoyancy in the ocean and as Koa touched on a bit It makes it incredibly difficult for jet skis to properly function. That is why I kind of disagree with Koa's assessment on placing it at number 5. That is entirely dependent upon the conditions. Nazaree on a relatively above average big day would register somewhere between 5 and 10 on the most dangerous waves on Earth scale. But when Nazarees at its max well that a whole other other Beast which no wave on Earth compares to and it's not even close.
also....Nazare. when its big its actually a tow surf that is boring to watch. Boards are still horrible...everybody is going straight....The only people that surf the wave are Twiggy and Lucas...the rest is survival... Best big waves, where people actually surf are Teahupoo, Cloudbreak, Mullaghmore, Jaws, Mavericks and Pipeline....
Really interesting, especially with the detail on the bottom contours, shape of the reef and currents. I must admit I was a bit surprised at #1. I thought it would be Tahiti. I could easily rename this as ‘5 waves I am never ever going to surf!’
Well done, I would say. Good edit on this video because, as you explained each point of a certain break's danger, you backed it up with the footage of what you were explaining. (Some great footage)
Awesome Koa! Really enjoyed the video and would love to hear more about the other waves you mentioned at the end of the video - maybe part 2 next week?
Awesome breakdown Koa! Thanks for taking the time to rank the waves. Those of us who have tried to bodysurf the country (Log Cabins), learn very fast about the currents and deadly reefs. So dangerous...back to Sandy's!
On small days I been practicing for long hold-downs by not immediately taking a breath after surfacing, but waiting till the next wave washes over me, so a simulated 2-wave hold-down. Thanks for this video!😊
Yes keep these kind coming , appreciate... I think there could easily be other super dangerous waves, especially those that have shallow reefs and cause the waves to fold over each other where the only rideable section is a 6ft part at the bottom of the wave and with 15 to 20 feet of water above you creating another 2 waves, footage from those breaks can be next level surprising that people survive those wipe outs. But yeah really appreciate your take on these 5 spots, it's very interesting for surfers like us who will never ride any of them 😂 Bless
Fully agree on Pipe because of the unpredictability, it's just shifty enough to disrupt timing and the shallowness and closeness to the beach make no margin for error. It may not look to people as physically impressive of some of those other waves until you actually go out there and stare it in the face. It hurls like no tomorrow, pure raw violence. And then the crowd, what are you people possibly thinking, making yourself a hazard at the world's most dangerous break for selfish and immature reasons? I've surfed practically everywhere on Oahu for years and years but leave Pipe to those who have had the dedication and love to make it their break day in and day out, the takeoff zone is narrow and don't clutter it.
Admire your courage and athleticism….but you guys are absolutely nuts! I have been dribbled across the bottom and slammed dunked by small waves. I can’t even imagine what you’re doing out there. The first time I watched big wave surfing I thought it was the most amazingly terrifying sport possible. The only immediate comparison I can think of is those skiers who helicopter up to those vertical chutes in Alaska and ride the avalanches down. It’s hard to watch sometimes. Love your channel and laugh a lot when you and Nathan do your You Tube channel!
How would you compare these to some of the nutty Australian waves like The Right, Shipsterns, etc.? Just curious to hear your perspective on those ones, as I'm just an armchair surfer :D (My wife used to surf a lot (from Hawaii) but I grew up in Seattle, so not really the greatest surf spot. :) Oh, and very nice video!
I don't know if Nazaré is the 1st or 5th most dangerous wave in the world, because it doesn't have sharks, but I'm sure it's by far the biggest and fastest wave in the world.
@@robnewman19 shipstern looks rough, especially with that little burp on every wave! You can make the drop and still have to deal with that speed bump.
Great video Koa. I'm not a surfer and the ocean scares me. And yeah you're qualified to judge these places having surfed them. You, and surfers like you are very brave people imho. Stay safe Sir.
One of my favourite videos from you, Koa. Love your content, Brah. Longtime subscriber here. Chopes (Teahupo'o) would be my #1, because the water is so shallow and the reef is so alive and coral-ridden. You wipe out there you are falling out razor blades. Mavs is #2 because the water is always so damn cold and the waves are so unpredictable and steep. Oh and plus the paddle outs are do damn looooooooooooong. Pipe is further up on my list, I think but the greatest Tahitian surfers have died there as well which I attribute to just bad luck and not the dangerousness of the wave or break. And no, the reef you fall on at Pipe is not as gnarly as Chopes reef. As for backwash? You got Waimea and Makaha for that, Dude.
Great vid. Im sure many have their own scary experiences. My scariest was a 3 wave hold down at cronulla pt 20ft. I had to push my ribs to get my lungs going when i finally came up. I had a reef suck dry on take off 1 time at 10ft but fortunately made the drop
I was about to get lip launched but there was about 10ft gap of deep water i was aiming for before the reef so i basically dropped straight down but somehow was still standing then got barelled. It scared the daylight out of me
I love Koa's opinions on things, his sense of humor on Nate's podcast just breaks ridiculous things down. His North Shore pedigree puts him a unique position to say things.
Great video Koa.. not an easy thing to do they’re all frightening waves with serious consequences. I lived on the North Shore 1970 for a few years when I got there in January, a big swell, tore up most of the houses. They were just starting to build the first hotel Del Webbs hotel. I recall nobody wanted it pipe and those days was also the same scary place at that time Lopez made it look like an easy ride. Unbelievable where guys like you have taken surfing. Blessings
Most of us will never get anywhere near waves this big and heavy, so the more info we get from experienced surfers really helps. There was an article in the New York Times on February 17, 2023 about 50 year-old surf photographer Sachi Cunningham. She swims (with her big camera) around at Mavericks, which sounds really interesting because the break is pretty far out with a lot of water is moving around. She said when she is dodging a big wave she tries to go to the very bottom, where it is usually calm. I love ocean swimming, and any info on the reefs and bottom terrain at these legendary spots is helpful. I am always amazed that more people have not been killed slamming the reef at Teahupoo when you see those mind-boggling wipe-outs. Big Waimea looks terrifying to me because the lines of massive waves just keep coming. I guess the jet skis at Waimea help a lot.@@KoaRothman
Long time fan and subscriber here, and long time Celsius drinker(thanks to you!)..My fave flavor is Lemon Lime and Passion Fruit Mango. This video was so interesting, and I couldn't imagine the massiveness or danger of these waves. WOW!!!!! Awesome video!
Great discussion, thanks for sharing,keep them coming, maybe you can do the same per region, that way you can cover Puerto Escondido and others in Aus.
Went to pipe once on vacation on an average winter day, 1-2 ft and onshore. About to catch a wave when a guy with pink softtop and a gopro orderd me out of the water.
Like the new location. Even more I liked the first 7 seconds of the video hitting play/pause/play/pause 😂. Always entertaining and a pleasure to ride along. Thanks, and be well.
Does Pipeline qualify as a slab wave in your opinion? I would think the answer is no, because the wave energy is somewhat dissipated by 2nd and 3rd reef, even if it does not break out there. Even if it is not a slab, it is still hella technical and steep.
Most dangerous waves in oz imo.. -The Right- undertow, really easy to lose positioning and get caught inside. -Cyclops- razor sharp reef and how isolated it is. -Konis- can shutdown, isolated, ledges you can get caught on or hit (booger broke/dislocated his back on one a few years ago! -Lunas- dry on the inside and sneaker close out sets. Then I would maybe consider Shippies or Cape Solander for 5th.
Love Koa. Such a sincere guy and he KNOWS wtf he's talking about. But... "dangerousness"??? (13:50) A very inventive take on the simple, boring, 'danger', I guess. Hey-- nobody ever said a professional charger must have a master's degree in English. Keep up the good videos and excellent surfing! IMUA!
I know the more powerful the break is the more foam is created, which prevents you from immediately catching your breath when you surface. A few times, I wondered if I was going to drown & be seen floating head down! While the rocky or coral reefs are dangerous, the swells consistently break the same way in the same place ... vs. a sandy bottom which constantly shifts from big breaks. The Portugal coast kind of resembles Portland's coast line.
I figured Nazare would be on there or Cortez Banks. No doubt, Pipeline is very dangerous, but does it have so many fatalities simply because of how popular it is? The more people the more chance of a fatality happening. Wouldn’t Nazare have more fatalities if more people surfed it?
other sketchy hairball spots: todos (santos), ghost trees, shipsterns, wedge, massive cloud break, waimea, and Puerto (Escondido AKA Mexican pipeline), big Padang Padang, and cortes banks.
Oahu , Hawaii , Beautiful ,these waves you ride are glorious , dangerous,and you are brave beyond words , spectacular spender ,.I'm so glad you did not die .🎉🎉🎉❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤
Great analogy. Of course your list would be selective due to your own situations at each one. Someone could argue your list because they got a beatdown at some other break. All 5 on your list, plus the added ones at the end are worthy of recognition. Thanks for sharing your insight.
Koa explains “Inviting The Undertaker” without judging too harshly the uninitiated larval scum at Pipe. You continue to be my favorite surfing spokesman, although I’d enjoy seeing u and Nate arm wrestle over each other’s top ten! A+
I liked your presentation. I surf, but don't want anything close to this kind of stuff. But as a surfer, I can appreciate all the hard work and years that go into getting good enough to paddle out in these kinds of waves. I wonder what the most dangerous waves are on the great lakes? Just out of curiosity. I have gotten scared in some places. One time I was paddling out somewhere near the northwest tip of Washington state, when this huge barreling left just dumped hard onto a sandbar right in front of me. It would have easily broken my back if I was further out and got nailed by it. I turned around and went back in.
I've never surfed Pipeline. Now that I'm 65 I probably never will. I'm okay with that. I have been a shaper, a pro longboarder, and a lifeguard supervisor, and would loved to have taken a crack at it when I was in good shape. Every single time I have been at Pipeline when it was good, the crowd has been so intense that I settled for being a spectator. The same is true of Waimea. That's all right. I have had epic days at Makaha and Honolua and lots of other places around this planet. There will be more good days and good places as long as I manage to continue breathing.
Thanks mate. I'm never going to surf these waves, but like all surfers I have great curiosity about them. It was great to get your first hand experience. I also like how YOU made your own call on the Top 5 which I am sure is debatable, but you stuck to your guns!
Keep these kinds videos coming. Cool to see you make these type of videos as you are the man. Remember seeing the video of riding xxxl Tahiti at like 16🤯
Except in mega violent car crash the drowning factor is generally off the table… You and Makua give the best commentary and personal experience bar none… power on Koa,
Great list, when I was a Grom, it was just Waimea, Todos Santos, outer reefs, (I’ve never surfed them just bought every magazine) then later Mavericks, now so many new XXL wave spots, really wild.
Your descriptions on what's underneath these waves while watching was heart thumping,thank you.
Koa - To hear your expert POV/opinion on these 5 waves is sincerely invaluable! Further emphasizes the notion of paddle fitness and breath hold survival. Love these educational videos that expresses your personality! Well done!
One has to respect a young person with ages of expertise
He is spot on!!! For those of you that do not surf …….. imagine being in a washing machine on “Heavy Duty Cycle” the violent rag doll effect . Occasionally in the early mornings after a heavy close out wave your swimming to the surface out of breath ………………. Only to discover you just touched dirt or rock. Reality sets in that you now have to swim the opposing direction back to the surface. Your our of breath your adrenaline is flowing and you know a truth is waiting for you as soon as you surface. A second wave hold down is coming KA-BOOM 💥 round two all over again. Rarely it happens but sometimes in the washing machine your board hits you and yes the skaggs contact you, and yes its hurts! I wish it was harder so the lineup would be less crowded. Now having said all that, the green room! You will never know the feeling of the green room on a clean kick out until your ready to endure all of the above. If you have attempted golf and thought it’s difficult, surfing is twice as difficult. If your a fighter you will master surfing in time with consistent practice and many afternoons in the washing machine. if your a personality is to flight do not even bother your just wasting your time and F-N up the line up with bad take offs !
Go to the sw of western Australia and surf the Right on a 6m swell and north wind. Hands down up there with the most heaviest wave in the world. Even if there was a major city on the coast with hospitals etc it is still so dangerous with its size and force, shallow reef, sharks. For those that don't know, the Right is extremely isolated and if something went wrong you would be air lifted to Royal Perth hospital some hours away.
Whereabouts are you talking about ? Margs ?
@@DevoSevo... It's a few hours drive further south than margs brother ... Isolation factor is high
Obviously haven't surfed cyclops 😅
Dazza . . . . Quite obviously son. Quite obviously ! ! ! ! !😊
This wave isnt dangerous because its mainly surfed by australians which makes it actually dangerous for the great whites and the reef when some hard cunt head butts the reef
Went to pipe once on vacation on an average winter day, maybe 8-10ft (californian) and got a couple of short barrels was feeling good. About to catch a wave in as the crowd was picking up and it must've been that backwash because I was vaulted, last thing I saw was everything upsidown as I did a frontflip in the barrel. Did about 3 cartwheels instantly and then just pinned on the bottom water rushing downwards for like 3 seconds. Came up, went to shore and vomited out of my eyeballs.
Never surfed pipe since.
Buck
Damn im glad your ok!
Thanks. I'm an old San Diego surfer,but I've not surfed since the 1960s. Still love watching and I'm amazed at what is done today.
Me too
Too old and to cold 😜 🇦🇺
And a bit decricd
Great job Koa!! Your list is an excellent one. Very well thought out and hard to argue with your choices! By all means it would be great to see more episodes like this one. I’m all for it 100%!!! Please do more of this type of awesome subject matter.
Thanks, Glad you liked it!
Excellent video! Yes, that Mavericks undertow/current that you discussed got Mark Foo #rip. Non surfer here, and have massive respect for what you guys do - riding mountains.
@@KoaRothman hi, why dont you guys carry rescue air for surfing waves where hold downs are a problem , ive seen rescue air tanks and they are literallt a mouthpiece on a soda can size tank that give a few minutes of air ? Could easily be strapped to the waist or leg and not be a burden and if you get a hold down you have a goto situation leveller . There is an answer sitting there waiting no reason any surfer should die from drowning in a hold down .
Thank you for the list and the reasons for your choices. Two notable exclusions: The Right and ShipSterns.
Cool video. Great to hear how Pipe compares to other places in the world. Sad what's happened there over the decades too with crowds etc. And yeah, as a teenager I washed up at Backdoor after going over the falls. I was very lucky that day. I like how you point out it's more than just the size of the wave that makes it dangerous. If you don't get KO'd, and can swim, you can survive a lot, or not. Full respect for the waves you've surfed.
Such an intense place. im glad you liked the video!
Wow, the reef ant Pipe looks like an explosion in a cement factory, only thing worse would be sharp living coral to give you a nice laceration and subsequent nasty infection.
Such a detailed, eloquent description of Pipe. I had no idea. Gives me even more admiration for the likes of Michael Ho and others who have mastered the place.
adrian 0:53
Nazare is weird to me it is big but what makes it super scary is the power and the amount of water moving.
It's not the wave itself but the amount of water just running so hard and that is scary.
Thank you, Koa…a lot of good information about those breaks. I’m fascinated by how many factors there are in determining the danger of an area and how they all can combine differently on different days and sizes and swell direction and sea life, bottom contour and makeup, and you nailed the experience of rough waters and nicely broke down the experience of surfing tough breaks near shallow reefs and rocks, which for me was mostly my local breaks East O’ahu breaks like Chinawalls, but when also on days we had a car, Pipes especially and Makaha are some faves (partly because of the fun of the backwash), but you did a really nice job of the detail about Pipes, and that current, and the lineup…astounding. So that analysis, the only one I really know of your 5, was right on, which gives me great confidence about your other 4, which is a fascinating gift for me with my deep love of oceanography in general, so thanks so much for that. A really nice breakdown. Mahalo fo’ dat.
Great vid, did you ever check out Cyclops in South Australia? That place for me looks like the most dangerous wave due to how remote and heavy/shark invested that ocean is.
The picture behind your head of you surfing is amazing...crazy huge wave Koa!!
For those who are unaware I'm going to explain nazaree in a way that Koa either chose not to or maybe just simply is unaware of. Nazaree is unique because of a offshore deep water canyon that not only comes to a pinch point near off the cliff but it also significantly rises in elevation to get incredibly shallow comparative to its offshore depths of well over a thousand feet. This causes those deep water ocean swells in the North Atlantic to increase in speed significantly and up to between 60 to 85 miles an hour at times. But there's also one other part to it. Because of this canyon it's splits the swell in two and then focuses it right back together right off the cliff which causes that massive wedge effect that we see at Nazareth and in places like Newport Beach and California at the wedge. Nazaree is not only dangerous because of its size which it can produce wave faces upwards of around 110 to 115 ft at times But again as Koa mentioned the cliffs which are razor sharp with Jagged rocks as well as underwater caverns. He also touched on the inside currents. Because of the size and speed of the wave in the colliding currents from different angles This creates a condition which is unique to nearly every other place on Earth because it creates a massive inside zone of an oxygenated water column that is anywhere between four to 8 ft deep at times and spreads over the course of a 10 to 15 acre wide window. This makes it impossible for people to be able to swim to the surface because it completely upsets your typical degree of buoyancy in the ocean and as Koa touched on a bit It makes it incredibly difficult for jet skis to properly function. That is why I kind of disagree with Koa's assessment on placing it at number 5. That is entirely dependent upon the conditions. Nazaree on a relatively above average big day would register somewhere between 5 and 10 on the most dangerous waves on Earth scale. But when Nazarees at its max well that a whole other other Beast which no wave on Earth compares to and it's not even close.
Nazaree the single most overrated wave in the world. Boring.
Cool story brah
@@Jason-TheChad-Muska_circa1995 As a local, the way you write Nazaré fries my brain off
@John-lg1vf cant beleive he didn't throw a dragon in there 😅
also....Nazare. when its big its actually a tow surf that is boring to watch. Boards are still horrible...everybody is going straight....The only people that surf the wave are Twiggy and Lucas...the rest is survival... Best big waves, where people actually surf are Teahupoo, Cloudbreak, Mullaghmore, Jaws, Mavericks and Pipeline....
Really interesting, especially with the detail on the bottom contours, shape of the reef and currents. I must admit I was a bit surprised at #1. I thought it would be Tahiti. I could easily rename this as ‘5 waves I am never ever going to surf!’
It's really tough to put a number on these waves because they are all so dangerous. I did my best haha
Well done, I would say.
Good edit on this video because, as you explained each point of a certain break's danger, you backed it up with the footage of what you were explaining. (Some great footage)
Awesome Koa! Really enjoyed the video and would love to hear more about the other waves you mentioned at the end of the video - maybe part 2 next week?
Sequel, Koa, next week yeah?
That's a really good idea!
PT. 2?????
@@KoaRothman We need to read about and listen to you talk about the other waves you think are damn gnarly.
Well done! I was lucky to grow up with Mavs in my backyard, very heavy, and lots of things to deal with as you mention. Great job on the vid!
Macs is sooo heavy!
Awesome breakdown Koa! Thanks for taking the time to rank the waves. Those of us who have tried to bodysurf the country (Log Cabins), learn very fast about the currents and deadly reefs. So dangerous...back to Sandy's!
On small days I been practicing for long hold-downs by not immediately taking a breath after surfacing, but waiting till the next wave washes over me, so a simulated 2-wave hold-down. Thanks for this video!😊
Yes keep these kind coming , appreciate...
I think there could easily be other super dangerous waves, especially those that have shallow reefs and cause the waves to fold over each other where the only rideable section is a 6ft part at the bottom of the wave and with 15 to 20 feet of water above you creating another 2 waves, footage from those breaks can be next level surprising that people survive those wipe outs.
But yeah really appreciate your take on these 5 spots, it's very interesting for surfers like us who will never ride any of them 😂
Bless
Fully agree on Pipe because of the unpredictability, it's just shifty enough to disrupt timing and the shallowness and closeness to the beach make no margin for error. It may not look to people as physically impressive of some of those other waves until you actually go out there and stare it in the face. It hurls like no tomorrow, pure raw violence.
And then the crowd, what are you people possibly thinking, making yourself a hazard at the world's most dangerous break for selfish and immature reasons? I've surfed practically everywhere on Oahu for years and years but leave Pipe to those who have had the dedication and love to make it their break day in and day out, the takeoff zone is narrow and don't clutter it.
Stop being so elitist
Admire your courage and athleticism….but you guys are absolutely nuts! I have been dribbled across the bottom and slammed dunked by small waves. I can’t even imagine what you’re doing out there. The first time I watched big wave surfing I thought it was the most amazingly terrifying sport possible. The only immediate comparison I can think of is those skiers who helicopter up to those vertical chutes in Alaska and ride the avalanches down. It’s hard to watch sometimes. Love your channel and laugh a lot when you and Nathan do your You Tube channel!
Great video mate! What about Shipsterns bluff here in Tasmania? That's a grinder.
Ok, as I listened to the end you did Recognize us down here in the Tas. Be wll my brother.
How would you compare these to some of the nutty Australian waves like The Right, Shipsterns, etc.? Just curious to hear your perspective on those ones, as I'm just an armchair surfer :D (My wife used to surf a lot (from Hawaii) but I grew up in Seattle, so not really the greatest surf spot. :) Oh, and very nice video!
I don't know if Nazaré is the 1st or 5th most dangerous wave in the world, because it doesn't have sharks, but I'm sure it's by far the biggest and fastest wave in the world.
Agree, most of the wave breaks at the top quarter then it's just a rolling whitewash, shipsterns now that's dangerous
Shipsterns number one
@@robnewman19 shipstern looks rough, especially with that little burp on every wave! You can make the drop and still have to deal with that speed bump.
Mikey Brennan just had a big wipeout at Shippies going over a speedbump
It’s not the fastest wave in the world lol
Great video Koa. I'm not a surfer and the ocean scares me. And yeah you're qualified to judge these places having surfed them. You, and surfers like you are very brave people imho. Stay safe Sir.
Great video. I would like to hear your opinion of Puerto. That wave, on a huge day, is freighting.
One of my favourite videos from you, Koa.
Love your content, Brah. Longtime subscriber here.
Chopes (Teahupo'o) would be my #1, because the water is so shallow and the reef is so alive and coral-ridden. You wipe out there you are falling out razor blades.
Mavs is #2 because the water is always so damn cold and the waves are so unpredictable and steep. Oh and plus the paddle outs are do damn looooooooooooong.
Pipe is further up on my list, I think but the greatest Tahitian surfers have died there as well which I attribute to just bad luck and not the dangerousness of the wave or break.
And no, the reef you fall on at Pipe is not as gnarly as Chopes reef.
As for backwash? You got Waimea and Makaha for that, Dude.
its really tough to put a number on these waves but I tried haha im glad you liked the video!
You're a big Wave surfer too bro?
@@aprayingatheist2378 Koa always has been!
@@SuiGenerisAbbie I was asking you, not the professional surfer in the video
love these vids!! can you do each one seperately with more of your footage and knowledge? thanks super valuable knowledge and breakdown
Great analysis Koa! Love your channel, keep up the great work!!
Thank you!
Great vid. Im sure many have their own scary experiences. My scariest was a 3 wave hold down at cronulla pt 20ft. I had to push my ribs to get my lungs going when i finally came up. I had a reef suck dry on take off 1 time at 10ft but fortunately made the drop
Bring held down is the scariest. I nearly drowned paddling out at Trestles on the biggest day I've ever seen.
When you saw the reef suck dry, you must have avoided a full bottom turn !
I was about to get lip launched but there was about 10ft gap of deep water i was aiming for before the reef so i basically dropped straight down but somehow was still standing then got barelled. It scared the daylight out of me
Love this style video! So great, getting the insight of what it's like to surf these waves from someone who is indeed surfing them.
Was ! Those locals dont want him visiting their waves anymore after he said....
"Dont come and surf here in Hawaii", ....in his last video !!
@adambane1719 that's not what he said at all!!!! He basically said if you're unsure about it then don't surf pipe!
Glad you liked it! well start making more!
Cool videos mate, like the day by day vlog and this one about your faves waves
Dude this is epic. Great reasoning & walk through. Good list at the back end too of the almosts!
We need a top 20 :) ... Indo, Australia (box etc)... or hardest shore breaks (Ocean Beach CA? etc.)
I wouldn't mind watching more content like this. It is cool to hear your opinion considering you've surfed all these places
I love Koa's opinions on things, his sense of humor on Nate's podcast just breaks ridiculous things down. His North Shore pedigree puts him a unique position to say things.
You got it!
Loved this video Koa having someone that can speak on experience with these insane waves gives us a perspective you can’t see from a photo/videos 💯
Insane waves all dangerous. I’ve found any wave is dangerous once you get tired. Great vid.
Great video Koa.. not an easy thing to do they’re all frightening waves with serious consequences. I lived on the North Shore 1970 for a few years when I got there in January, a big swell, tore up most of the houses. They were just starting to build the first hotel Del Webbs hotel. I recall nobody wanted it pipe and those days was also the same scary place at that time Lopez made it look like an easy ride. Unbelievable where guys like you have taken surfing. Blessings
Thinking of MARK RICHARDS (MR) get well old charger, hope you pull through ok🤙🤙
Great video!! Would love to see your top 10 funnest waves you've surfed and why
Outstanding! Love it. Well spoken. Great description from someone who knows. Tnx
I get a little panicky when I get dunked in a hot tub. Is that the same a three wave hold down at Mavericks?
Great video! Your experienced analysis makes this truly watching. Hope you can do some more like it.
Thanks, will do!
Most of us will never get anywhere near waves this big and heavy, so the more info we get from experienced surfers really helps. There was an article in the New York Times on February 17, 2023 about 50 year-old surf photographer Sachi Cunningham. She swims (with her big camera) around at Mavericks, which sounds really interesting because the break is pretty far out with a lot of water is moving around. She said when she is dodging a big wave she tries to go to the very bottom, where it is usually calm. I love ocean swimming, and any info on the reefs and bottom terrain at these legendary spots is helpful. I am always amazed that more people have not been killed slamming the reef at Teahupoo when you see those mind-boggling wipe-outs. Big Waimea looks terrifying to me because the lines of massive waves just keep coming. I guess the jet skis at Waimea help a lot.@@KoaRothman
What about shipstreans
Great vid, def got my subscription!
Hope to see more of these
Long time fan and subscriber here, and long time Celsius drinker(thanks to you!)..My fave flavor is Lemon Lime and Passion Fruit Mango. This video was so interesting, and I couldn't imagine the massiveness or danger of these waves. WOW!!!!! Awesome video!
Have you surfed Shipstern Bluff? That wave looks crazy
I am surprised it didn't make the list. I would say it tops Jaws.
Incredibly well explained from expert personal experience. This video is hard to fault !!
I don’t think I’ll get there, however
Belharra looks like the big wave that is “gentle”
Great discussion, thanks for sharing,keep them coming, maybe you can do the same per region, that way you can cover Puerto Escondido and others in Aus.
That's a great idea
Great job Koa tuff choices well done 🤙🏼
Definitely love the informational videos 👏 then again, always stoked when there’s a new vlog
Glad you like them!
Brah
I’m proud for you
Keep doing what you do!
Some peeps can’t handle the mellow
Loved this video. I hope you make more videos like this. Maybe a top 5 most deadly shorebreaks
Thanks! Will do!
Went to pipe once on vacation on an average winter day, 1-2 ft and onshore. About to catch a wave when a guy with pink softtop and a gopro orderd me out of the water.
This is fire 💥 thoroughly enjoyed it ❤ Ohana 👊🏽😎🤙🏽
Cool video bud🤙Puerto Escondido is also pretty gnarly huh? 🌊
Love this! Shipsterns?
great vid Koa thanks for sharing your knowledge
Like the new location. Even more I liked the first 7 seconds of the video hitting play/pause/play/pause 😂. Always entertaining and a pleasure to ride along. Thanks, and be well.
Teahupo'o is such a GORGEOUS wave😍
I like it Koa.. great video, so is filming while surfing in the water. Lineup Politics pecking order ect. all great content.
Great job bro and I love these videos!🤙
Love this vlogs information thanks Koa. Excellent job
Does Pipeline qualify as a slab wave in your opinion? I would think the answer is no, because the wave energy is somewhat dissipated by 2nd and 3rd reef, even if it does not break out there. Even if it is not a slab, it is still hella technical and steep.
Pipeline qualifies as everything. it has so many different faces and can be one of the steepest drops out of anywhere
@@KoaRothman Thanks. Rock on!
Great video Koa . But how is Puerto Escondido Zicatela not a top 5 ?
Super interesting! Thanks Koa
Nice video! you should check out el Gringo in Arica Chile ... pretty gnarly wave as well
What about THE RIGHT os SHIPSTERN BLUFF in Australia? ? ? Those seam pretty crazy too lol
Shippies is a tough omission from this list
Have to throw in Cyclops too
@@ozmatt1222cyclops for sure… pretty sure peeps would rather bail at mavs before the clops
Clops takes the cake!
Most dangerous waves in oz imo..
-The Right- undertow, really easy to lose positioning and get caught inside.
-Cyclops- razor sharp reef and how isolated it is.
-Konis- can shutdown, isolated, ledges you can get caught on or hit (booger broke/dislocated his back on one a few years ago!
-Lunas- dry on the inside and sneaker close out sets.
Then I would maybe consider Shippies or Cape Solander for 5th.
Love Koa. Such a sincere guy and he KNOWS wtf he's talking about. But... "dangerousness"??? (13:50) A very inventive take on the simple, boring, 'danger', I guess. Hey-- nobody ever said a professional charger must have a master's degree in English. Keep up the good videos and excellent surfing! IMUA!
nice vdi very relaxing. should of added shipstern bluff in Tasmania
Most information I've ever heard about those waves, thanks, john
West coast of Ireland should be on that list...Mullaghmore
I know the more powerful the break is the more foam is created, which prevents you from immediately catching your breath when you surface. A few times, I wondered if I was going to drown & be seen floating head down! While the rocky or coral reefs are dangerous, the swells consistently break the same way in the same place ... vs. a sandy bottom which constantly shifts from big breaks. The Portugal coast kind of resembles Portland's coast line.
Well done, man! Thanks for sharing!
I figured Nazare would be on there or Cortez Banks. No doubt, Pipeline is very dangerous, but does it have so many fatalities simply because of how popular it is? The more people the more chance of a fatality happening. Wouldn’t Nazare have more fatalities if more people surfed it?
Excelent vídeo koa ... from Argentina 👍👍
!!! Puerto Escondido... When Zicatela is pumping!!!!
Your videos are great.. full of interesting content insights . .. thanks and keep safe!
Do a Vid talking about your stop 5 Favorite waves in the world👌🙌
other sketchy hairball spots: todos (santos), ghost trees, shipsterns, wedge, massive cloud break, waimea, and Puerto (Escondido AKA Mexican pipeline), big Padang Padang, and cortes banks.
Oahu , Hawaii ,
Beautiful ,these waves you ride are glorious , dangerous,and you are brave beyond words , spectacular spender ,.I'm so glad you did not die .🎉🎉🎉❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤
What about the wave in Ireland?
Great analogy. Of course your list would be selective due to your own situations at each one. Someone could argue your list because they got a beatdown at some other break. All 5 on your list, plus the added ones at the end are worthy of recognition. Thanks for sharing your insight.
Stoked you liked it!
Koa explains “Inviting The Undertaker” without judging too harshly the uninitiated larval scum at Pipe. You continue to be my favorite surfing spokesman, although I’d enjoy seeing u and Nate arm wrestle over each other’s top ten! A+
Great video. Informative,need more
I liked your presentation. I surf, but don't want anything close to this kind of stuff. But as a surfer, I can appreciate all the hard work and years that go into getting good enough to paddle out in these kinds of waves.
I wonder what the most dangerous waves are on the great lakes? Just out of curiosity.
I have gotten scared in some places. One time I was paddling out somewhere near the northwest tip of Washington state, when this huge barreling left just dumped hard onto a sandbar right in front of me. It would have easily broken my back if I was further out and got nailed by it. I turned around and went back in.
So much better to be here and live another day, or another 50 years. Surfing is fun, but living life is better.
I've never surfed Pipeline. Now that I'm 65 I probably never will. I'm okay with that. I have been a shaper, a pro longboarder, and a lifeguard supervisor, and would loved to have taken a crack at it when I was in good shape. Every single time I have been at Pipeline when it was good, the crowd has been so intense that I settled for being a spectator. The same is true of Waimea. That's all right. I have had epic days at Makaha and Honolua and lots of other places around this planet. There will be more good days and good places as long as I manage to continue breathing.
Makaha is such a good wave! Pipe can be to hectic sometimes
drank my first ever Celcius yesterday before a session at Pleasure Point, solely because you've been pushing it to my brain for months now
Thanks, enjoyed the video and your expertise
Great insight into some of the waves that should only be surfed by the very experienced
Koa you've done many videos in the So Cal area, have you been out at the Wedge?
Reall enjoyed this video , great content, humble Guy , yeh thumbs-up 👍.
Btw . Can I borrow one of your Pyzel Boards for the winter 😅
Just kidding
Love to see that Puerto was close to making the list, especially with a big swell on the horizon!
Thanks mate. I'm never going to surf these waves, but like all surfers I have great curiosity about them. It was great to get your first hand experience. I also like how YOU made your own call on the Top 5 which I am sure is debatable, but you stuck to your guns!
Keep these kinds videos coming. Cool to see you make these type of videos as you are the man. Remember seeing the video of riding xxxl Tahiti at like 16🤯
Thanks! Will do!
It is awesome to hear it from you an experience veteran! Respect ✊
Except in mega violent car crash the drowning factor is generally off the table… You and Makua give the best commentary and personal experience bar none… power on Koa,
really good video. appreciate you sharing your insight
Great list, when I was a Grom, it was just Waimea, Todos Santos, outer reefs, (I’ve never surfed them just bought every magazine) then later Mavericks, now so many new XXL wave spots, really wild.