| Location: Halawa Bay, Moloka'i, Hawai'i |
| Halawa didn't give Amporn the same reception as Lloyd. We knew what was coming, but that didn't change the awe of this view. From a kilometer away, we felt the burst of each wave under our feet. From this distance, the waves may not look that big — until you compare with the shoreline houses, Launching kayaks into this washing machine was insane, an invitation to proceed! We assembled the expedition near the stream mouth, hoping the wave size would drop. After four hours, it didn't, so we portaged across the point and launched in the small cove on the right, put in our kayaks, paddled near the cliffs, and waited for a break in the action. Timing had to be perfect, or we were doomed, crashing backwards over the falls with our fully loaded kayaks in 20-foot surf.
At a break, we punched through the breakers at their lowest crest (the blue water off the point). The huge waves still crested as the one in the photo about to close out that “channel”. Several times, we punched through the white water of collapsing crests, barely passing to deep water.
Then the drama began. The wind was blowing 60KPH from right to left – could we clear the Halawa Point, or would we be blown onto the rocks in that huge boiling break? The answer is… I’m still here to write this story. |
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