WEBVTT 00:00:09.509 --> 00:00:10.927 - I'm going now, bro. 00:00:11.010 --> 00:00:14.139 I'm not waiting around, huh? 00:00:14.222 --> 00:00:16.099 We got to get going. 00:00:16.182 --> 00:00:17.100 - All right. 00:00:19.728 --> 00:00:21.396 - Come on, guys, the sun's coming up. 00:00:25.316 --> 00:00:26.943 Come on, let's get out there. 00:00:28.653 --> 00:00:30.488 Here they come. 00:00:32.198 --> 00:00:33.408 Okay, let's go. 00:00:33.491 --> 00:00:34.868 Go. 00:00:41.916 --> 00:00:43.793 There you go, there you go. 00:00:43.877 --> 00:00:46.796 Uh-oh. Uh-oh. 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:48.923 - What the *? 00:00:53.678 --> 00:00:55.889 - Doing something that nobody's ever done before, 00:00:55.972 --> 00:00:58.600 there's no guarantee that your plan's gonna work. 00:01:00.769 --> 00:01:03.605 - Once you commit, there is no turning around. 00:01:06.107 --> 00:01:08.610 - We're entirely removed from civilization. 00:01:08.693 --> 00:01:10.945 - Look at this one. 00:01:11.029 --> 00:01:13.448 - We know once we get there, we're on our own. 00:01:13.531 --> 00:01:14.657 - Climbing. 00:01:14.741 --> 00:01:17.076 We've chosen to live a life that does have risk. 00:01:17.160 --> 00:01:19.120 Oh, my God. 00:01:19.204 --> 00:01:20.955 - One mistake, and you're dead. 00:01:21.039 --> 00:01:22.290 - Come on, now. 00:01:22.373 --> 00:01:23.500 - If you harness that fear, 00:01:23.583 --> 00:01:25.877 you can do something that you never thought possible. 00:01:25.960 --> 00:01:27.796 - Whoo! Yeah! 00:01:30.089 --> 00:01:33.009 - Is the pursuit worth the risk? 00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:51.319 - Everything that you want in life 00:01:51.402 --> 00:01:53.696 is on the other side of your fear. 00:02:03.122 --> 00:02:07.210 Africa has a allure of danger and excitement. 00:02:08.837 --> 00:02:10.338 The colors... 00:02:11.965 --> 00:02:14.884 The water... 00:02:14.968 --> 00:02:18.888 everything about it is unique and special. 00:02:22.183 --> 00:02:24.435 I've traveled all over the world, 00:02:24.519 --> 00:02:26.187 but this coast that we're going to, 00:02:26.271 --> 00:02:28.857 for me, it's almost the last frontier 00:02:28.940 --> 00:02:31.651 of everything. 00:02:31.734 --> 00:02:33.278 The vastness of it, 00:02:33.361 --> 00:02:36.364 just how many waves there are-- 00:02:36.447 --> 00:02:38.241 It's a really rocky shoreline, 00:02:38.324 --> 00:02:40.660 peppered with these beautiful white-sand beaches 00:02:40.743 --> 00:02:42.996 but mostly just Atlantic Ocean, 00:02:43.079 --> 00:02:45.707 massive swells just smashing into rocks. 00:02:49.210 --> 00:02:51.129 - I know for me personally, 00:02:51.212 --> 00:02:52.964 it's, like, all about the next wave, 00:02:53.047 --> 00:02:54.674 the next location. 00:02:54.757 --> 00:02:58.595 And it just keeps you driving forward. 00:02:58.678 --> 00:03:01.472 You look at the entire world, 00:03:01.556 --> 00:03:04.893 and there can't just be four iconic giant big waves-- 00:03:04.976 --> 00:03:07.937 Jaws, Nazaré, 00:03:08.021 --> 00:03:11.774 Mavericks, and Waimea. 00:03:11.858 --> 00:03:15.236 There has to be another location. 00:03:15.320 --> 00:03:18.197 Oh, my God. There's so many. 00:03:18.281 --> 00:03:19.240 - We're going 00:03:19.324 --> 00:03:21.284 to this super-remote piece of coastline 00:03:21.367 --> 00:03:23.202 that just gets pounded by swell 00:03:23.286 --> 00:03:25.038 out of the Roaring Forties. 00:03:25.121 --> 00:03:27.790 The big objective is the new big wave 00:03:27.874 --> 00:03:30.251 that we've named The Peak, 00:03:30.335 --> 00:03:32.003 which is what I believe could be 00:03:32.086 --> 00:03:34.756 one of the biggest waves in the world. 00:03:34.839 --> 00:03:36.507 There's deep water on the outside, 00:03:36.591 --> 00:03:38.801 with outer reefs coming out of deep water 00:03:38.885 --> 00:03:39.844 into shallow water, 00:03:39.928 --> 00:03:41.304 and that's what makes big waves. 00:03:41.387 --> 00:03:43.306 This is gonna be so fun on the low tide 00:03:43.389 --> 00:03:45.141 and the smaller swell. - Yeah, in the morning. 00:03:45.224 --> 00:03:48.603 This is surf exploration at its finest to me. 00:03:48.686 --> 00:03:52.941 Yes, we have this looming, lofty goal of a big wave 00:03:53.024 --> 00:03:54.943 with the likes of Jaws, 00:03:55.026 --> 00:03:59.364 but there's also reef breaks, sandbars, point breaks, 00:03:59.447 --> 00:04:01.115 and everything in between, 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:02.951 and all of it's new. 00:04:04.535 --> 00:04:08.790 - This is the moment to really find and capture 00:04:08.873 --> 00:04:10.667 what we've been dreaming of. 00:04:23.763 --> 00:04:27.892 I've actually always explained big-wave surfing to people 00:04:27.976 --> 00:04:30.019 as a calculated madness. 00:04:30.103 --> 00:04:32.397 I think all big-wave surfers are on that spectrum-- 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:34.691 either completely mad or super calculated. 00:04:34.774 --> 00:04:37.443 And this adventure part of it, 00:04:37.527 --> 00:04:40.279 where these are new waves, it's definitely-- 00:04:40.363 --> 00:04:41.739 there's more danger involved 00:04:41.823 --> 00:04:44.158 'cause you don't know how the wave's gonna behave, 00:04:44.242 --> 00:04:46.244 you know, where you're gonna end up after a wipeout. 00:04:46.327 --> 00:04:47.870 Are you gonna get pushed into the rocks? 00:04:47.954 --> 00:04:50.832 You know, that's all an unknown, 00:04:50.915 --> 00:04:54.877 and that unknown makes it more exciting for us. 00:04:56.629 --> 00:04:58.589 - Have a look what I'm holding. 00:04:58.673 --> 00:05:00.800 Look. Have a look. 00:05:00.883 --> 00:05:03.261 - Oh, another one. - Mm-hmm. 00:05:03.344 --> 00:05:05.722 There's only one more left for me. 00:05:05.805 --> 00:05:07.390 - I think that probably the hardest thing 00:05:07.473 --> 00:05:08.391 with big-wave surfing 00:05:08.474 --> 00:05:11.352 is that you've always got to be ready 00:05:11.436 --> 00:05:14.397 to drop everything for a swell. 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:16.482 - You want to go, too? 00:05:16.566 --> 00:05:18.359 - Next time we'll go together, okay? 00:05:18.443 --> 00:05:19.902 - Yes. 00:05:22.572 --> 00:05:24.949 - My daughter's too young to know what I'm doing, 00:05:25.033 --> 00:05:28.327 you know, to know how dangerous it is yet. 00:05:28.411 --> 00:05:30.705 And we obviously play it down for her. 00:05:30.788 --> 00:05:33.875 You know, she's learning to surf and loves the ocean, 00:05:33.958 --> 00:05:35.418 so, you know, we're not gonna say 00:05:35.501 --> 00:05:37.587 "Oh, you know, Papa does crazy stuff 00:05:37.670 --> 00:05:40.298 in big waves and scary stuff like that." 00:05:45.678 --> 00:05:49.265 - Twig...yes. 00:05:49.348 --> 00:05:50.558 Oh, shit. 00:05:50.641 --> 00:05:53.478 Oh, God. Oh, God. 00:05:53.561 --> 00:05:55.104 Oh-- 00:05:55.188 --> 00:05:57.565 Oh, shit. 00:05:57.648 --> 00:05:59.942 Where is he? Where is he? 00:06:00.026 --> 00:06:02.153 Come on, Twig. - Shouldn't he be there? 00:06:02.236 --> 00:06:05.364 - Yeah, come over. 00:06:05.448 --> 00:06:07.867 *, *, *. 00:06:11.370 --> 00:06:12.580 Shit. 00:06:15.875 --> 00:06:17.460 - He's good. He's on. 00:06:17.543 --> 00:06:20.330 - Whoo! - Whoo. 00:06:20.592 --> 00:06:22.587 my wife and daughter behind, 00:06:22.971 --> 00:06:24.973 but at the same time, 00:06:25.056 --> 00:06:27.183 putting myself out of my comfort zone 00:06:27.267 --> 00:06:29.477 and looking for places and waves 00:06:29.561 --> 00:06:32.480 and people who will excite me and challenge me-- 00:06:32.564 --> 00:06:34.858 that's kind of what keeps me alive 00:06:34.941 --> 00:06:36.359 and keeps me focused 00:06:36.443 --> 00:06:38.278 and gives me, you know, the energy of life 00:06:38.361 --> 00:06:39.321 that I need. 00:06:41.573 --> 00:06:43.867 Yeah, my wife, she knows what the dangers are, 00:06:43.950 --> 00:06:46.953 but I think she also trusts my judgment. 00:06:47.037 --> 00:06:48.955 At the same time, I think she also knows 00:06:49.039 --> 00:06:52.000 if the wave comes, I'm gonna go. 00:06:59.132 --> 00:07:02.844 This trip's gonna be very, very exciting. 00:07:02.927 --> 00:07:06.014 It takes a lot of planning and a lot of preparation, 00:07:06.097 --> 00:07:08.933 but it's well worth it, you know, 00:07:09.017 --> 00:07:11.394 to look at this final surfing frontier. 00:07:30.280 --> 00:07:34.200 First stop was to Cape Town, where we met up with Ian. 00:07:34.284 --> 00:07:36.953 - How are you? How was your drive down? 00:07:37.036 --> 00:07:38.997 - Yeah, good. Great. 00:07:39.080 --> 00:07:42.083 both: Oh. - Epic. 00:07:42.166 --> 00:07:44.919 And from there, we just got everything ready, 00:07:45.003 --> 00:07:46.754 picked up all the gear that we needed-- 00:07:46.838 --> 00:07:49.424 camping, water, fuel, 00:07:49.507 --> 00:07:51.467 everything that we needed to survive 00:07:51.551 --> 00:07:53.136 in the desert for three weeks. 00:07:53.219 --> 00:07:55.430 And while we were doing all of that, 00:07:55.513 --> 00:07:58.266 we were monitoring the weather and the conditions. 00:07:58.349 --> 00:07:59.934 - Not too deep. 00:08:02.770 --> 00:08:05.064 - Right now it looks like the next three to four days 00:08:05.148 --> 00:08:06.733 look pretty light. 00:08:06.816 --> 00:08:10.695 And then there's two big swells that are lining up. 00:08:10.778 --> 00:08:14.198 What we're seeing is the biggest storm they've had 00:08:14.282 --> 00:08:17.076 in the southern Atlantic this entire season 00:08:17.160 --> 00:08:19.162 and maybe in the last three years. 00:08:19.245 --> 00:08:20.455 As a big-wave surfer, 00:08:20.538 --> 00:08:22.457 this is ideally what you're looking for. 00:08:22.540 --> 00:08:24.584 - Just to be seeing these type of swells 00:08:24.667 --> 00:08:29.297 and the pattern setting up is very encouraging. 00:08:29.380 --> 00:08:31.466 - So the ideal scenario for us 00:08:31.549 --> 00:08:34.344 is a storm has a little bit of energy 00:08:34.427 --> 00:08:37.263 as it starts underneath South America, 00:08:37.347 --> 00:08:40.767 and it starts to build momentum and volume 00:08:40.850 --> 00:08:43.937 as it gets deeper across the southern Atlantic. 00:08:44.020 --> 00:08:47.815 And then it gets about halfway across, stalls out, 00:08:47.899 --> 00:08:50.610 and creates a gigantic storm, 00:08:50.693 --> 00:08:54.614 and it sends all of that swell directly to us, 00:08:54.697 --> 00:08:57.200 and so we get all of that swell energy 00:08:57.283 --> 00:09:00.662 and none of the actual weather that's in that storm. 00:09:00.745 --> 00:09:02.121 - Bunch of waves in between there. 00:09:02.205 --> 00:09:03.498 That's 20 kilometers. 00:09:03.581 --> 00:09:06.167 Our swells that come out of that southern Atlantic 00:09:06.250 --> 00:09:09.212 can be really stormy and raw. 00:09:09.295 --> 00:09:10.505 That's another reason 00:09:10.588 --> 00:09:12.507 why I think, you know, the biggest ride of all waves 00:09:12.590 --> 00:09:13.925 are definitely somewhere there. 00:09:14.008 --> 00:09:15.885 And once we're out there and it's a new wave 00:09:15.969 --> 00:09:18.179 and we can combine both our experience 00:09:18.262 --> 00:09:21.140 to work together to figure out a wave, 00:09:21.224 --> 00:09:22.558 figure out how to catch it, 00:09:22.642 --> 00:09:24.852 we'll push each other as hard as we can. 00:09:24.936 --> 00:09:27.146 - But that's big, huh? - Big. 00:09:27.230 --> 00:09:29.649 That's as big as they get. 00:09:35.738 --> 00:09:37.573 - Right over the back. 00:09:48.793 --> 00:09:51.212 - This is kind of like coming up for air. 00:09:51.296 --> 00:09:53.381 - I couldn't find a better person than Ian 00:09:53.464 --> 00:09:55.383 to partner with. 00:09:55.466 --> 00:09:57.677 He is one of, if not, the very best 00:09:57.760 --> 00:10:01.347 big-wave surfer ability-wise in the world. 00:10:01.431 --> 00:10:02.640 - With a barrel of his own. 00:10:02.724 --> 00:10:04.017 Walsh in a barrel! - What the heck? 00:10:04.100 --> 00:10:06.102 - And he's threading through that other section! 00:10:06.185 --> 00:10:07.353 Ian Walsh! - Wow! 00:10:07.437 --> 00:10:08.354 - Well, there you go. 00:10:08.438 --> 00:10:09.939 You have to give that a ten-point ride. 00:10:10.023 --> 00:10:13.026 From Maui, Ian Walsh. 00:10:13.109 --> 00:10:14.444 - Growing up on Maui, 00:10:14.527 --> 00:10:17.697 every waking minute, I was consumed by surfing 00:10:17.780 --> 00:10:19.699 and being in the ocean. 00:10:19.782 --> 00:10:22.285 My parents had one rule for my brothers and I, 00:10:22.368 --> 00:10:24.370 which was as soon as the streetlights come on, 00:10:24.454 --> 00:10:25.747 it's time to head into the beach. 00:10:25.830 --> 00:10:29.208 Sunrise to sunset, it's just them letting us burn 00:10:29.292 --> 00:10:31.294 all the energy we possibly could. 00:10:31.377 --> 00:10:32.879 For my brothers and I, 00:10:32.962 --> 00:10:34.547 growing up in that environment, 00:10:34.630 --> 00:10:36.966 you start to dip your toe a little deeper, 00:10:37.050 --> 00:10:39.844 and then you start surfing the outer reefs, 00:10:39.927 --> 00:10:41.763 and then Jaws found me. 00:10:41.846 --> 00:10:44.015 I was 16 or 17. 00:10:47.060 --> 00:10:50.730 That was a different feeling than anything I've ever had. 00:10:50.813 --> 00:10:53.566 And that became almost addictive for me, 00:10:53.649 --> 00:10:56.778 to be chasing and targeting waves around the world. 00:11:07.705 --> 00:11:11.084 How far is the drive north to were camp will be? 00:11:11.167 --> 00:11:16.839 - So we're heading about 12 to 14 hours north 00:11:16.923 --> 00:11:18.633 and then obviously onto the dirt road, 00:11:18.716 --> 00:11:21.177 which is-- - Gonna add some time. 00:11:21.260 --> 00:11:22.678 - Probably, yeah. 00:11:35.858 --> 00:11:37.902 Whoa, there we go. Yeah. 00:11:37.985 --> 00:11:40.988 - There it is, bro. - The Atlantic. 00:11:43.199 --> 00:11:44.784 - I've been surfing 40 years, 00:11:44.867 --> 00:11:47.161 and the feeling as you come over the rise 00:11:47.245 --> 00:11:49.288 and you see the ocean for the first time 00:11:49.372 --> 00:11:50.790 is still the same. 00:11:50.873 --> 00:11:53.209 And, you know, the excitement is still the same. 00:11:53.292 --> 00:11:54.669 Oh, this is insane, bro. 00:11:54.752 --> 00:11:56.003 Look how beautiful this coast is. 00:11:56.087 --> 00:11:59.674 Look at all those waves just in this section here-- 00:11:59.757 --> 00:12:02.051 just beach-break madness. 00:12:05.138 --> 00:12:06.639 So, once we hit the dirt road, 00:12:06.722 --> 00:12:08.683 we're gonna head several hours further north, 00:12:08.766 --> 00:12:11.769 set up camp in a super wave-rich zone. 00:12:11.853 --> 00:12:13.646 Once you leave the tar road, 00:12:13.729 --> 00:12:15.565 you immediately feel it. 00:12:17.233 --> 00:12:18.484 Oh, *. 00:12:21.237 --> 00:12:22.572 We're a little bit jammed up. 00:12:22.655 --> 00:12:25.533 See if we can get out of here all right. 00:12:25.616 --> 00:12:27.660 - If you can. Yeah, there you go. 00:12:29.871 --> 00:12:31.914 - The reason it is so undiscovered 00:12:31.998 --> 00:12:34.333 is because there's just no people up there. 00:12:34.417 --> 00:12:35.376 It's in the desert. 00:12:35.459 --> 00:12:36.586 There's no real reason 00:12:36.669 --> 00:12:39.130 for people to live up in those conditions. 00:12:39.213 --> 00:12:41.215 But for a surfer, 00:12:41.299 --> 00:12:43.634 it's, you know, the best place in the world. 00:12:43.718 --> 00:12:45.052 Look at that ripple 00:12:45.136 --> 00:12:47.221 in that corner up against those rocks there. 00:12:47.305 --> 00:12:50.516 - Twiggy has a hunger to chase waves-- 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:54.729 big, small, perfect, and everything in between. 00:12:54.812 --> 00:12:58.274 - Grant Baker, to secure not only a win, 00:12:58.357 --> 00:13:00.168 but yet another world title. 00:13:00.252 --> 00:13:02.462 - Congratulations. - Grant "Twiggy" Baker. 00:13:02.546 --> 00:13:04.798 - Pulling into a big barrel. 00:13:04.881 --> 00:13:05.958 What a wave. 00:13:06.141 --> 00:13:07.518 - What's going on? 00:13:07.601 --> 00:13:10.145 That is real, real Jaws coming to life. 00:13:10.229 --> 00:13:12.314 - You know, Mavericks and Jaws still excite me 00:13:12.397 --> 00:13:14.483 on those big days and when you're testing yourself 00:13:14.566 --> 00:13:15.734 against the world's best, 00:13:15.818 --> 00:13:17.986 but it's trips like these 00:13:18.070 --> 00:13:20.447 that really gives me that excitement 00:13:20.531 --> 00:13:23.325 as if I'm 20 again and it's my first surf. 00:13:25.202 --> 00:13:28.831 Oh! - Whoo. 00:13:28.914 --> 00:13:31.458 - His desire to push himself in big waves 00:13:31.542 --> 00:13:33.836 was something we really connected on. 00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:36.588 He's not afraid of hard work to find new waves, 00:13:36.672 --> 00:13:39.800 and he's been at the forefront of surf exploration, 00:13:39.883 --> 00:13:43.637 especially in this region in Africa, for years. 00:13:45.722 --> 00:13:46.974 Right there against the grain. 00:13:47.057 --> 00:13:48.809 - Look it-- - Oh, my God. 00:13:48.892 --> 00:13:51.019 - * so many-- - That one's for real, though. 00:13:51.103 --> 00:13:52.521 - That one is definitely for real. 00:13:52.604 --> 00:13:55.315 - It's swelling, and it's gonna barrel. 00:13:55.399 --> 00:13:57.359 If we set up here... - Mm-hmm. 00:13:57.442 --> 00:13:59.695 - We might be able to do day missions, 00:13:59.778 --> 00:14:03.407 strikes north or south if we want to go further up. 00:14:03.490 --> 00:14:05.701 - Yeah. Yeah, for sure. 00:14:05.784 --> 00:14:08.704 - I mean, it's just, there's so much, too, to choose from. 00:14:08.787 --> 00:14:10.080 If we get good winds, 00:14:10.164 --> 00:14:12.166 good tides, and the right swelling, 00:14:12.249 --> 00:14:15.169 it's like having the entire coast of California 00:14:15.252 --> 00:14:16.962 with nobody around. 00:14:28.557 --> 00:14:30.517 It's still so big 00:14:30.601 --> 00:14:32.394 for how small the maps were today. 00:14:32.477 --> 00:14:34.897 It's, like, washed out here. 00:14:34.980 --> 00:14:38.066 Tuesday is gonna be too big here to surf. 00:14:38.150 --> 00:14:39.276 - I'd reckon so. 00:14:39.359 --> 00:14:41.695 This one, close one, The Peak, we can paddle. 00:14:41.778 --> 00:14:43.238 I don't think we can paddle that. 00:14:43.322 --> 00:14:44.740 - Rip, too? Bunch of current? 00:14:44.823 --> 00:14:46.033 - I think it's got a big rip. 00:14:46.116 --> 00:14:48.118 It looks like it's got a big rip kind of running out. 00:14:50.996 --> 00:14:52.915 And tomorrow's just a warm-up, anyway. 00:14:52.998 --> 00:14:56.210 It's the smallest day we're gonna have of the whole trip. 00:14:56.293 --> 00:14:58.587 - It all plugs in like a tent. 00:14:58.670 --> 00:15:00.714 - We're really * dragging... 00:15:00.797 --> 00:15:02.841 - We'll have two types of scenarios. 00:15:02.925 --> 00:15:06.178 We'll have a tow-surfing one and a paddle-surfing one. 00:15:06.261 --> 00:15:08.305 The tow-surfing one would operate 00:15:08.388 --> 00:15:11.391 as Twig and I towing with one Jet Ski. 00:15:11.475 --> 00:15:14.603 So we will be the primary safety for each other. 00:15:14.686 --> 00:15:16.647 He falls, if I tow him in, 00:15:16.730 --> 00:15:18.440 I'm going after him to pick him up. 00:15:18.523 --> 00:15:21.443 The secondary safety behind that to shadow 00:15:21.526 --> 00:15:23.028 will be Rooster. 00:15:23.111 --> 00:15:24.029 The secondary grabber-- 00:15:24.112 --> 00:15:25.405 - Big-wave surfing is dangerous, 00:15:25.489 --> 00:15:27.783 and the crew that we've assembled 00:15:27.866 --> 00:15:30.869 are the best watermen South Africa has to offer, 00:15:30.953 --> 00:15:31.995 if not the world. 00:15:32.079 --> 00:15:33.747 And if you throw Ian Walsh in there, 00:15:33.830 --> 00:15:35.123 it's a tight, good crew 00:15:35.207 --> 00:15:37.709 that if the shit hits the fan, they're gonna know what to do. 00:15:37.793 --> 00:15:40.921 It's a radical slab that's very close to the rocks, 00:15:41.004 --> 00:15:43.090 but the surfer's gonna get washed through. 00:15:43.173 --> 00:15:44.883 If he's fine, 00:15:44.967 --> 00:15:47.594 just let him get washed through and then go grab him. 00:15:47.678 --> 00:15:50.597 - To describe a super-violent fall 00:15:50.681 --> 00:15:52.599 on a big wave 00:15:52.683 --> 00:15:56.061 is hopping into a car, driving as fast as you can, 00:15:56.144 --> 00:15:58.981 and just swerving that thing off the road 00:15:59.064 --> 00:16:01.483 and starting to roll... 00:16:01.566 --> 00:16:04.361 getting thrashed around. 00:16:04.444 --> 00:16:07.656 It's a very violent, turbulent system 00:16:07.739 --> 00:16:09.157 going on underwater there, 00:16:09.241 --> 00:16:12.035 and it's covering a great amount of distance. 00:16:12.119 --> 00:16:14.162 Like, you're going five football fields 00:16:14.246 --> 00:16:17.249 in the blink of an eye underwater. 00:16:19.543 --> 00:16:22.129 The difference between falling 00:16:22.212 --> 00:16:24.798 at locations you know very intimately, 00:16:24.881 --> 00:16:27.009 like Jaws and Mavericks, 00:16:27.092 --> 00:16:30.470 compared to somewhere you've never even surfed, 00:16:30.554 --> 00:16:32.514 is a whole different ball game. 00:16:32.597 --> 00:16:35.851 You don't know if you're gonna hit rocks on the inside. 00:16:35.934 --> 00:16:38.562 You don't know how quick and hard 00:16:38.645 --> 00:16:40.689 the safety pickups will be. 00:16:40.772 --> 00:16:43.358 So you have to make those assessments there. 00:16:43.442 --> 00:16:47.195 Definitely has more of a scare 00:16:47.279 --> 00:16:49.573 than it does falling at a place you know 00:16:49.656 --> 00:16:51.700 and have fallen at plenty before. 00:16:51.783 --> 00:16:55.370 If anyone has any questions at all, like, don't hesitate. 00:16:55.454 --> 00:16:57.039 - Thank you. - Yeah. 00:17:15.098 --> 00:17:18.894 - It's our first morning in the desert, 00:17:18.977 --> 00:17:22.731 so we're just kind of trying to set up a routine. 00:17:22.814 --> 00:17:23.774 It's pretty damn cold, 00:17:23.857 --> 00:17:26.443 but luckily the wetsuits are dry the first day. 00:17:26.526 --> 00:17:28.111 Swell's still kind of small, 00:17:28.195 --> 00:17:29.905 but there should be some fun waves, eh? 00:17:29.988 --> 00:17:31.698 I don't think it's gonna be epic, 00:17:31.782 --> 00:17:33.533 but there'll definitely be some fun waves. 00:17:45.796 --> 00:17:48.256 Look at this! Empty * beach break. 00:17:48.340 --> 00:17:50.050 Not a soul. 00:17:50.133 --> 00:17:53.762 Are we the most blessed people on this planet or what? 00:18:08.819 --> 00:18:11.405 There we go. Too easy! 00:18:25.836 --> 00:18:27.421 Yeah! Ha ha! 00:18:29.339 --> 00:18:30.966 Let's go, let's go, let's go! 00:18:46.898 --> 00:18:50.026 - Now get out of it. There we go. 00:18:50.110 --> 00:18:51.361 Phew. 00:19:07.711 --> 00:19:08.795 - That was great fun. 00:19:08.879 --> 00:19:12.340 Great warm-up, you know, just to feel the energy. 00:19:12.424 --> 00:19:14.593 Still hopeful for that big swell, 00:19:14.676 --> 00:19:17.596 but this is gonna be very exciting 00:19:17.679 --> 00:19:19.681 if it all comes together. 00:19:30.108 --> 00:19:32.360 - Today is about 5 feet at 11 seconds. 00:19:32.444 --> 00:19:35.322 This should be the smallest day of the trip. 00:19:35.405 --> 00:19:37.199 And then the next couple days 00:19:37.282 --> 00:19:41.411 will be 9 at 16... 00:19:41.495 --> 00:19:43.413 and then... 00:19:43.497 --> 00:19:45.790 then some funky weather. 00:19:45.874 --> 00:19:50.670 And then we have potentially 17 to 18 feet 00:19:50.754 --> 00:19:52.714 at 22 seconds. 00:19:54.841 --> 00:19:59.012 That is a...hog of a swell. 00:20:02.265 --> 00:20:04.559 - Conditions that have to come together 00:20:04.643 --> 00:20:06.061 to create a big wave, 00:20:06.144 --> 00:20:09.064 even at the existing waves like Mavericks and Jaws 00:20:09.147 --> 00:20:10.273 and Nazaré, 00:20:10.357 --> 00:20:12.400 they still only break well 00:20:12.484 --> 00:20:14.694 maybe once or twice a year, 00:20:14.778 --> 00:20:17.072 and it took years and years and years 00:20:17.155 --> 00:20:18.865 for people to realize 00:20:18.949 --> 00:20:21.117 when they're gonna break and how they're gonna break 00:20:21.201 --> 00:20:22.452 and all the risks. 00:20:22.536 --> 00:20:24.830 So, when it comes to The Peak, 00:20:24.913 --> 00:20:26.206 you know, we're still learning, 00:20:26.289 --> 00:20:28.375 and we're gonna be learning for a long time. 00:20:28.458 --> 00:20:29.543 See the gap, go. 00:20:29.626 --> 00:20:31.211 Whereas Nazaré's like, 00:20:31.294 --> 00:20:32.629 * coming from all sides. 00:20:32.712 --> 00:20:33.880 - Yeah, sideways. - Just... 00:20:33.964 --> 00:20:35.215 - Yeah. Oh, yeah, for sure. 00:20:38.552 --> 00:20:41.763 It's just-- there's not much to surf. 00:20:41.846 --> 00:20:44.182 - This doesn't look great to me. 00:20:44.266 --> 00:20:46.393 Not * 10 at 16. 00:20:46.476 --> 00:20:49.896 - No. It's 3 to 4 feet, for sure. 00:20:49.980 --> 00:20:52.899 - Where did that swell go? - I don't know. 00:20:52.983 --> 00:20:55.026 We're not big-wave surfing today. 00:20:55.110 --> 00:20:58.280 There's so much coastline here 00:20:58.363 --> 00:21:02.117 and so much potential and so much unknown 00:21:02.200 --> 00:21:04.744 that we have to, like, check a bunch of different waves 00:21:04.828 --> 00:21:07.872 to see what waves might handle a swell. 00:21:07.956 --> 00:21:10.083 There we go. 00:21:10.166 --> 00:21:14.170 - Surfing is very reliant on the wind and the weather 00:21:14.254 --> 00:21:16.506 and the swell size. 00:21:16.590 --> 00:21:19.426 And unless you're very patient 00:21:19.509 --> 00:21:22.262 and unless you really put in the time and effort, 00:21:22.345 --> 00:21:24.306 you're not gonna find these new waves. 00:21:24.389 --> 00:21:26.099 You're not gonna get to surf them. 00:21:28.393 --> 00:21:30.270 - You can spend the entire day 00:21:30.353 --> 00:21:32.939 just driving around looking at the waves... 00:21:33.023 --> 00:21:36.943 which is good-- you get a bunch of information. 00:21:37.027 --> 00:21:39.279 But I want to surf. 00:21:46.870 --> 00:21:48.955 When you're looking for giant waves, 00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:51.291 you look at the structure 00:21:51.374 --> 00:21:53.501 and the layout of that location 00:21:53.585 --> 00:21:54.544 you're looking at, 00:21:54.628 --> 00:21:56.504 so the depth of what might be the channel. 00:21:56.588 --> 00:21:58.757 - Gonna go right into the rock. 00:21:58.840 --> 00:22:00.175 - Is the channel gonna close out 00:22:00.258 --> 00:22:02.969 if the waves are 20 meters, or 60 feet? 00:22:03.053 --> 00:22:04.304 Or is the channel deep enough 00:22:04.387 --> 00:22:06.931 to handle a swell of that size? 00:22:09.476 --> 00:22:11.061 - You'll see a couple coming in. 00:22:11.144 --> 00:22:12.687 - Yeah. 00:22:12.771 --> 00:22:15.732 We have a couple zones identified 00:22:15.815 --> 00:22:17.859 that we're targeting and aiming for 00:22:17.942 --> 00:22:19.694 if it gets really big. 00:22:19.778 --> 00:22:22.030 Hopeful that day after tomorrow 00:22:22.113 --> 00:22:25.575 we get a little bit more punch in the swell size 00:22:25.659 --> 00:22:28.703 and a little bit more organization. 00:22:28.787 --> 00:22:29.996 Hoping that gives us 00:22:30.080 --> 00:22:31.581 little bit more of an opportunity 00:22:31.665 --> 00:22:34.584 to surf and try one of those new waves. 00:22:34.668 --> 00:22:36.503 We're problem-solving every day. 00:22:39.255 --> 00:22:41.883 - For the first couple days, it was all about preparation-- 00:22:41.966 --> 00:22:43.343 preparing the Jet Skis, 00:22:43.426 --> 00:22:45.512 preparing our equipment, our boards, 00:22:45.595 --> 00:22:47.013 and then discussing the logistics. 00:22:47.097 --> 00:22:48.473 Very nice. 00:22:51.893 --> 00:22:54.062 - Two on that, for sure. However it works-- 00:22:54.145 --> 00:22:56.314 - And that just puts one person on each ski 00:22:56.398 --> 00:22:58.400 right in the mix for safety. 00:22:58.483 --> 00:22:59.943 There are a lot of variables, 00:23:00.026 --> 00:23:02.404 'cause we've never surfed the wave before, 00:23:02.487 --> 00:23:05.281 that we're only gonna realize once we get out there. 00:23:05.365 --> 00:23:07.575 You know, the most stressful of that is 00:23:07.659 --> 00:23:10.495 how to get the Jet Skis off the beach, 00:23:10.578 --> 00:23:13.790 through the beach break, and out the back. 00:23:13.873 --> 00:23:16.418 - Well, it's gonna be hard to get out, for sure. 00:23:16.501 --> 00:23:18.002 - But Gumby was gonna drive him out. 00:23:18.086 --> 00:23:19.671 - Most big waves, 00:23:19.754 --> 00:23:22.632 they're conveniently located near harbors, 00:23:22.716 --> 00:23:24.050 so we can get out. 00:23:24.134 --> 00:23:26.594 This location, we're gonna have to launch 00:23:26.678 --> 00:23:29.222 right through giant shore break, 00:23:29.305 --> 00:23:33.017 so it definitely creates a lot more opportunity 00:23:33.101 --> 00:23:35.937 to lose a Jet Ski before you even get out. 00:23:36.020 --> 00:23:37.939 Till we know that swell is for real... 00:23:38.023 --> 00:23:39.149 - Yeah. 00:23:39.232 --> 00:23:41.109 We've got to get the safety team working together. 00:23:41.192 --> 00:23:42.986 We got to make sure the Jet Skis 00:23:43.069 --> 00:23:44.279 are operational and ready. 00:23:44.362 --> 00:23:45.947 Crew--everyone involved 00:23:46.030 --> 00:23:49.117 has to be seamlessly working together. 00:23:50.577 --> 00:23:51.661 - Done. 00:24:06.593 --> 00:24:08.470 Getting loose, going through the motions, 00:24:08.553 --> 00:24:10.430 and putting the skis in the water, 00:24:10.513 --> 00:24:12.098 making sure they run good. 00:24:12.182 --> 00:24:14.601 You don't really want to wait until the morning 00:24:14.684 --> 00:24:16.519 of the best day of your trip 00:24:16.603 --> 00:24:19.230 to, like, start the Jet Skis and-- 00:24:19.314 --> 00:24:23.318 Better to just run everything as if it's the day... 00:24:23.401 --> 00:24:25.612 before the day actually comes. 00:24:44.172 --> 00:24:46.549 - There's a big one coming. It's gonna wash in. 00:24:46.633 --> 00:24:49.469 - After this next wave, might be his gap. 00:24:49.552 --> 00:24:51.304 Here comes a set from the south. 00:24:51.387 --> 00:24:54.182 Yeah, there he goes. - Go, go, go, go, go. 00:24:59.437 --> 00:25:01.356 - There they go on the second wave. 00:25:05.276 --> 00:25:06.569 - Got it. 00:25:18.623 --> 00:25:20.667 *, that's not good. 00:25:20.750 --> 00:25:23.169 - That's why you got to work all that shit out before. 00:25:23.253 --> 00:25:24.337 - Shit, man. 00:25:24.420 --> 00:25:27.507 That's gonna be tough to get back on that ski now. 00:25:27.590 --> 00:25:30.844 - That's * 2 feet out there. 00:25:30.927 --> 00:25:33.888 Wait till it's 25 foot and you roll one of them. 00:25:33.972 --> 00:25:35.723 - Oh, shit. 00:25:41.312 --> 00:25:43.398 - Safety has become something 00:25:43.481 --> 00:25:46.776 that's really, really important to me. 00:25:46.860 --> 00:25:49.946 For me, the main pillars of water safety 00:25:50.029 --> 00:25:51.614 for big-wave surfing 00:25:51.698 --> 00:25:53.533 is having someone that's really calculated 00:25:53.616 --> 00:25:54.909 on the Jet Ski, 00:25:54.993 --> 00:25:59.122 has a very good understanding of what it feels like 00:25:59.205 --> 00:26:03.334 in that violent, turbulent, whitewash, impact-zone area 00:26:03.418 --> 00:26:05.211 if they have to rescue you, 00:26:05.295 --> 00:26:08.381 and also a very good understanding 00:26:08.464 --> 00:26:11.467 of what it feels like off that Jet Ski. 00:26:13.219 --> 00:26:14.178 You're never gonna be able 00:26:14.262 --> 00:26:16.055 to take out all the risks, ever. 00:26:16.139 --> 00:26:18.725 And I've found, over the years, 00:26:18.808 --> 00:26:22.437 how important it is to have that safety plan in place 00:26:22.520 --> 00:26:24.856 to allow you to push yourself 00:26:24.939 --> 00:26:28.484 and minimize the risks as much as you can. 00:26:28.568 --> 00:26:30.111 Contingency plan-- 00:26:30.194 --> 00:26:32.947 if that ski breaks, how does the second ski get out? 00:26:33.031 --> 00:26:34.782 How does that one get in? 00:26:34.866 --> 00:26:36.451 All that stuff should be talked about. 00:26:36.534 --> 00:26:37.660 You can't just wing it. 00:26:37.744 --> 00:26:39.287 - No, but we're listening to you. 00:26:39.370 --> 00:26:40.580 - Yeah. - We're listening to you. 00:26:40.663 --> 00:26:44.250 - It's really important for everyone to understand 00:26:44.334 --> 00:26:45.835 how that's gonna work. 00:26:45.919 --> 00:26:48.338 Where do they go if someone's unconscious? 00:26:48.421 --> 00:26:50.798 Communication is the key 00:26:50.882 --> 00:26:53.134 to helping avoid those situations 00:26:53.217 --> 00:26:55.637 when they go horribly sideways. 00:27:05.063 --> 00:27:07.065 - Greg and Garrett. 00:27:10.401 --> 00:27:11.778 - Ah. - They're down. They're down. 00:27:13.071 --> 00:27:14.489 - Ian and I were there at Cortes 00:27:14.572 --> 00:27:15.990 when Greg Long drowned 00:27:16.074 --> 00:27:18.117 and the guys brought him back to life. 00:27:21.412 --> 00:27:24.248 - That's really when I started understanding 00:27:24.332 --> 00:27:25.833 the need for safety 00:27:25.917 --> 00:27:28.711 and why you need to be so pedantic 00:27:28.795 --> 00:27:30.254 about this type of stuff. 00:27:37.887 --> 00:27:40.098 - There's gonna be something on that big day 00:27:40.181 --> 00:27:42.100 that we're gonna have to deal with. 00:27:42.183 --> 00:27:44.143 - Yeah, look, it was never gonna be easy, huh? 00:27:44.227 --> 00:27:45.520 - No. 00:27:45.603 --> 00:27:47.647 - But with some good planning, we can make it easy. 00:27:51.275 --> 00:27:53.194 Lucky enough to be able to work with athletes 00:27:53.277 --> 00:27:54.654 like Walshy and Twig. 00:27:54.737 --> 00:27:56.531 And the knowledge that they bring to the table-- 00:27:56.614 --> 00:27:57.699 even in this last week, 00:27:57.782 --> 00:27:59.742 what I've learned from Walshy is overwhelming, you know? 00:27:59.826 --> 00:28:01.035 Him and his brothers 00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:02.620 basically wrote the handbook on safety 00:28:02.704 --> 00:28:04.163 in big-wave situations. 00:28:04.247 --> 00:28:08.126 You know, they're consummate professionals. 00:28:08.209 --> 00:28:10.503 - The remoteness of where we are 00:28:10.586 --> 00:28:13.172 amplifies everything. 00:28:13.256 --> 00:28:15.383 We're essentially hundreds of miles 00:28:15.466 --> 00:28:17.593 from any resemblance of a hospital. 00:28:17.677 --> 00:28:19.804 With Jaws and Mavericks, 00:28:19.887 --> 00:28:22.181 you can have an ambulance at the harbor 00:28:22.265 --> 00:28:23.599 waiting for you when you get in 00:28:23.683 --> 00:28:25.935 if something really bad happens. 00:28:26.019 --> 00:28:27.103 With where we are, 00:28:27.186 --> 00:28:29.522 there's not a single chance of that happening. 00:28:29.605 --> 00:28:31.566 And that's something we have to think about 00:28:31.649 --> 00:28:33.568 and be ready to deal with. 00:28:33.651 --> 00:28:35.570 And that's all good. 00:28:52.295 --> 00:28:55.048 - Ah, too wide, that. 00:28:55.131 --> 00:28:57.925 There we go. - Big gap. 00:28:58.009 --> 00:28:59.719 - That's a barrel if it's offshore. 00:28:59.802 --> 00:29:01.721 - Big carve right there. 00:29:03.056 --> 00:29:04.599 - Come on, honey bunch. 00:29:06.434 --> 00:29:09.270 Whoo-hoo. 00:29:16.360 --> 00:29:17.445 - Yeah, we just rocked up 00:29:17.528 --> 00:29:21.616 at this beautiful, little right-hand reef break. 00:29:21.699 --> 00:29:24.619 Best-case scenario is that the new swell 00:29:24.702 --> 00:29:28.539 starts to fill in and we start seeing some 6-, 8-foot waves. 00:29:54.899 --> 00:29:56.818 - Whoo-hoo-hoo. 00:30:23.386 --> 00:30:25.847 - Yeah, but that's how it goes, eh? 00:30:25.930 --> 00:30:28.432 Wild * coast. 00:30:31.102 --> 00:30:34.397 If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. 00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:35.940 Nice one. 00:30:37.942 --> 00:30:39.318 He's on it. 00:30:45.283 --> 00:30:47.702 Stay with it. Stay with it! 00:30:47.785 --> 00:30:49.328 There we go. 00:30:52.623 --> 00:30:55.459 The fact that we can come out here and surf ourselves 00:30:55.543 --> 00:30:57.378 and not see another soul around 00:30:57.461 --> 00:31:00.506 is why I live in this incredible continent. 00:31:00.590 --> 00:31:02.383 And for me, 00:31:02.466 --> 00:31:04.594 the first time I surf a new wave, 00:31:04.677 --> 00:31:07.096 it's one of the most exciting things, 00:31:07.180 --> 00:31:09.056 you know, that can happen. 00:31:09.140 --> 00:31:11.434 - *, that thing's pretty sick. 00:31:11.517 --> 00:31:13.352 - It was the perfect size. 00:31:28.993 --> 00:31:30.244 What they do is they dig it up, 00:31:30.328 --> 00:31:32.288 and they push all the sand out to sea, 00:31:32.371 --> 00:31:34.707 and they make a sea wall, like, halfway out 00:31:34.790 --> 00:31:36.751 and then just dig everything up underneath. 00:31:51.182 --> 00:31:55.102 Unfortunately, the west coast is a mining area. 00:31:55.186 --> 00:31:58.147 It's rich with minerals. It's rich with diamonds. 00:31:58.231 --> 00:32:01.442 And it's been heavily mined in the past 00:32:01.525 --> 00:32:03.569 but not to the extent that we're seeing 00:32:03.653 --> 00:32:06.447 this new form of mining that's come along. 00:32:06.530 --> 00:32:09.116 Digging up the beach, pushing the sea wall back, 00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:12.954 and then completely excavating the entire beach... 00:32:13.037 --> 00:32:14.538 and then just leaving. 00:32:17.208 --> 00:32:19.252 It's an Australian mining company, 00:32:19.335 --> 00:32:23.089 and this form of mining was banned in Australia 00:32:23.172 --> 00:32:25.007 in the 1970s. 00:32:26.592 --> 00:32:29.553 They've been given 10 beaches. 00:32:29.637 --> 00:32:32.598 It's like 50 kilometers of beach, 00:32:32.682 --> 00:32:33.933 and they're gonna dig up 00:32:34.016 --> 00:32:37.353 every single one of those beaches. 00:32:37.436 --> 00:32:39.939 I mean, you know, we've started a coalition. 00:32:40.022 --> 00:32:41.440 It's called Protect the West Coast, 00:32:41.524 --> 00:32:42.817 you know, and we're trying to fight it, 00:32:42.900 --> 00:32:44.652 but it's hard, you know? 00:32:44.735 --> 00:32:47.822 We just don't have that kind of environmental klatch here. 00:32:53.828 --> 00:32:55.496 - It is pretty sad, though, isn't it? 00:32:55.579 --> 00:32:57.581 - Why is it illegal to dig up beaches in Australia 00:32:57.665 --> 00:32:59.000 and not elsewhere in the world? 00:32:59.083 --> 00:33:00.793 - Yeah. - And that's kind of the angle 00:33:00.876 --> 00:33:03.212 that we're trying to fight it on. 00:33:03.296 --> 00:33:05.381 - It makes no sense to me. 00:33:05.464 --> 00:33:08.843 - They're coming to this beach to dig this whole thing up... 00:33:10.845 --> 00:33:15.683 And ban us from coming here in the next, like, two years. 00:33:27.320 --> 00:33:29.572 - Just kind of puts little ideas in your head of, 00:33:29.655 --> 00:33:31.532 if it's small or wind's this way, 00:33:31.615 --> 00:33:33.034 maybe we can go there. 00:33:33.117 --> 00:33:35.119 It's good to see for the sand, too, 00:33:35.202 --> 00:33:38.164 to see where some of the good banks might be, 00:33:38.247 --> 00:33:39.498 kind of to paint a picture 00:33:39.582 --> 00:33:41.334 of where we might want to go in the morning 00:33:41.417 --> 00:33:43.127 with what the swell did today. 00:33:43.210 --> 00:33:45.713 - Yeah, I mean, we're always hopeful. 00:33:45.796 --> 00:33:47.006 We wouldn't be surfers 00:33:47.089 --> 00:33:49.008 if we weren't hopeful for tomorrow. 00:33:49.091 --> 00:33:52.011 - And looks like we have a few days of weird weather. 00:33:52.094 --> 00:33:53.346 But on the other side of that, 00:33:53.429 --> 00:33:56.098 we might have pretty good surf. 00:34:14.492 --> 00:34:17.286 We have a little... 00:34:17.370 --> 00:34:21.248 chunky, windy storm surf. 00:34:21.332 --> 00:34:22.667 Still looks kind of fun. 00:34:22.750 --> 00:34:25.878 It's a couple waves to be had, but exciting. 00:34:32.009 --> 00:34:35.262 - Oh, there's a drainer. There's a drainer. 00:34:35.346 --> 00:34:36.889 I'm just gonna go out, bro. 00:34:36.972 --> 00:34:38.516 - Yeah, let's do it. 00:34:43.354 --> 00:34:45.314 - Really good waves at this reef 00:34:45.398 --> 00:34:46.649 just to the right of the camp. 00:34:46.732 --> 00:34:48.275 That swell direction, the wind direction's 00:34:48.359 --> 00:34:49.777 just perfect for it, 00:34:49.860 --> 00:34:53.155 so we're gonna go check it out and just have a surf, 00:34:53.239 --> 00:34:55.950 but the storm is just-- it's brewing. 00:34:56.033 --> 00:34:57.868 So we've got kind of a small window here, 00:34:57.952 --> 00:34:59.578 maybe a two-hour window 00:34:59.662 --> 00:35:01.288 where we can get a couple waves 00:35:01.372 --> 00:35:03.916 and come in and get ready for the storm. 00:35:22.226 --> 00:35:24.353 Whoo. All right, Ian. 00:35:27.732 --> 00:35:29.316 - Oh, watch it, watch it. 00:35:31.777 --> 00:35:33.446 Oh, here we go. What a whip. 00:35:33.529 --> 00:35:34.989 - He's up and away. 00:35:37.658 --> 00:35:39.452 - *! - Uh-oh. 00:35:40.911 --> 00:35:42.621 Can you guys see Twig? 00:35:44.540 --> 00:35:48.210 - I got eyes on Twiggy. He's being picked up. 00:35:48.294 --> 00:35:49.795 - Yeah, yeah, this one, this one. 00:35:49.879 --> 00:35:51.172 - Go, go, go, go, go! 00:35:56.552 --> 00:36:00.347 - Yee-haw! 00:36:07.313 --> 00:36:09.231 - Pretty awesome, eh? 00:36:09.315 --> 00:36:12.151 New wave, and it's got a lot of potential. 00:36:12.234 --> 00:36:13.903 Kind of got an idea on the tide 00:36:13.986 --> 00:36:15.988 and the swell size, too. 00:36:16.071 --> 00:36:18.866 There's an optimum tide and swell size out there. 00:36:18.949 --> 00:36:22.369 So, very promising for a big day. 00:36:22.453 --> 00:36:25.372 Clean, offshore winds-- could be amazing out there. 00:36:25.456 --> 00:36:27.458 That's how you find new waves. 00:36:36.091 --> 00:36:38.344 - Still a lot of swell in the water. 00:36:38.427 --> 00:36:41.013 We have a shift in wind. 00:36:41.096 --> 00:36:43.516 Looks like it's gonna swing this way. 00:36:43.599 --> 00:36:47.061 And we'll get some pretty ugly southwest wind 00:36:47.144 --> 00:36:49.396 and maybe some rain tomorrow, 00:36:49.480 --> 00:36:51.273 which is... 00:36:51.357 --> 00:36:54.735 definitely gonna make for an interesting camp. 00:37:09.750 --> 00:37:12.545 We met some weather last night. 00:37:12.628 --> 00:37:16.549 We had a stiff 40-mile-an-hour wind. 00:37:16.632 --> 00:37:20.177 And on the other side of that 40-mile-an-hour wind, 00:37:20.261 --> 00:37:25.057 we had some pelting rain for about ten hours. 00:37:25.140 --> 00:37:26.767 My tent was a casualty. 00:37:26.850 --> 00:37:29.144 It was a classic night of weather. 00:37:38.571 --> 00:37:40.948 - Looks a bit ugly out there at the moment, yeah? 00:37:41.031 --> 00:37:44.535 - Looks like a front's blowing in right behind me. 00:37:51.333 --> 00:37:53.961 Come on, fours. 00:37:56.589 --> 00:37:58.674 It can be testing at times 00:37:58.757 --> 00:38:01.594 in these kind of conditions-- the rain and the wind-- 00:38:01.677 --> 00:38:05.097 but that's what it takes to find these new waves. 00:38:05.180 --> 00:38:09.184 And for me, I love all of it, you know? 00:38:09.268 --> 00:38:12.146 I love to be out here. 00:38:12.229 --> 00:38:15.441 I mean, it's one of the last beautiful natural places 00:38:15.524 --> 00:38:17.443 on the planet, really, you know? 00:38:17.526 --> 00:38:20.529 And it really makes you appreciate 00:38:20.613 --> 00:38:24.033 how little you actually need in life. 00:38:31.206 --> 00:38:33.459 - Get 'em on. It's already wet. 00:38:33.542 --> 00:38:35.794 Ooh, that's nice. Super nice. 00:38:38.422 --> 00:38:40.799 - Tomorrow's probably gonna be our biggest day out here. 00:38:40.883 --> 00:38:42.259 - Yeah. - But I think we should aim 00:38:42.343 --> 00:38:44.803 for The Peak and see what we can do out there. 00:38:44.887 --> 00:38:46.138 It'll get bigger through the day. 00:38:46.221 --> 00:38:47.348 It'll be biggest just before dark. 00:38:47.431 --> 00:38:48.349 - Yeah. 00:38:48.432 --> 00:38:51.185 - The update looks very positive for waves. 00:38:51.268 --> 00:38:53.187 We're gonna have a small window 00:38:53.270 --> 00:38:54.688 tomorrow afternoon, 00:38:54.772 --> 00:38:56.857 on the low tide as the swell's peaking, 00:38:56.940 --> 00:38:57.983 to get out there, 00:38:58.067 --> 00:39:00.694 so, you know, hopefully there's a couple waves. 00:39:00.778 --> 00:39:02.071 Just moving with the punches. 00:39:02.154 --> 00:39:03.697 I mean, if we wake up 00:39:03.781 --> 00:39:06.533 and it's much bigger, then we know. 00:39:06.617 --> 00:39:07.993 - Yeah. 00:39:14.917 --> 00:39:16.669 - Doing a little surf check, 00:39:16.752 --> 00:39:20.172 and ocean looks a lot more organized 00:39:20.255 --> 00:39:22.091 than it has the last few days, 00:39:22.174 --> 00:39:26.011 after that little storm front blew through. 00:39:26.095 --> 00:39:28.931 Today the waves are supposed to get big through the day. 00:39:30.432 --> 00:39:32.184 - Tide's a little high, 00:39:32.267 --> 00:39:33.894 swell's a touch small, 00:39:33.977 --> 00:39:36.271 but it's still looking really good. 00:39:36.355 --> 00:39:37.606 Our hope for the afternoon 00:39:37.690 --> 00:39:39.650 is some big waves at The Peak, you know? 00:39:39.733 --> 00:39:41.568 That's been our goal the whole way through. 00:39:41.652 --> 00:39:44.947 And so hopefully we see that. 00:39:45.030 --> 00:39:46.657 I do believe that The Peak 00:39:46.740 --> 00:39:48.659 could be one of the biggest waves in the world. 00:39:48.742 --> 00:39:50.869 The bathymetry of the ocean floor 00:39:50.953 --> 00:39:53.205 goes from super deep to shallow, 00:39:53.288 --> 00:39:55.040 and that's, from my experience, 00:39:55.124 --> 00:39:56.834 what makes big waves. 00:39:56.917 --> 00:39:59.044 The question now is, how much swell 00:39:59.128 --> 00:40:02.840 and what conditions does it need to be optimal? 00:40:02.923 --> 00:40:06.593 Location, booties, wetsuit, let's go. 00:40:06.677 --> 00:40:07.845 - Yeah, I'm ready. 00:40:09.847 --> 00:40:11.640 The big swell we were following 00:40:11.724 --> 00:40:13.392 has downgraded a little bit, 00:40:13.475 --> 00:40:16.019 so it's teeter-tottering on the line 00:40:16.103 --> 00:40:18.272 of being big enough 00:40:18.355 --> 00:40:20.941 or not big enough for The Peak. 00:40:21.024 --> 00:40:23.277 - Come on, baby. 00:40:23.360 --> 00:40:25.821 Yes! 00:40:25.904 --> 00:40:28.866 Yes! 00:40:28.949 --> 00:40:30.826 Now we wait for the swell. 00:40:39.001 --> 00:40:41.003 *, this wind... 00:40:42.921 --> 00:40:45.132 Mustn't go south on us now. 00:40:45.215 --> 00:40:47.676 God damn it. 00:40:47.760 --> 00:40:49.219 - Ready? - Let's go. 00:40:49.303 --> 00:40:50.596 - Okay. 00:40:50.679 --> 00:40:53.974 Let's give him a push to get him to the water's edge. 00:40:54.057 --> 00:40:56.143 Keep going. Keep going. 00:40:56.226 --> 00:40:57.853 Right to the whitewash line. 00:41:03.233 --> 00:41:05.152 You do all this research, 00:41:05.235 --> 00:41:06.779 and you try to figure out, 00:41:06.862 --> 00:41:08.280 could there be a big wave there? 00:41:08.363 --> 00:41:10.365 How are we gonna get out? How do we get in? 00:41:10.449 --> 00:41:12.159 What do we do if we get caught inside? 00:41:12.242 --> 00:41:15.996 And then to actually see it come to life 00:41:16.080 --> 00:41:18.373 and see the wave break, 00:41:18.457 --> 00:41:21.919 we're getting a glimpse of what this coastline can do. 00:41:33.096 --> 00:41:36.433 Come on, set, give us something here. 00:41:36.517 --> 00:41:37.810 - Oh, what's this back one? 00:41:37.893 --> 00:41:40.270 This one could be the roll-in behind. 00:41:40.354 --> 00:41:43.565 - I mean, not the best, but it's getting there. 00:41:47.528 --> 00:41:51.073 - Look at this one. Look at this one. 00:42:02.251 --> 00:42:03.544 - Here comes a big set. 00:42:13.095 --> 00:42:15.514 - Oh. So close. - Yeah. 00:42:15.597 --> 00:42:18.559 - If this was bigger, it would be on. 00:42:18.642 --> 00:42:20.018 - Like, you're sitting out there 00:42:20.102 --> 00:42:24.356 and seeing these big wedges come slinging at you, 00:42:24.439 --> 00:42:26.525 and you can start to visualize, 00:42:26.608 --> 00:42:30.612 what would this wave do five times the size of this? 00:42:41.790 --> 00:42:44.835 - Whoa! 00:42:47.462 --> 00:42:49.590 I mean, we had so much fun, 00:42:49.673 --> 00:42:52.217 but it's what it holds in the future 00:42:52.301 --> 00:42:54.094 that's really exciting. 00:43:07.149 --> 00:43:10.903 My feelings are this is a world, world-class big wave, 00:43:10.986 --> 00:43:14.656 but it needs giant, giant swell to break. 00:43:21.205 --> 00:43:22.289 Oh, shit. 00:43:22.372 --> 00:43:24.082 Not quite. 00:43:25.959 --> 00:43:27.753 - It was definitely a peak. 00:43:27.836 --> 00:43:29.421 The name's fitting. 00:43:29.504 --> 00:43:31.298 That will hold a giant swell. 00:43:31.381 --> 00:43:32.758 Tons of potential. 00:43:32.841 --> 00:43:34.760 Definitely psyched on the potential. 00:43:34.843 --> 00:43:37.763 And you could see if that thing had 00:43:37.846 --> 00:43:39.765 the megalodon swell, 00:43:39.848 --> 00:43:43.310 it'd be something very, very spicy. 00:43:49.191 --> 00:43:51.902 - Even though the swell's not big enough for The Peak, 00:43:51.985 --> 00:43:54.112 it's still plenty big enough for the beach breaks, 00:43:54.196 --> 00:43:56.198 which needs a little bit less swell. 00:43:56.281 --> 00:43:58.075 So, as the swell dies tonight 00:43:58.158 --> 00:44:01.161 and we get some offshore winds early in the morning, 00:44:01.244 --> 00:44:03.330 there'll only be a small window tomorrow morning, 00:44:03.413 --> 00:44:06.708 but we've just got to be up early and get on it. 00:44:12.714 --> 00:44:16.468 - We'll be ready to move at 6:30. 00:44:16.551 --> 00:44:19.972 And if the swell has really started to fill in, 00:44:20.055 --> 00:44:23.266 then maybe get a session close to camp here 00:44:23.350 --> 00:44:24.685 at this beach break. 00:44:24.768 --> 00:44:26.019 It's gonna be really difficult 00:44:26.103 --> 00:44:28.355 to get the Jet Skis with the whole crew out 00:44:28.438 --> 00:44:31.316 through potentially 25-foot beach break 00:44:31.400 --> 00:44:34.403 that we have no idea how far out it's gonna go. 00:44:34.486 --> 00:44:36.947 - So, obviously, we got to just be on it. 00:44:37.030 --> 00:44:39.157 We don't know what's going on there, 00:44:39.241 --> 00:44:40.993 so for you guys, just really, 00:44:41.076 --> 00:44:42.285 you know, wits about you and-- 00:44:42.369 --> 00:44:47.165 - And if, for whatever reason, we lose a ski, 00:44:47.249 --> 00:44:51.920 then Twig and I would just tow this one, just so that's-- 00:44:52.004 --> 00:44:54.047 that other ski, if it makes it out, 00:44:54.131 --> 00:44:56.633 come in, pick up the other surfer. 00:44:56.717 --> 00:44:58.593 And if we paddle, 00:44:58.677 --> 00:45:00.887 then this just becomes a safety with one guy. 00:45:21.033 --> 00:45:22.576 - I'm going now, bro. 00:45:22.659 --> 00:45:25.370 I'm not waiting around. 00:45:25.454 --> 00:45:28.248 We got to get going. - All right. 00:45:32.836 --> 00:45:35.589 - Come on, guys, the sun's coming up. 00:45:38.133 --> 00:45:39.801 Here they come. 00:45:41.303 --> 00:45:43.722 There's always fear there, obviously. 00:45:43.805 --> 00:45:46.183 And what you get out of big-wave surfing 00:45:46.266 --> 00:45:50.228 is you learn to be able to control that fear 00:45:50.312 --> 00:45:53.440 and then use that fear to guide you 00:45:53.523 --> 00:45:56.234 and to help you make... 00:45:56.318 --> 00:45:58.820 good decisions. 00:45:58.904 --> 00:46:02.115 Right. Good. 00:46:02.199 --> 00:46:04.618 Two, three. 00:46:11.666 --> 00:46:13.960 - There you go, there you go. 00:46:14.044 --> 00:46:15.712 Uh-oh. 00:46:15.796 --> 00:46:18.423 That thing not * starting or what? 00:46:18.507 --> 00:46:21.093 Oh, for * sakes. 00:46:21.176 --> 00:46:22.803 What the *? 00:46:26.681 --> 00:46:29.559 Get that rope. Get that rope! 00:46:33.563 --> 00:46:35.315 - Was it nothing, or was it going... 00:46:35.398 --> 00:46:36.817 Like that? 00:46:38.235 --> 00:46:41.279 What was that? - It did not do that. 00:46:41.363 --> 00:46:43.323 - There's something not right to me. 00:46:43.406 --> 00:46:46.284 - Watch the drainer. - Watch that rope there. 00:46:50.580 --> 00:46:53.291 - Is it going now? - No, exhaust manifold's-- 00:46:53.375 --> 00:46:55.877 We just need to tighten that hose clamp, check. 00:46:57.504 --> 00:46:59.798 - Why don't we get Twig's ski down-- 00:46:59.881 --> 00:47:01.842 Twiggy's ski down and you guys go? 00:47:01.925 --> 00:47:03.635 - Yeah. 00:47:06.513 --> 00:47:08.682 - Okay, you got it? 00:47:17.274 --> 00:47:19.526 - After this next wave. 00:47:26.616 --> 00:47:28.410 - All right, here we go. 00:47:31.413 --> 00:47:32.789 - Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! 00:47:40.964 --> 00:47:42.883 - Yeah, this one. This one! 00:47:48.972 --> 00:47:51.141 Go, go, go, go, go! 00:47:51.224 --> 00:47:52.517 Go, Ian. 00:48:03.028 --> 00:48:05.405 Whoo-hoo-hoo! 00:48:33.642 --> 00:48:36.436 Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Yeah! 00:48:36.519 --> 00:48:38.396 - He's up on a wave. 00:48:42.484 --> 00:48:44.611 - Oh. - Uh-oh. 00:48:44.694 --> 00:48:46.404 - The one after that one. 00:48:51.368 --> 00:48:53.161 I got eyes on. 00:48:53.245 --> 00:48:55.789 He's all right. Just an impact throw. 00:48:55.872 --> 00:48:57.540 Waiting for a pickup. 00:49:08.009 --> 00:49:09.761 - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:49:11.429 --> 00:49:13.640 - That was a crazy pickup. 00:49:46.631 --> 00:49:52.304 - Whoo! - Yeah! 00:49:52.387 --> 00:49:58.268 Whoo! 00:50:03.606 --> 00:50:05.692 - Good driving from both of you. 00:50:05.775 --> 00:50:09.070 Though a couple of pickups Ian did were insane. 00:50:09.154 --> 00:50:11.865 - Bit of a rough start to the day-- 00:50:11.948 --> 00:50:14.200 one Jet Ski down. 00:50:14.284 --> 00:50:16.745 The entire exhaust pipe opened up, 00:50:16.828 --> 00:50:18.872 and you could stick your finger in it. 00:50:18.955 --> 00:50:21.541 Radical inside there. 00:50:21.624 --> 00:50:24.294 - Big--when we first got out there, it was really big. 00:50:24.377 --> 00:50:25.670 both: Rowdy. 00:50:25.754 --> 00:50:27.172 - Rowdy. Such good fun. 00:50:27.255 --> 00:50:29.299 - Just as exciting getting back out 00:50:29.382 --> 00:50:31.051 after the waves. 00:50:35.764 --> 00:50:39.517 - There's no doubt--I mean, this is a world-class zone. 00:50:39.601 --> 00:50:41.728 You know, even though we didn't score The Peak, 00:50:41.811 --> 00:50:43.313 you know, the waves that we've found, 00:50:43.396 --> 00:50:44.898 the waves that we've surfed, 00:50:44.981 --> 00:50:48.109 put this little stretch of coast on the map. 00:50:48.193 --> 00:50:51.488 And we're gonna be back for sure. 00:50:51.571 --> 00:50:54.532 And I'm sure there's gonna be a lot of other surfers 00:50:54.616 --> 00:50:57.911 wondering where this place is and wanting to get it. 00:51:03.583 --> 00:51:05.251 - We came out here 00:51:05.335 --> 00:51:08.922 with a goal to find undiscovered surf 00:51:09.005 --> 00:51:11.716 and potentially new big-wave locations. 00:51:11.800 --> 00:51:15.887 And during this trip, we were able to find way more. 00:51:15.970 --> 00:51:18.932 There are waves everywhere we look. 00:51:20.725 --> 00:51:22.936 The potential for really good surf 00:51:23.019 --> 00:51:24.521 is just littered 00:51:24.604 --> 00:51:26.564 throughout this entire coastline. 00:51:28.942 --> 00:51:31.027 - A place like this is gonna reward you 00:51:31.111 --> 00:51:33.154 for your efforts. 00:51:33.238 --> 00:51:34.572 So all these waves exist 00:51:34.656 --> 00:51:39.369 because Africa is still raw, undiscovered, wild. 00:51:39.452 --> 00:51:41.955 It's still got that feeling. 00:51:42.038 --> 00:51:45.166 I mean, from Cape Town to northern Namibia 00:51:45.250 --> 00:51:47.919 to northern Angola, it just keeps going. 00:51:48.002 --> 00:51:52.298 Kind of mind-boggling to think of the potential 00:51:52.382 --> 00:51:56.803 of how many waves there are still to be discovered. 00:51:56.886 --> 00:51:59.347 It's a lot of a time, it's a lot of commitment, 00:51:59.431 --> 00:52:01.725 but when you get those special moments, 00:52:01.808 --> 00:52:03.768 it's just so, so rewarding.