At IPD, we love Hawaii. One of our founders is from Oahu, we have some of the raddest ambassadors between the whole island chain, and we love to do photoshoots and other activities over there whenever we have the opportunity. On top of all of this, we are a mostly remote company with employees spread out all over, with a handful holding down the Costa Mesa office. One of our employees, let’s call him the marketing man, as that is his duty, just did a two week long stint in the middle of February. Let’s tap into his recollection of the trip.
What’s up crew! Marketing man here. Firing feb, ever hear of it? This past month has been one of the most action packed months in recent memory, with some claiming ever. To be there when all this was going on was beyond a blessing. Now, I’ll surf some waves with some size but i know my limits. I think that was the best part: it was definitely bombing some days, but never so big you couldn’t surf or it was just a washing machine. Unique swells and sand set ups kept it user friendly to a degree (note: pipeline and other gnarly waves are never user friendly). What did I bring?
THE ESSENTIALS I PACKED: FACEPLANT BOARD SHORTS, CHASE BOARD SHORTS, SOLID SCALLOP, ATLAS HAT, SHADE JACKET, GLASSY SHIRT, RUDY SHIRT, AND A BUNCH OF SWEET GRAPHIC TEES.
SURFBOARDS: 5’9” (NEVER SURFED) / 6’0” / 6’3” / 6’5” / 6’8”
One of the best perks of hopping over to oahu is that we get to hang with our crew of ambassadors. Every now and then, especially in the summer, a handful will take the trip over to California and say what’s up. But since we were in town, most of the gang showed up to chop it up and surf. Mostly to take over rocky point or shoot some content, there were a couple guys who we were constantly getting sessions with us, showing us the ropes, and hooting us into some waves.
Back to the surf and swells we got while being over there. Like mentioned above, we never had to ride any grovely surfboards or surf. The smallest we saw rocky point was six feet (california measurement). The largest surf was small Waiemea, second reefing pipe, and sunset beach that required a gun rather than a stepup. We stuck to sunset, rockies, pipe, and off the wall, and there wasn’t a day that one of those spots wasn’t providing. The best part? All within biking distance. The surf would come up, peak, come down, and repeat for the whole trip. There were only 2 days of crooked wind. A handful of days with strong trades. And some days with light wind, a personal favorite especially if the waves have some size. There’s nothing worse than getting held up in the lip of a 10 footer. Overall, the trip was beyond a score. Let’s call it a super score.
Once we wrapped up a session, it was boardies (sometimes wet, sometimes dry) paired with a tee and off to go grind some food. There aren’t as many options as you would think on the main stretch of the north shore (excluding Haleiwa), but the good news is the options are top tier. We found ourselves hitting pupukea grill, the elephant truck thai, and foodland for poke on the daily, sometimes twice in one day. We had some snacks at the house, but when you’re there you gotta taste the local flavors. Each morning started with some fresh brewed Lion coffee and ended with a meal that made it pretty easy to go to bed right after.
All in all, it was a beyond epic trip. Where else can you go, pack minimal clothes, eat great food, and score some of the best waves in the world? The reality: a lot of places. But with only a 5 hour plane ride from HQ and a typically affordable ticket fair, Hawaii is a no brainer for any wave hungry surfer in California. Hit some of the spots we mentioned, try some new ones, and just soak it all in. Surf to your ability, keep it safe, and use good judgement, because these waves definitely can bite back. If in doubt, listen to the lifeguards.
