Now let’s go back and confirm one thing.  If you fly Peach Airlines, you better know how to pack correctly.  I was misinformed about a lot of things leading up to the previous trip so I made sure to get answers this time.  Surfboard bags can only have 2 surfboards in, it has to be under 20 kilograms, and the length CANNOT exceed 220 cm.  Basically, your board bag has to be 7’2 MAXIMUM length!

And if your board bag is 7’6 like Kimura-san’s, you better think smart.  Bring packing tape and make your board bag back into a 7’2.  Thank goodness we brought packing tape!

Once you arrive in Taiwan safely with your surfboards, you can take a deep breath, stretch out, and celebrate!

Hit the nearest local market and start trying everything you see.

Don’t ask what you’re eating because nobody speaks English at these local markets.  Just try it.

And remember never to waste.  Taiwanese eat every single animal part so you better too.

There is no ice at the local markets so the pork will be warm, have some flies on it, and pretty stinky.  But once it’s steamed in a dumpling, it’s all good!

As we drove down the coast, you could clearly still see the damage from the big earthquake that happened earlier this year.  To be honest, I was scared taking this drive because it was pretty dangerous.  You could see the landslides everywhere you looked.  Loose rocks hanging high along the cliffs of the mountains, and loose rocks all over the roads.  Scary!

Pacific side fish market in Taiwan.

Good morning 4:15am.
North shore 3-5′ and coming up this afternoon.
Ala Moana chest high and onshore.
Diamond Head shoulder high and onshore.
South winds at 15mph.
Sun, clouds, and showers.
Have a wonderful day!

How did Joshua Moniz win the prestigious WSL Haleiwa Pro?  Well, he recorded five 9 point rides throughout his heats.  He was surfing so good since his first heat.  When Joshua surfs good, he’s very hard to beat because his power and precision surfing is flawless.  This was his first win since the 2018 Volcom Pipeline Pro and I’m hoping he gets into the Pipeline Masters that starts this weekend.  Let him in!

Josh is one of the sweetest and kindest kids you will ever meet.  Good surfer, good diver, good cook, and overall a good human being.   This victory is well deserved.

This past swell was one of the best in a while.  The waves were so good and the crowds were thin.  I saw a lot of empty barrels paddling out.

I get excited just looking into a barrel like this.

This is why Bowls is the best left hander in town.

OMG, did you hear about the model that got washed off the rocks in Thailand?  She was sitting on the rocks, a freak set came, and she was gone.  I saw the video of her trying to survive in the water as nobody jumped in to help her.  Seeing that made me really sad.  If that was Hawaii, someone would have guaranteed jumped in to save her.  And it happened just a few days before her wedding.  Please be safe everyone.  The ocean can take a life in seconds so respect it and don’t take any chances.  It’s just not worth it.