i went back this afternoon to check the waves and it was pretty junky. too windy and ugly. lucky i went earlier and had the whole ocean to myself! a great memory for a very rare hurricane. next one 22 years later?

the honolulu fire department was out at diamond head looking for somebody. our firefighters are some of the best in the world!

a few days ago, there was panic throughout hawaii. kind of sad watching people buying more than they need. why can’t people be more calm and smart? going to tohoku after the tsunami, i learned that it is better to just get what you need so everybody can survive. it’s not a time to be selfish.

and since nothing happened, i bet you that the return lines tomorrow at all stores will be very long. once again, pretty sad.

and what’s more sad is some stores took advantage of people in need. selling a $3 case of water for $15? that is called price gouging and it is very illegal here in hawaii. businesses like that should be shut down. how can you take advantage of our people at a time like this? where’s the aloha? unbelievable.

hey, ever tried to eat this fish sashimi style before? i tried it for the first time the other night and it was amazing. i see this fish all over south japan and all over indonesia when i go diving. they are in schools and i never shot one before because they don’t look too appetizing. but after trying it, i’m sure i’ll spear a few on the next dive trip i go on. it taste so good!
welcome back to normal life. everything should be fine come tomorrow morning. waikiki reopened earlier tonight and it was packed. they were stores already selling “I Survived Hurricane Iselle” tshirts. i’m sure a lot of tourists will buy one. not me. haha.

i got up early this morning to check the waves. it was still small but i knew it was going to get big fast. i loaded up some boards in the truck and went to check diamond head. diamond head catches the east swell the best and with the 40mph winds, it makes the waves double in quantity, and double in size. i get there and it was building and building. nobody or no surfer in sight. i jump back in the truck and head more east because the more east you go, the bigger it gets. i pull up to my secret spot and nobody was out. i wax up, paddle out into the stormy surf. very challenging, but if you find the right wave, very good! i duck dove 40 big waves before i finally made it out. surfed a solid 1 hour session and caught 6 great waves. how big? don’t know. biggest i’ve ever seen there break. it was like a giant washing machine. and the current running left to right like a river. i see 3 guys on the rocks thinking about paddling out. i watched from the water and seen them try. no way. current takes them down the coast. see 2 more surfers and watch them try. no way. current takes them down the coast. i catch a few more waves and come in. great hurricane session!

the roads were empty. the governor told everybody to stay inside their house. i think everybody over reacted here in hawaii, but i guess being safe is better.

i take out a bigger board for the bigger waves. a Matchi 6’2 four fin that worked like magic. great paddling, great drive, and very responsive. felt pretty comfortable out there.

i come in, a few people were looking at me from their house windows thinking “that guy is either stupid or crazy.” it was windy, rainy, and just like a typhoon.
it’s 1:30pm and i can see the waves getting even bigger. going to go for another surf. where? don’t know until i check. and to all my friends who sent me emails and texts concerned about my safety in hawaii, thank you very much. this is what i’ve been doing for the past 22 years in japan and i’m stoked to be able to do it right in my back yard.

Yes! Go-NAMINORI!