Surf's up!

**Hawaiian Raider** · 01-20-2013, 10:07 AM

Rescue personnel from the Kauai Fire Department retrieved the body of one drowning victim this morning in waters off Kauai's North Shore, and the search for a second victim has been suspended until Sunday morning.

Rough seas on Friday prevented rescuers from recovering the bodies of the two men after they were swept out to sea.

“We extend our deepest and most heartfelt sympathies to the families of the victims,” said Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho, Jr., who is in Washington, D.C., attending the annual U.S. Conference of Mayors. “This is a terrible tragedy and our entire community mourns with you.”

The men, both from San Francisco, have been identified as 46-year-old Adam Griffiths and 47-year-old Brian Baker.

Fire officials said the men were traveling with three other friends and exploring the rocky coastal area south of Kalihiwai Bay late Friday afternoon when Baker was swept into the ocean by high surf. Griffiths dove in to assist Baker and was also overcome by high surf, officials said.

A high-surf warning by the National Weather Service remains in effect until 6 a.m. Sunday for the north- and west-facing shores of Oahu, Kauai, Maui and Molokai and the west-facing shores of Hawaii island. Kauai County’s Ocean Safety Bureau has closed Kee, Haena and Pine Trees beaches and are allowing only limited swimming at Hanalei Pier due to dangerous ocean conditions.

Honolulu police say a man pulled from waters near Makaha Beach Friday afternoon has died.

The man was identified as 40-year-old Eassie Miller of Waianae.

The incident occurred shortly after 4 p.m. Rescue crews say the man was swimming at the south side of the beach with two other people when they noticed he was in trouble.

Ocean Safety helped pull him to shore and performed CPR on the man until paramedics arrived. He was transported to the hospital in critical condition, according to EMS officials.

The waves were 6-8 feet with bigger sets and strong currents at the time.

An autopsy will be conducted next week.

Hapuna Beach at Hapuna Beach State Park is closed for the morning due to unsafe surf and water conditions.

DLNR officials say the surges from the ocean are going too far up on shore and may cause problems for people. Ocean waves are reportedly 10-12 feet and the water is going as high as the vegetation on the northern end of the beach.

Lifeguards from Hawaii County Ocean Safety will inform the DLNR Division of State Parks it is safe to reopen the beach later today.

**Hawaiian Raider** · 01-22-2013, 12:14 PM

This is what it's all about people. While I've never been in this deep on a wave this big, I have been in.

**ottomatic1** · 01-22-2013, 08:48 PM

Guess Hawaii is a pretty tough place for tourists and the pipeline is scary looking.

Almost got broken in half backwards and drowned the first time I tried to ride on a big wave my first time ever to surf on a friends surfboard. I was getting balance and was starting to feel the speed riding in on normal waves close to shore just sorta kneeling and holding on. I was getting braver and not even thinking about the deep water underneath me when I paddled out to the outer, bigger waves forming farther from shore.

after floating around out there for a while letting the current take me a bit I started seeing oil rigs clearly and it started getting dark. I realized I was being greedy waiting for the "perfect" wave. So I decided to hitch a ride on the next wave I could. Then I sorta felt the ocean start to swell and went with it. I was beginning to think of sharks and big things swimming beneath me and remember wanting to be on the beach a.s.a.p. for some reason.

I was still holding on to the board laying on top of it and the wave started started getting real big and fast breaking faster than I thought it would. I never even stood up. I just remember looking up thinking how tall it was getting,then I don't really know what happened... I remember feeling the weight of the water falling on me Just sorta got sucked into a washing machine and panicked.I straightened out I guess and remember thinking if I don't quit fighting I'm going to break my back.The water literally had me at is mercy and i was nothing more than a piece of seaweed. Then next thing i know was being scraped on the floor of the beach and it was over... I went back to my boogie board after that short day of surfing and never feel like floating to the big fast waves. Those few moments of being dominated by the water put the fear in me for life.

**Hawaiian Raider** · 02-07-2013, 01:45 PM

... surfed for the better part of my life - and I took this for granted.

What I'd do for one more shot at my youth.

**Fabbulous** · 02-07-2013, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by Hawaiian Raider

... surfed for the better part of my life - and I took this for granted.

What I'd do for one more shot at my youth.

What I'd do for one shot with her.

**Hawaiian Raider** · 02-07-2013, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by Fabbulous

What I'd do for one shot with her.

You would have had to have been there to understand where I'm coming from: the Vietnam war in full swing, the "Summer of Love", psychedelic music, black-light posters - no internet, no cell phones, no video recorders, no microwave ovens ... .

Whereas today there are the thongs, in those days the girls would wear skimpy bikinis that showed the top half of their butt crack - fully exposed. And for those of us that grew up at that time that thrived in the surf community, we didn't give it a second thought. But if you were a soldier from the midwest that was in Honolulu for Rest & Recreation from the Vietnam war, those bikinis would make your eyes pop out!

I use to paddle and surf with some of the most KNOCK OUT babes in the world - no bull sh't. A lot of them still look good today, pushing 60. I can see the water glistening off their ass cheeks now, as the sun is setting and the crowd is thinning. More than likely, going to party with them later that night. The surf community was a much tighter one back in the 60s and 70s than they are now - everybody knew everybody.

I'm definitely going through a period in my life right now - I've entered myself into therapy. Life is short.

While not this exact spot at this exact time, I have been here and done that:

**Hawaiian Raider** · 02-08-2013, 01:23 PM

When I was young ...

and while I'm old too.

**Hawaiian Raider** · 02-09-2013, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Hawaiian Raider

I can see the water glistening off their ass cheeks now, ...

**TDraiders** · 02-09-2013, 10:23 AM

keep on bumpin'
hellofathread

**Hawaiian Raider** · 02-09-2013, 09:25 PM

**Hawaiian Raider** · 02-10-2013, 10:08 AM

A surfer died in high surf at Hanalei Bay Saturday, Kauai County officials said.

Friends noticed the Kilauea man's surfboard had drifted to shore at about 5 p.m. But there was no sign of the man.

His friends called 911 after searching without success for the man for about a half-hour

The Fire Department helicopter spotted the man's body in the waters off Hanalei Bay and lifeguards recovered the body using personal watercraft. He was pronounced dead on shore.

A Kauai County spokeswoman said the man is the fifth ocean drowning victim this year. His name is being withheld pending notification of relatives.

A high surf warning continues on north shores of Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai and Niihau until 6 p.m. tonight. West shores of Kauai, Niihau and Molokai are also under the warning.

A high surf advisory is in effect for west shores of Oahu, Maui and Hawaii island.

Waves are expected to continue to reach heights of 20 to 25 feet on north shores and 15 to 20 feet on west shores.

The National Weather Service says the large, breaking surf is hazardous and can create dangerous currents that could cause significant injury or death.

Those 3 stories posted at the top of page 3 were all from the same day.

**Fabbulous** · 02-10-2013, 10:23 AM

Damn, it's a dangerous sport without a doubt.

**Hawaiian Raider** · 02-10-2013, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by Fabbulous

Damn, it's a dangerous sport without a doubt.

As I've posted before, a lot of us in the surf community know each other, more so back in my hey-day.

While I don't know this guy personally, I have a friend that knows him and sent me an email this morning. His name hasn't been released yet, but I know it to be Rick Prozka - described by my close surfing-buddy from back in the day as a "hard charging" surfer that's been on the Island of Kauai for some time now.

Our condolences to the friends and family of Rick Prozka.