May 2, 2011 – Violent weather hit the Ala Moana Harbor causing heavy rain, hail, severe lightning, and dual water-spouts. After hours of this activity, 60,000 Honolulu area residents were left without power, while fire-crews responded to dozens of flooding reports. As far as we know there were no injuries.
These photos were taken by a friend of SWELL as the dual water-spouts enter the Ala Moana Harbor.
If these water-spouts reach land they are considered tornadoes. Notice the airplane in the background. Could you imagine if it was carrying passengers escaping the destruction of tornado alley!? Scary sight.
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Just when tow-ats and SUPs get outlawed from most line-ups, Wavejets are here for watermen lookin for a boost. WaveJet is the first company to bring a miniaturized jet drive to market for surf boards, SUP’s, rescue boards, kayaks, kite boards, and boat tenders.
Wavejet is powered by an integrated twin-lithium ion battery pack with internal twin drives, unlike the dangerous internal-combustion driven propellers of motorized surfboards from the past. It’s capable of 20 pounds of thrust, has a continuous run-time of over 30 minutes, activated through a wireless wrist controller and recharges in a standard wall socket.
Steve Walden, master shaper and craftsman has been building and perfecting longboards for over 45 years, and is considered “the father of the modern longboard.” Here’s his take on the Wavejet: “WaveJet’s propulsion drive will dramatically enhance when, where and how we surf due to conditions and location. WaveJet’s PWP is really amazing, it is an assist system that allows you to catch more waves and get extra speed thru sections. It gives you the energy you need to paddle distances. Think of PWP as a power pack for your ride.”
-PWCs banned and it’s too big to paddle at Mavs or Ghost Trees…enter the Wavejet.
-Don’t have a boat, but want to surf Hollister Ranch…enter the WaveJet.
-Tired of grovelling for two hours without ever seeing a clean section…enter WaveJet
-Busted your arm, but need surf to stay sane…get a Wavejet!
So, if you’re prone to jump on the hater bandwagon, remember what Laird said about SUPs, “A kook on a shortboard is a kook on a SUP, surfers who respect the rules of the road shouldn’t get heckled if they’re being safe and courteous.”
Founder/Inventor Mike Railey of Del Mar Ca, breaks it down down:
Q. What is the technology that WaveJet is built on?
A. Patented Personal Water Propulsion (PWP) technology invented in the US is a revolutionary, one-of-a-kind system. It’s a clean, quiet, battery-powered miniature jet drive that can be plugged into any WaveJet-ready personal watercraft, including surfboards, standup paddle boards, kayaks, inflatable’s, belly boards, DPVs and operated with a wireless controller (wrist).
Q. How fast is a WaveJet?
A. Manufacturers will be able to offer boards that run about an hour and fifteen minutes and those pods will have a top speed of about 6 mph. There is also a higher performance pod with a top speed of 10 mph that will have a run time of about 40 minutes.
Q. How much does a WaveJet weigh?
A. A WaveJet pod will add about 14 lbs to a surfboard. Surfers that are testing WaveJet powered boards say they love the additional control and balance they get from the additional weight. If you think about it, boards float on water, so once you put 20 lbs of thrust in a board, weight becomes your friend and the WaveJet becomes your jet powered assist.
Q. How does a rider control the board?
A. We put leading edge wireless technology developed by WFS Defense into an oversized wrist control. The system is very unique because the signal must travel under water. If you fall off your board the WaveJet powers off.
At $3,500 per board, we wont see packs of Wavejets filling the line-ups right away, but you can bet we’ll see surf pioneers around the world using Wavejet technology. Look out for the first line of Wavejets from Walden Surfboards mid September.
For more info, visit Wavejet.com
See more Wavejet videos here
Whats your opinion of the WaveJet? (Remember Laird’s words)
The 50th annual Bells Beach Pro is into the elimination rounds, which means the fantasy surfer results test your nerves, and so does the trash talk.
The Game: Pick the highest scoring team of 8 surfers in a given contest on a budget. The Challenge: Inflict the harshest punishment for the person with the lowest scoring team.
The Swell Fantasy Surfer office competition is not the typical fantasy sports wager. There’s no high-dollar pool, instead we go for humiliation and gut busting bets. It’s usually a damn competitive field since most of us have surfed the spots on the tour, and scores are usually in the 800pt range. This month, some of the boys backed out of the deal due to intensified wagering involving: Beer bonging a Four-Loco out of a odd shaped funnel aka “The Dong-Bong”, and some other side-bets that the dads is the office couldn’t stomach. We saw it fit to keep it filthy as not to look like some gambling sports fanatics.
Here’s three guys’ teams ready to endure the office challenge.
Bill’s Strategy: “Frick.. besides being sexy as hell.. Kelly’s moves are getting better with age.. I mean jimmeny christmas he’s my man!”
Morgan’s Strategy: “My fellow goofy-footers are under-rated at right points. Like Wilco, his blading skills are going to give him the edge”
Dave’s Strategy: “Pick surfers who ride for the event sponsor. Everyone knows they’re in bed with the judges”
Check back after the contest to witness the humiliation. Let us know if you want into our league, we may open up the challenge to our fans.
If you’re looking to improve your Fantasy Surfer skills, follow our guidlines we laid out for last year’s Teahupoo comp here.
San Clemente, CA, ON A MISSION, OAM, Proudly announces the signing of South African, Ranking #2 ASP stand out, and one of the best surfers on the planet, JORDY SMITH!
OAM CEO and owner, Raz Hodgman speaks highly of Jordy joining the team, “Jordy is a great human, a phenomenal surfer, and in a league of his own. He is a world class athlete and will continue to be at the top of the tour rankings, blowing our minds now and in the years to come. We are stoked to have him aboard!
Jordy Smith comments on his new relationship with On A Mission, “I am really happy to be a part of the team. I always looked up to the On A Mission riders growing up and now I am stoked to be one of them!”
About ON A MISSION
On A Mission is the leader in surf accessory innovation and design. The company was founded 1992 by professional surfers for surfers. Icons such as the Malloy brothers, Benji Weatherly, Shane Dorian, Taylor Knox, Ross Williams, and Taylor Steele together with a new breed of OAM Athletes that are all crucial in the design and process to ensure optimal rider performance product.
ON A MISSION TEAM
Jordy Smith, Mitch Coleborn, Bede Durbidge, Taylor Knox, Michel Bourez, Jay Davies, Brent Dorrington, Sterling Spencer, Alex Gray, Benji Weatherley, Nate Yeomans, Joel Centeio, Damien Farehnfort, Torrey Meister, Jesse Hines s, And more…
Click product to see SWELL's entire OAM collection
