17-year-old Josh Hughes rides The Cribbar

Congratulations to Newquay ripper Josh Hughes who, at 17, this week became almost certainly the youngest surfer to ride The Cribbar. I met Josh and saw him surf at the O'Neill Highland Open a couple of months ago, and it was clear then that he's a young man of courage, determination and talent.

An excellent effort, and Josh is justifiably stoked: "I've always wanted to surf it," he said. "It felt amazing." But is the wave pictured really 25ft, as described by just about all media, for example The Telegraph?

Who knows, for wave measurement is a dark art. Yesterday, for example, I paddled out at Sennen Cove at around 8pm (a good time for a surf - the crowds start to thin out). From the car park the waves looked to be comfortably head high on the sets. So it was in the water, though initially, on Steve Lynton's magic board, I had a Groundhog Day few moments. I'd paddle for what looked like a good wave, only for it to back off. Was this to be another of my long list of frustrating surfs?

No, for after about 15 minutes a nice left came my way. It was my first wave, and it was a good one. A good wave sets the tone for the session, and I was well and truly in the mood by the time a seriously decent set wave came through a little later. I caught it and had an awesome ride, Steve's board - one set up for big wave surfing - turning on a sixpence, at speed, and allowing some great carves. Even better, Steve, who sold me the board a week or so ago, happened to be paddling back out a little further down the line just as I caught the wave. He saw the whole thing and it felt good to paddle back out and tell him what a superb board he'd sold me. "It took 14 different versions to get right," said Steve, who's having another, in the image of that which he sold me, shaped now.

But back to wave measurement. How big was my 'seriously decent' wave? We've had a week of solid swell here on the far western front - I'd say chest to head high on most days. Yesterday's awesome left (I'm still stoked now, and slept badly last night for thinking about it) was easily over head high on the drop, with a wave face, on the peak, of perhaps 8-10ft. Having bottom turned, it lined up at head high, a solid 6ft face.

That's what I think, and that's what it felt like, but hang on, what's that? It's someone from Hawaii telling me that, actually, my wave was 3ft at most, while Josh's can't have been any bigger than 8ft. Over there, of course, they measure waves from the back.

It's a tricky subject, wave measurement. I guess the best system is by body comparison. We all know what head high means, what double overhead is, what waist high denotes. We rarely seem to agree on more precise measurements. How often do you hear a surfer say a wave was 9ft? Or 11ft? Or 16ft? Waves of such dimensions must exist, and yet you never hear them mentioned.

As for me, whether yesterday's left was 10ft or 4ft, I'm as stoked as Josh. Surfing - it's all relative.   

Comments

[ieuan davies]

DUDE fairplay but you ROCK!!!!

wicked wave (:
bet your happy you took the chance

[Simon]

More footage from the Cribber day.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-278dK09QQQ

[Eddie]

Well done Josh, brave young lad, brought back memories of me teaching his Dad to surf off Wigan pier !!! Well done Josh x

[allie]

I dont care how they measure waves in Hawaii i'm interested in the size of the bit that you could fall down if you get it wrong. Fab wave tho Josh, good on ya