🏄‍♀️ "I loved how you almost died at Mavericks" 🥰

👋 Happy end of the week! Another bumper edition. Let’s get straight into it.

🏄‍♀️ Let’s surf:

• Buying a used board needs no drama

• Best named beginner break: Jacking Horse

• Hanging ten

• Where the hell is the boat?!

• I loved how you almost died at Mavericks ❤️

• How to pop up like a pro

• 🎙️Writing TV & surfing in Hawai’i with Noah Evslin

^SURFODRAMA

😱 Buying a used board needs no drama

Buying second-hand can save you hundreds of dollars, but it’s terribly easy to buy a total dud if you don’t know what to look for.

So this is your ultimate guide to buying a second-hand surfboard like a pro, including what to check, what to avoid, and a dedicated section on foam boards (because yes—they have their own red flags).

🧐 First, know what you need

• What size/shape/volume are you looking for?

• What’s your level?

• What kind of waves are you surfing?

Don’t get seduced by a good price on a board that’s totally wrong for you. It happens all too often. Like ALL THE TIME. Do not do it! 🥰

🚨 Let's talk about the absolute no-nos:

• Delamination (delam): Soft, bubbly spots where the fiberglass separates from the foam.

• Buckling: Long, thin creases across the deck—often a sign of the board being close to snapping.

• Water damage: Yellow or brown discoloration (especially in spots) = water’s gotten in.

• Snapped and repaired: Avoid unless you're buying a wall decoration.

• Covered in art to hide any bad repairs. Yeah, some people are assholes.

• Evident, gigantic holes that make you ask: did you go to the shop and price the repair already and it’s just not worth repairing? Again, some people...

🤑 A few pricing tips
You are a smart cookie, you already know this.

• If a board is suspiciously cheap, assume something’s wrong.

• If it has tons of dings or a weird repair? Lowball or walk away.

• Compare the used price to what it would cost new (don’t overpay for junk).

🛒 Final buyer etiquette

• Inspect in daylight. Use a phone light if needed.

• Bring a towel (to lay it down safely).

• Don't feel rushed. A 5-minute inspection can save you $300 in repairs.

• Lowball respectfully—especially if repairs are needed.

• Walk away if the seller seems sketchy or pushy.

Buying second-hand can be a smart move—but surfboards aren’t like bikes or guitars. They’re watercraft, and water gets in everywhere if things go wrong.

So go in with your eyes open, your fingernails ready to feel for cracks, and your BS radar on. If it feels off—it probably is.

Check this out for a step by step inspection guide, and how to inspect the foamies, too!

^{SURF SPOT SPOTLIGHT}

Best named beginner surf break: Jacking Horse

Jacking Horse is a beginner-friendly wave on Siargao Island in the Philippines—just a short paddle down from the legendary (and way more intimidating) Cloud 9. The break derives its name from the distinctive behavior of its waves—the dynamic motion of waves in that spot resembles the bucking of a horse, hence the moniker "Jacking Horse."

🌊 The surf
Jacking Horse breaks over reef, but it’s a forgiving one. Although it's a reef break, it has the feel of a beach break with a sandy bottom, making it more forgiving for those new to surfing. The wave forms a lovely, playful shoulder and peels slowly, making it perfect for learners moving from whitewater to green waves. It’s consistent during surf season, with fun-sized rights and lefts depending on the tide.

🚿 Water quality
Usually clean and tropical-clear, especially outside of heavy rain. Siargao has improved its waste management in recent years, but as always, post-storm runoff can affect clarity.

👙 Wardrobe
No wetsuit needed. The water is warm year-round—think 27–30°C (80–86°F). Just bring a long-sleeve rash guard for sun protection and maybe booties if you're nervous about reef cuts.

☀️ Best time for beginners to go
September to May is the ideal surf window. The smaller waves from Sept to early Dec are great for true beginners. Avoid peak swell months (Dec–Feb) if you’re not confident in reefy conditions.

⚠️ Hazards
The reef is real, but it’s not shallow enough to worry most days—unless you wipe out hard at low tide. Always surf with reef awareness, but don’t let it intimidate you. Watch for longboard traffic; it’s a popular spot for foamies and first-timers.

🏄 Rentals + lessons
Tons of instructors hang out along the beach near Cloud 9 and can walk or paddle you over to Jacking Horse. Most offer 1:1 lessons with gear included. Lessons typically cost ~$20–$30 USD/hour, and boards can be rented for $10–$15/day.

🍉 When you’re not surfing

• Walk the Cloud 9 boardwalk and watch the pros get barrelled

• Motorbike to Magpupungko Rock Pools or take a boat trip to Naked Island🛥️

• Book a post-surf massage or sunset yoga session near General Luna

🧳 Solo friendly?
Extremely. Siargao is a backpacker magnet and one of the easiest places in Southeast Asia to make surf buddies.

^{WORD OF THE WEEK}

👣 Hang Ten

Hanging ten is the most advanced form of trimming the wave, and the end point of cross-stepping to the front of the surfboard.

This maneuver can only be done on a suitable longboard (typically 9–10 feet or more). According to the Encyclopedia of Surfing, hanging ten is possible only in small waves — up to 4 feet.

Despite how casual the term sounds, hanging ten is notoriously difficult. It’s often called one of the hardest tricks in surfing — a move that requires impeccable timing, wave positioning, and footwork. Noseriding really came to “define” the top surfers of the 1950s.

🕶 Who started it?
“Hang Ten” first popped up in surf culture in the early 1950s on the beaches of Southern California.

In 1951, legendary surfer Dale “The Hawk” Velzy stunned onlookers at Manhattan Beach by walking all the way to the nose of his 10-foot surfboard and dangling all ten toes off the edge while riding a wave.

Surfers had traditionally stayed farther back on their boards, so Velzy’s nose-walking feat was pretty groundbreaking. It’s possible that some hang tens were performed by Waikiki surfers in the ’40s, but they were known to return to the trimming position.

As such, surf historians credit Velzy as the first to “hang ten” on a surfboard — and the rest is history.

🧢 The Legends of Hang Ten
It became one of the most recognizable bits of surf lingo. Famous surfers who performed hang tens early in surf history include Californians Mickey Dora, Mickey Muñoz, and Dewey Weber in the late ’50s.

It fell out of fashion in the ’60s with the shortboard revolution.

🚫 What about Hang Five?
And of course, you know about a “hang five” — hanging one foot’s five toes over the nose — but that’s considered a halfway house compared to the full glory of a hang ten, so we will not talk about it.

^{GIRL-WHO-MISSED-THE-BOAT}

🏄‍♀️ Where on earth is the boat? Asks Di 🛥️

🏄‍♀️ We’re convinced that Di just wants to scare us all away from Nicaragua so she can hog the waves for herself.

Disappearing boats, jellyfish swarms, wipeout central…

Warning: You may never surf again after reading this!

Read her story

Follow us on IG @girlswhocantsurfgood

^{WAVE OF THE WEEK}

🌊 Mavericks: Northern California’s most deadly wave

I don’t get starstruck very often. But I guess I must’ve totally blanked out when I bumped into Gerard Butler (The Phantom of the Opera and Den of Thieves more recently) because instead of saying something smart, I blurted out, “I loved how you almost died at Mavericks.” ❤️

Mavericks is an insane wave in so many ways. How otherwise would I describe the fact that for decades, a wave that on a good day reaches 20 feet, and on an “epic” day climbs up to 60 feet, stayed hidden from the surf community? And it’s not like it’s in the middle of nowhere. It’s just off Pillar Point in Half Moon Bay (Pumpkin Festival ahoy, and some pretty decent seafood)—a 30-minute drive from San Francisco.

And yet, for 15 years (starting in 1975), a local surfer Jeff Clark surfed Mavericks alone. Not that he wanted it that way—he was happy to have some company in the lineup. But no one wanted to join him. Imagine someone telling you that there’s a wave that’s like or better than Waimea on your doorstep and you just go “meh.” You could not make this stuff up.

To be fair, three other surfers did surf the inside waves at Pillar Point in 1961, and the break is named after a German shepherd—Maverick—who followed the group into the water.

What happened next?! How is Gerard Butler involved in all of this? And what’s the biggest wave surfed at Mavericks? Read on.

^{WEEKLY POPUP}

👷🏻‍♀️ How to pop up like a total pro

Did you ever wonder how the pros pop up? Thanks to Brent Rose, a filmmaker and producer for Wired and Discovery, we can now study the best—frame by frame—and steal a few of their secrets.

👣 Everyone pops up differently
First of all, what do pros do that’s different? The short version: it’s not all one way.

Some drop both feet at once (Kelly Slater, John John Florence). Others plant their back foot first, then swing the front one through (Carissa Moore, Steph Gilmore, Jordy Smith). Some twist their chest toward the wave before they even pop up. Others stay square until they’re already flying.

🤲 Hand placement matters
Almost all the pros had their hands planted near their waist or lower ribs—not up near their chest. That lower placement gives you better lift and keeps your chest low.

Bonus: many had their inside hand slightly behind the other. This opens your chest toward the wave and helps create space for your front foot to land cleanly. And here I thought staggered hands were a beginner crutch—yet so many pros do it.

🦶Back foot first, then front
Now, about the feetsies. It’s mostly back foot first, then front. So forget the idea that both feet need to land at the exact same time in the explosive pop-up.

Most pros did a three-step pop-up:
Hands down.
Back foot lands.
Front foot swings through.

The gap is small, but it’s there—and intentional. That back foot helps create drive and sets your base before your front foot commits.

👀 Look where you’re going
We’ve talked about the importance of looking in surfing many times before. You really should be looking down the line before you pop up. Most pros are already looking down the line before their feet even hit the board. They’re committed to the direction, and their body just follows. Note to self: get your eyes right, everything else follows.

🌀 Compression = control
In other news, Steph Gilmore and Felipe Toledo both showed how much compression matters. They start low and spring out of it—like a loaded coil. You don’t need to be an Olympian, but that low, fast pop-up gives you more control and flow into your first turn.

Hope this helps to inspire you to do some land practice!

^{THE WIPEOUT WEEKLY PODCAST}

 🌺 Surf, storytelling & Hawai‘i: A conversation with Noah Evslin

How do TV shows get surfing and Hawai‘i right? They hire Hawai‘i-born, Hawai‘i-based surfer-writers. 🤗

Writer and surfer Noah Evslin joins The Wipeout Weekly to talk about growing up on Kaua‘i, working on NCIS: Hawai‘i and Rescue: HI-Surf, and why telling authentic Hawaiian stories matters.

Available on your favorite podcast platform—or click here to listen.

⬆️ Aaaaaaand that was the last wave of the week!
If a friend forwarded this and you liked it, hit subscribe & join us! We will see you all next week! 🌊

^HOUSEKEEPING

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