It has taken me two years, since SurfNewsNetwork.com’s inception, to realize how inaccurate the hotline and mind-bogglingly slow the online service really is.  The information hotline, toting high-profile sponsors like Blue Planet and Wahoo’s Fish Taco is not the kind of quality service one should expect from a Hawaii-based surf information service.

Following the recent north shore swell, dedicated south shore surfers such as myself expected a “wrap” of some sort.  I called 596-SURF on Sunday morning expecting a little bump in the water only to be informed that the south shore—even Diamond Head—was a meager “0-1.5 feet (Hawaiian size).”

Disappointed and half-surrendering to the reality that I would not be surfing today, I called my friend who lived by the water for a report.  He called back promptly and said, “Bring your shortboard.  It’s roping.”

“Are you sure?” I asked for clarification.  The report says it’s flat.  He reassured me that longboarding was out of the question and, checking online report one last time (just in case), geared up for what would be a small day (as Surf News Network suggested) or an epic one (as it turned out to be).

Monday proceeded in exactly the same fashion except, instead of believing the 0-1 foot south shore report, I didn’t think twice and paddled out to perfect 2-3 foot conditions.

I am erasing 596-SURF from my phone list and deleting it from my online Bookmarks.  No matter where you live on the island, you can’t be farther than 20 minutes from the ocean.  Don’t trust the report!  Trust yourself and even if it’s flat as a pancake you will have peace of mind knowing that your life doesn’t depend on a phone call.

• Surf Swell Expected on North and East Oahu Shores
• Wind Causing Poor Surfing Conditions
• Big surf for the South Shore this Week

               
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