Huahine is in the middle of a massive tropical storm bringing monsoonal rain, winds and massive tubular waves to the far off fringing reef. These photos were taken from shore with zoom up to 1200 mm equivalent.
In order to give you perspective, check out this photo which shows where I shot from on land during one of the lulls in the rain. You can see the waves on the horizon on the fringing reef.
Waves form tubes like this when big ocean swells hit shallow reefs.
Some waves like the one below, blow out due to the erratic nature of the storm, but I think they are beautiful too. I don’t look at waves in terms of their surfability.
This wave below had a broken, or double tube!
Here’s another blown out beauty.
The Huahine locals went out in force in their outriggers to watch the show from just inside the reef break zone. Here they are getting ready, you can see the breaks on the reef in the horizon.
Paddling out in outriggers was a beautiful sight.
Cheers to your from still storming, still spectacular, Huahine~
.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Hope you’re high up wherever you are staying! XO
I cannot conceive of this quantity of rain! Amazing, particularly as I come from drought ridden California!
I bet!!!
Spectacular! Nice lens!
Mil grazi Gary!
Great shots on those majestic waves! ٩(˘◡˘)۶
They were fascinating to watch, so distant and chaotic~
Amazing shots. Everyone seems so enlivened by the storm. I like how you don’t look at waves in terms of surfability!
I grew up in the surfing culture, my ex-husband, my brother, all my old boyfriends are devoted surfers. I am used to assessing waves for their surfability because of this. Now I just watch their beauty and can ignore whether or not they are “closed out” or “blown out” or not-surfable.
That’s the perfect combination! You can make distinctions about the waves and have a vocabulary for them, yet you are free to enjoy their intrinsic beauty. Thanks, Cindy!
Yes, plus all my vacations are not to surf spots!!!! Laughing…..
That is rather freeingi! LOL
Beautiful photos Cindy 😀 Enjoy
Merci beaucoup mon ami!
Absolutely magical. I just love the power.
Yes, I find the power of the ocean mesmerizing!
Love them.
Me too, glad you do!
You’ve captured the most amazing serenity within the wildness of these waves. Am I blind? Searching for an e-mail.
I never thought of the serenity within the wildness, but that is a perfect description. I don’t want to publish my email here, but you have it in your blog followers list and I welcome your mail~
Reblogged this on darkpathunion.
Touched by your thoughtfulness. Thank you~
Welcome 🙂
Gorgeous Cindy! Surf’s up!
It surely is! You can hear pounding in our thatched bungalow from way out on the fringing reef~
Fantastic shots… thank you 😊
Thank you more for appreciating!
Fantastic pictures Cindy. Stay safe but enjoy your holiday and keep the pictures coming.
xxx Huge Hugs xxx
I am happy you enjoyed them David & cheers to you~
Absolutely amazing, Cindy! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you more for appreciating!
Most impressive captures!! Dramatic scenes like this is a feast for the photographer and the viewer.
Until yesterday I had no idea how much fun just taking pics of waves could be. It adds a whole new dimension!
I know. 🙂
Fabulous waves and wonderful outriggers.
There were probably 50 outriggers out near the reef. I hope to get more pics of them today. They are just incredibly thrilling to watch, especially realizing Polynesians have been using outriggers for thousands of years! Gives me goosebumps and I want to see more!
Will you try one out?
I am still beached and not allowed in the ocean re: doctor’s orders which is a real bummer. I was invited to go on one to get closer to the waves and see things you can’t see from land. I would soooooo love to! I have done it before but now I have the waterproof camera that I only used once. These coral cuts are still infected, and I am on three antibiotics, but I do think I see some improvement today because I am keeping the bandages off despite doc orders and it seems to be drying them out. Sorry for TMI! But it is HOT today and I want to be in the ocean!
How times change. When we had cuts and coral cuts we had to stay out of chlorinated pools but we were encouraged to spend as long as we liked in healing sea water. 🙂
I wish times hadn’t changed. I did go back in the ocean the day after the cuts even though and I knew I wasn’t supposed too, before they got infected, and that is when the infection set in. I had fire coral before, but it was nothing compared to these babies~
🙁 🙁 🙁
Wonderful images. I know I’d stay safely in photo 2 rather than the last one! RH
Yes, I noticed no one was actually going into the waves, but keeping a respectful distance and watching. Today may be another story!
Amazing waves! Even in a stormy season is so much beauty.Still need to be careful!
Today the storm has passed but the waves are still here! Looking forward to watching the action on the reef!
The waves look beautiful as you said but at the same time they look a bit scary too 🙂
Getting caught on the reef yesterday would be scary indeed!
Fabulous photos Cindy. And so exciting!
Alison
It was thrilling just to watch!
Stunning pictures Cindy 🙂
Muchas gracias!
Magnificent captures of the wave! I know how difficult it is to get shot like these…
It was my first time trying waves like these and it was a lot of fun!
I love these photographs,Cindy.
So glad you do my friend and cheers!
Do you ever miss the Holler? Does the Holler ever miss you?
Yes to both! Laughing…….
These are great shots you took. The beauty of the storm captured well —–
🙂 cate
So happy you enjoyed them and cheers to you~
Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
Have only surfed as a child with a half board but even I can see these waves would be popular with surfers and kayakers alike.. via the amazing Cindy Knoke
You are very kind and most appreciated!
Great shots Cindy ~ the storm surf looks amazing (and dangerous)…storms can be so beautiful.
I imagine that most of the islands in the South Pacific wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the protective fringing reefs that are so beautiful especially viewed from the air!
Cindy, these are such beautiful photos that show the power of nature at her finest and the inquisitive, courageous people who have learned to appreciate the challenges of life.
It creates awe to think of Polynesians using outriggers like these to navigate the Pacific thousands of years ago and then to see an island where hundreds of them are still in daily use by the descendants of these ancient Polynesians. Incredible!
It would take a brave soul to head into those waves! Great closeup shots Cindy. An impressive and awesome surf.
Watching the locals in their outriggers, I felt they were in their element, raised to do this! So beautiful~
Really incredible photos. Enjoy your time there, wish I was there to experience that gorgeous ocean!
Our beautiful ocean. Here it seems so untouched!
Fabulous images, Cindy. Those paddlers are very brave. 🙂
They are brave, and skillful!
Awesome, Cindy! I was rather surprised there were no surfers out there but it appears they are smart. Those waves are unpredictable.
It will be interesting to see who is out there today! Can’t wait~
Power and elegance – I love the ocean.
You and I both!
Never met a stormy coast with huge waves pounding that I didn’t like. 🙂 –Curt
You and me both Curt!
HI Cindy,
Is the island at risk in these storms?
Leslie
Not this one, although there is a lot of flooding. The locals were out watching the waves just like me. The one thing there wasn’t was any other photographers!
Sublime…
Yes, that describes Huahine perfectly!
OMG…those surf images are fantastic!! Nothing like the power of the ocean.
It has this incredible power that is relaxing to watch! It speaks of a Higher Power I suppose~
I think so too!
What amazing energy and also so destructive. Prayers that all are safe.
The sun is shining now and the crabs are happy in their new ponds!
Wonderful collage of a storm. I love the bright colors of the outriggers.
I want to get some more pics of them. They are works of art!
Nature a force to be reconned with!
Yes indeed!
Beautiful! Are there surfers there? How do you know all of those wave terms? Thanks for the awesome shots, and take care!
No surfers at this break. Tomorrow we drive around the island so I expect we’ll see some. I was born and raised in La Jolla (think of The Beach Boys song, “all over La Jolla…..”). I spent my life in the ocean and dated only surfers, married one (my ex), and my brother is a surfer!
Jim is a most refreshing change. He is from Iowa. They don’t surf there! Laughing……..
Please let me know the results of your nomination as I don’t want to miss the news! It is so incredibly exciting, even for me, and so well deserved!
These pictures are out of this world awesome. Wow. Talk about a peek at Mother Nature’s dancing waters. I’ll watch from waayy over here though. No surfing or outrigger for me! 😀
Oh I wish I could go in the outrigger and the ocean, but doc says no way due to coral cuts!
I didn’t know about the coral cuts just the deep water and giant waves.
Coral is not good for you! It harbors a lot of bacteria including staph…..
Ick. I think pain when I hear ‘coral’.
Fabuloso
Mil grazi!
Wonderful shots.
Great shots. Not just a drop in the ocean if one is part of a wave ~ ~ 🙂
True and I want to be part of one right now!
http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/sign/sign0203.gif
😀
Beautiful photos of the surf and waves, Cindy. The hues in the blue are so soft and pretty even though they probably are packing a powerful punch. Stay safe from a distance. 🙂
So glad you enjoyed Joyce and I am too safe!! Stuck on the beach……laughing!
Cindy, what amazing waves! The blue and green color of the water is so beautiful. You didn’t say how tall the waves are – it is hard to get the perspective. Did the paddlers go past the breakers?
I hate to guessestimate wave heights because people routinely overstate size and I could be wrong so I won’t hazard a number. They were big and they are big today and no one on this part of the island is going through them or on them. Tomorrow we circumnavigate the island and I expect to see surfers and will post if I do…..I am going to check nearer to sunset to see if the outriggers go out.
Great wave photos! Very gorgeous! Hugz Lisa and Bear
Nature’s infinite beauty! Cheers to you guys~
What a contrast to the previous tranquil post Cindy. a surfers paradise.
They have a shark feeding platform right inside the reef. I wonder what the thinking is there…….
WHAT!!!!! Do they get many shark attacks? Maybe the idea is if they feed them well enough they will not eat the tourists… 🙂
Maybe it’s the latest in errrrrrr……..intelligent parenting????? Toss your kids in the ocean and have em feed the sharks. Check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6scOeATgqkI
I know nothing about this so take it with this huge proviso. Basically this is what I was told. There is a boat like thing that doesn’t move much inside the break zone that I was looking at through the tele-photo. It had what appeared to be shark like cages in it. I asked our waitress what it was and she said, “it’s for feeding the sharks….”
So I googled and found pages of tourist info on tourist shark feeding in Huahine.
Trust me, I know just what you are thinking!!!! The same thing I am…..
But, also keep in mind that I know nothing about it, because it obviously is not an activity Jim & I will be partaking of.
Woooooow it’s amazing dear
So glad you enjoyed & cheers to you~
♡
Amazing power of the water!
Water dug the Grand Canyon! Strong stuff!
I love how you’ve managed to capture the power and majesty off nature! These images are breath-taking. 🙂
Awwww, so pleased and thank you!
Einfach wunderschön das wäre schön jetzt dort zu sein lieber Gruß und eine gute Woche Gruß Gislinde
Vielen dank Gislinde! Freundschaft~ <3 <3
Terrific storytelling! It’s a good thing these islands have reefs around them or they’d be washed under by the waves from time to time. Did you paddle out in an outrigger, too?
I am hoping too, but have infected coral cuts that have to heal first…..
Those are wicked. And watch out for the sea urchins.
I saw a lion fish! Gorgeous!
I really enjoyed these Cindy.
Makes me happy! Cheers to you~
Great pictures and story Cindy. You certainly captured the raw beauty and power!
blessings, Brad
So glad you enjoyed my friend!
Deep peace of the running wave be with you my friend.
Ahhh you see the peace! Sending it back to you~
Wow, awesome viewpoint of the waves Cindy – love seeing shots like these. Stay safe and happy times to you in Huahine!
Many thanks and cheers to you~
Those waves are awesome. The water looks so clean, too. Wise person, Cindy, staying at a safe distance to take those pictures. It’s so easy to underestimate the power of the oceans and get swept under, which is what happened only recently to two young men, just along the coast from where I live.
Oh yes I have seen too much of this too, growing up by the ocean~
I’ve lived by the English Channel sea for about half of my life and have learned to treat it with great respect. In my twenties, I used to go swimming every day between March and October, provided the red flag wasn’t raised, but even when the waters were calm, I only swam parallel to the beach between the breakers and never out to sea.
The combination of beauty and danger! It is really interesting to see. Good for you.
Most appreciated & cheers to you~
They are braver souls than I! Hope your cut/infection is a thing of the past.
Thank you, but sadly it remains a thing very much present, but at least no worse and yes these people live on the sea and love it and know it well.
Sorry to hear that – but thankfully no worse.
Oh, wow, the power of the sea for all to see.
Here you go alliterating again…….I love it when you do this! 😉
LOL I can’t help it. Drives my kids crazy. I’m so embarrassing.
Awesome shots! Seriously spectacular!
Awwww, so kind and most motivating! Thank you~
Seems we were both considering the power of the ocean simultaneously!
Jung would see this as potentially important synchronicity~
Your photos of the waves are beautiful.
Very kind and much appreciated Jack!
Always impresses me to see the power of mother nature, great shots as always.
She is both powerful and vulnerable, like all her creatures I guess~
Indeed, i didn´t think of the vulnerable perspective. Good point.
Delightfully beautiful!
Merci beaucoup Wendell & cheers too!
stunningly beautiful photos
Awwwww, so kind and so appreciated~
Magnificent! Such a contrast to the lush, relaxing garden!
Hi there my friend, so glad you enjoyed!
Liebe Cindy einen super Sonntag mit ganz vielen lieben Grüßen in Freundschaft Klaus
Vielen danke Klaus! Gruben und Freundschaft~
Are those guys nuts? I won’t even go into a Japanese bathtub if there was even a ripple!! 1200mm equivalent? Wow.
Laughing! You crack me up! They were born and raised to do this, as their ancestors were before them. They are at home in the sea. It was so beautiful to see. Cheers to you my friend~