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"After an epic 6'-8' ft glassy morning SUP surfing an outer reef off the Maui coast, we decided to roll the dice and see if the new building northwest swell was big enough to paddle at Peahi - better known as "Jaws". Connor Baxter and I loaded the jet ski with our Naish Guns and pounded our way through the bumpy, windy waves up to Jaws. As we got there, we noticed three guys sitting in the lineup as a Perfect 5 wave set reeled down the line, feathering flawlessly with the strong offshore winds. We set an anchor for our boards and decided that one of us would paddle and the other would run safety with the ski, just in case we got taken out by the west bowl. The strong offshore winds made it super challenging to paddle into the waves, let alone hold your spot in the lineup. It was my first time riding the Naish 11'6 Hokua SUP Gun, and I was so stoked on how well it handled the rough conditions and negotiating the steep drops. Finally a set came my way and I dug deep as the wave lifted beneath me, sending me over the ledge, air-dropping over the bumps down the wave. It was an amazing rush to feel the glide of the board, speeding effortlessly around the section. It's always a great confidence builder to get that first wave under your belt. The swell was getting more inconsistent by the hour as we all traded waves. Paddling Jaws is a huge commitment and you never take your eyes off the horizon because it's all too common to get caught inside by a huge set from the west and if your leash breaks, your board is pretty much toast as it gets demolished on the inside boulder field and you take a beating of a life time... Any session at Jaws where you catch a couple good waves unscathed is a great one!" -Chuck PattersonPhoto credits: Erik Aeder and Chuck Patterson
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The big northwest swell that hit the Hawaiian Islands on January 4th, 2012 had big wave surfers, windsurfers and kiters from around the world all fired up - and Naish rider, Chuck Patterson was one of them.
