Watch: Jamie O’Brien ‘Almost Died’ Surfing Humungous Waimea Bay River Wave

Dashel Pierson
·2 min read

Late last winter, the North Shore’s premiere novelty surf spot, the Waimea Bay river wave, lit up like never before.

Filled to the brim from torrential rains (and hail!), the Waimea Bay reservoir was ready to pop by late December, 2022. And when surfers unleashed the water, what began as a tiny ripple, soon turned into a gigantic, unruly, potentially deadly novelty wave session for the books, which Jamie O’Brien, Mason Ho, and others jumped on.

Below, JOB tells the tale of how he almost didn’t make it out of that one alive:

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“This is the board that I almost died on at Waimea River,” says JOB.

“The river break was due to a massive flood, and we decided to ride it. I knew that it was going to be the biggest river wave ever ridden.

“I jumped on the wave, and it was so bumpy. It was sending me everywhere. I was like, ‘don’t fall on this, Jamie. Don’t fall.’

“I couldn’t control my board, and I honestly just fell right back. It’s like a 10 or 12 foot wave, and it sucked me back. Then there was another wave, and it was just as big, and I’m like, ‘oh my god. I’m gonna die. My leash is gonna break. I’m in a very bad spot.

“That wave just tumbles me, and tumbles me, and tumbles me…then, boom. It lets me out where the river meets the ocean. And the [ocean] waves were 15 feet. Huge Waimea. Probably one of the dumbest things I’ve ever done in my life.

“I don’t even know where I am. I pop up in the middle of Waimea Bay, 300 yards out in the middle of the ocean and the waves are 15 feet. Not a good idea.”

For more on that wild Waimea river session, check out Mason’s vlog below:

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