This year’s Indo season has been one for the record books. As ever though, it was the jewel in the Mentawai crown, HTs (or Lance’s Right), that probably delivered the most highlights. While the wave has many moods, it’s when the swell pulses over six foot from the right direction that it starts to double up and provide some of the heaviest, bluest and most perfect barrels on the planet.
It is the double-up when seemingly separate waves merge into one, usually signposted by a mid-face step or crease, that elevates the wave. At HT’s, surfers can paddle into a wave with relative ease, negotiate the coral-induced crease, and then drive through the backdoor section. Nathan Florence, in his clip, “Surfing Huge Double Up On My 5’7″ Repaired Zombie Board!” that provides one of the better recent illustrations.
The ease of the chip-in and the anticipation that comes with the concentration of energy is one of surfing’s greatest thrills. But if HTs is the poster child of the double-ups, what other examples are out there? Here are some of the best.
Nias
Before the 2006 earthquake, Nias was known for its flawless perfection. A relatively easy take-off was followed by a straight-forward line into a six-second, high-line barrel. Post seismic disturbance, a fault line was introduced into the reef, causing even the biggest of swells to bunch up against the ledge, and surge down its length. The double-up is swift and violent, not so much of a chip-in, as a drop-out, but it added slab girth and raw power to its previous perfection. Mark Healey in 2018, above at the 45-second mark, provided one of the best examples.
Rabbit Hill
Not so much a double-up as a quintuple-up, the Yallingup beachbreak is revered for its power and throaty barrels, with its mythical status enhanced by its fickle nature. Years can pass without the necessary sand buildup coordinating itself with the right swell and wind direction. When it happens, raw Indian Ocean swells concentrate into a series of cascading double-ups, with square barrels grinding over a shallow, hard-packed sandbank. That’s when locals who call Rabbits their favorite wave like Taj Burrow, Jake Paterson, and Jay Davies, pick the eyes out of their rare and elusive diamond. They also will be picking the sand out of butt cracks long after the bank has been destroyed by the next passing storm. It’s worth noting its evil cousin, the even rarer Pipe Sandbar, which provides similar levels of expert-only take-off and sand-swirled right-hand barrels.
Kuta Reef
One of the OG reefs of Bali has provably been surfed by more people in Indonesia than any other. The familiarity and crowd factor of a wave sitting 500 years off Kuta Beach has meant it has lost the wow factor that its quality deserves. However, it only transforms from fun wave into real quality when the double-up appears. That switch occurs on the right tide and when the swell hits six foot. On the outside peak, the step takes out a fair proportion of the crowd, offers a 50-yard tube section, and a golden ticket to the much longer, rippable wall.
Velzy Land
V-Land is the North Shore of Oahu’s most accessible and fun wave, courtesy of its four-foot upper limit in size and its predictable double-up section that offers beautiful square bowls after a simple roll-in. Is it too good to be true? Well, yes, you need a locals’ pass to surf it which is one of the most exclusive VIP tickets in town. Mason Ho has one such pass, and his clips surfing Velzy with his dad Mike, uncle Derek and sister Coco, might be some of the most smile-inducing surf videos on the internet.
Shark Island
The slate of reef that sits just off Cronulla Point has long been recognized as Australia’s spiritual home of slab surfing. While it has one of surfing’s more complicated matrix (a narrow swell, tide and wind angle), when it turns on, it offers easy access out of deeper water on the outside ledge. That provides enough time to brace yourself as the wave knuckles up over almost dry rock, doubling in size into a thick, growing, green-blue tube section on the inside. It’s short, intense and unforgettable, like many of the hardcore bodyboarders who often skip the chip-in, and park themselves on the double-up section.
