Dungeons Surf Guide

Dungeons Surf Guide

Dungeons is a ferocious wave that, quite frankly, very few visiting surfers are going to surf. There are five main sections to the breaks, which have all been ridden to some degree:

1. The Slab: The Slab comes into play when the swell is just a little bit too small to be ridden, and the tide is quite high. The Slab is the deepest sections of the wave and is a thick shelf that barrels properly but has a gnarly take-off and is probably best negotiated with Jet Ski.

2. The Two-Point-Five: Two and a half meters deep, this part of the wave is also called the Photo Bowl. It is the widest section, breaks right in front of the cameras and is basically the end of the wave. Big, glorious waves can be caught and ridden here, and most shots of Dungeons are of people on the Two-Point-Five, but the bigger waves are to be found elsewhere.

3. Washburn's Peak: Outside and deep. Less waves come here, but when they come they are the heat winners. When waiting for waves here you can see other surfers getting wave after wave on the Two-Point -Five. Very disconcerting.

4. Outside Photo Bowl: When the swell gets big, straight and solid, the waves crack over the corner of the reef. Directly out from the Photo Bowl, these waves are very rare, and when they come they usually catch every one inside.

5. The Left: Only surfed in marginal conditions, and usually by Jamie Sterling or surfers who have taken off too deep on the peak and can't get around. Go left, kick out and watch a set start building on Washburn's Peak and you'll experience true fear. And when it gets to 60-foot the waves break on different outside reefs altogether, but this hasn't really been studied much yet. Access to the break is generally gained by boat, and the wave is usually surfed with a safety crew around, but this doesn't stop accidents from happening. Dungeons is a serious wave with serious consequences and is only viable to the big wave-experienced surfers. Likes a wind with a bit of north in it but handles any light winds. Prefers a low tide, but when it gets giant no one really cares about the tide.