Straddling a standup board in a nearly nonexistent North Shore swell, I could've listened to Rocky Canon talk about Pipeline, the world-famous Oahu surf break, all day.
Both of us were sitting on our boards and bobbing lazily on an all-but-flat morning at Pipeline, discussing everything from the legendary homes along the nearby shoreline to the surprisingly shallow lava reef below us and the huge crowds of surfers the destination attracts on days with big waves, some more than 20 feet.
"On a good day at Pipeline, there may be upwards of 60 to 70 people sitting in one area," said Canon. "And they're all vying for, depending on swell direction and conditions, about six or eight waves coming in every 20 minutes or so."
Born and raised on Oahu's North Shore, Canon takes visitors out on a variety of different private standup-paddle and surfing excursions, including sessions where the advanced can try to catch big waves at celebrated North Shore breaks like the Banzai Pipeline, Sunset Beach or even Waimea Bay, usually after quite a bit of in-the-water insight and coaching. In fact, the first step during those experiences is often to paddle out with Canon to a safe position and just watch.
"That's the way we did it as kids growing up here on the North Shore," he explained. "We never just went right into the break. We always did a paddle out and an observation, to feel the ocean and the movement from a safe distance in the water."
It's tough to imagine a better North Shore guide than Canon. He surfed his first waves at age 5 in Haleiwa and rode in his first Pipeline barrel (the tube of the wave) at 12. In his 20s he competed in pro events, including the Pipe Masters, the sport's Super Bowl. He also worked as a lifeguard at Pipeline.
Today, Canon is an announcer at professional events on Oahu, like the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, which features the annual Pipe Masters contest typically held in early December each year.
Still, it's easy to see that spending time in the water teaching people to surf is something the 34-year-old truly enjoys.
"I really love seeing the look on people's faces when they do something they thought they might not ever do," Canon said. "Like when somebody who has only standup-paddled a few times on a lake comes here and catches a small wave. They're so impressed and stoked. Seeing that look on their face is a special thing for me."
Part of the North Shore Guides Club at Turtle Bay Resort, Canon's range of gentler standup tours to more advanced surf outings can be booked by guests of the property during a stay. Travel agents can also book clients directly with Canon through the Hans Hedemann Surf School. High-end outings with Canon, such as trying Pipeline, Sunset or Waimea Bay on a big day, are commissionable to agents and run between $350 and $500.