Slab surfing has become its own sub genre within our sport. What started as a niche obsession has turned into a full-blown pursuit and is being driven by a small crew intent on finding out just how far you can push it over dry reef. The goal isn’t size so much as consequence: late drops, warped ledges and tubes that fold over inches of water. Spots once written off as unridable are now being eyed off, paddled into and occasionally made.
Surfers like Nathan Florence, Russ Bierke, Harry Bryant and Noa Deane have helped shift that focus in recent years. Less emphasis on wave height, more on technicality and risk, threading tubes where there’s barely room for error.
Kipp Caddy also sits firmly in that camp. Raised in Ulladulla on the South Coast of NSW and now based in Cronulla, he’s built a reputation in heavy water, with places like Cape Solander and Shark Island effectively his backyard. If there’s a sketchy setup within reach, chances are he’s already had a look at it.
Like most fringe movements, slab surfing hasn’t stayed fringe for long. The wipeouts, the makes, the sheer intensity of it all plays well on social media and more surfers are starting to dabble, whether it’s a playful two-foot ledge or something far less forgiving.
With that in mind, we asked Kipp to break down a few of the heaviest waves he’s tackled and what he’s learnt along the way.
Rileys – Ireland
“Considering I’ve only surfed it a handful of times, the amount of stories I’ve heard of some serious injuries out there is pretty wild,” said Kipp.
The Irish slab was first surfed in 2007 and since then has become one of the most sought after setups with shallow water specialists from across the globe visiting the Emerald Isle each winter to try their luck.
“The way the water moves, it seems to push you so hard onto the shallow ledge. When you fall, you really feel the power pushing you into the bottom,” said Kipp.
Even before you’ve considered throwing yourself over the ledge at this heaving left, there are numerous variables to overcome. Just to reach the wave, you have to trek across a slippery reef which sits under a set of behemoth imposing cliffs. Once you get to the wave, you’ll need to navigate a narrow ledge and jump off spot which gets covered every time a set washes through.
Kipp said the slab is scary at any size, with it breaking anywhere from 4-12ft plus.
“Even at 6ft paddle size, the wave has the potential to do serious harm. It’s such a crazy setup and it has a number of levels to it. When it gets above 10ft, it gets even gnarlier, it’s impressive seeing some of the local boys towing it on the huge days.”
Cape Solander – Sydney
Sydney doesn’t trade in ruler-edged point breaks or long-period freight trains, but when the conditions align it offers something just as confronting – ledging slabs that break square over rock and leave little room for error.
The most well-known being Cape Solander where waves draw from deep water before quickly unfolding onto a shallow ledge just metres from dry rock. Add in the backwash that causes the barrel to warp and the multiple steps in each wave and you get a recipe for complete carnage.
“It’s a combination of everything that makes it so sketchy,” said Kipp. “The thickness of the wave, the way it jacks up so quickly, the close proximity to the rocks and the way it pushes you across the rocks. You can wipeout and get fully stuck on the rocks. There’s this zone where you’re getting washed across dry rock, the ski can’t get to you and no one on land can get to you. We’ve seen a lot of people get seriously injured in that zone.”
Unlike some of the more remote slabs across Australia, Solander is easily accessible to the masses as it sits in the Southern end of Sydney. Kipp said the crowd was ‘out of control’ during the last Cape swell.
“It’s such an epic wave and I would never want to discourage people from surfing slabs but Cape is literally a triple black diamond run. I just think some people need to hone their skills at other waves before giving it a crack. I can snowboard a bit but I would never just turn up and go to the top of one of those runs straight away.”
Despite the obstacles and the obvious imbalance in risk versus reward, Kipp said the danger is worth it if you make one.
“The barrel out there is like a time warp. The way it bends in front of the rock, on the right one, there is no other barrel like it.”
Cyclops – Western Australia
Cyclops is somewhat of a mythical creature to most surfers. You’ve heard stories about it, seen sporadic clips of it but it doesn’t regularly feature when discussing waves of consequence.
That’s partially due to the fact that very few have tried to tame the beast which is located deep into the south coast of WA, hours away from any form of civilisation.
“I haven’t given it a crack yet but it’s been on my radar. I’ve definitely kept an eye on the swell charts and if the stars align I’d love to pull the trigger on a mission to surf it,” said Kipp.
Scoring Cyclops isn’t as simple as rocking up at your local and paddling out. It’s a 2,000km round trip from Margaret River, the final 20km of that is a gnarly beach run. You need a boat to access Cyclops which breaks off an island that is home to a seal colony and plenty of Great Whites. The wave itself unfolds onto a granite slab and has one of the thickest, heaviest lips in the world.
“I think you could paddle it if the conditions aligned and it was the most perfect day ever out there,” said Kipp. “But that’s not what you’re there for. If you could make one of those psycho, inside out ones, it would be crazy. Once it goes proper out there, I don’t think it’s possible to paddle it.”
Unnamed – South Aus slab
For many reasons, we’ve kept this one unnamed.
“It’s a perfect wave but the reef is so sketchy. It has these massive sharp pinnacles sticking out which make it so dangerous if you land on them,” said Kipp.
The wave in question is well known amongst the country’s seasoned slab hunters. It draws from deep water before doubling, tripling and occasionally quadrupling up onto the sharp reef. It’s the same place that left Dylan Longbottom with four broken ribs and a punctured lung while a 12-hour drive through the desert to the nearest airport.
“For how little the wave has been surfed, there have been a lot of serious injuries out there,” said Kipp. “I’ve heard about body boarders who have broken their backs.
“It’s also in the middle of nowhere and there are so many big sharks around, so that only adds to how sketchy it is.”
Pipeline – Oahu
This one needs no real introduction.
“It’s such a gnarly wave then you add in the crowd factor and it suddenly becomes so sketchy. There’s so many heavy situations out there, especially with how much guys are trying to push it in order to get a wave. I wonder if lesser known slabs were surfed as much as Pipe, would they have a similar ratio in terms of incidents and deaths. Is it Pipe that’s so sketchy, or is it just the crowd?” asked Kipp.
