Free surfing aficionado Asher Pacey has packed up his Gold Coast based troubles (which are non-existent) to join photographer Simon Williams on a sabbatical to P–Pass. This glorious right-hand-reef pass in Pohnpei Micronesia is to be home – not for a swell – not for a week – but for a whole month. Join Tracksmag.com as we live vicariously through Swilly’s lens and Asher’s words in The Asher Pacey P-Pass Files.

1 // During our stay, there were countless but smallish days. Needless to say the lack of crowd and good vibes made for some memorable sessions. When everyone is hooting everyone and there are plenty of waves to go round you know your a part of something special. Here from a split angle is Allois throwing is a little style while from memory there was hoots thrown his way. Yeeew.

Once again a small but crowdless day making for a whole heap of relaxed fun.

This magical view of multiple empties is going to be very much missed, but I’m sure they’ll be enjoyed by others over the coming surf season in Pohnpei. In the background the ever present local fishing boats are going about their daily routine of ‘drop stoning’ for big tuna which entails wrapping a whole heap of berley, consisting of oily fish like pilchards, in a piece of cloth wrapped up with some smaller sized fishing line with a stone in it and one baited hook. It is then sent down to a depth of around 100m where the big ones tend to hang. The small line is then yanked to open the contents of the cloth into the water. (Hope I got that right?) This is a proven technique used by many fisherman over many years.

4 // On arrival and departure from Pohnpei you are sure to see a myriad of islands and atolls. This is the northern corner of Pakin atoll which is located some 32 miles from the mainland. It is home to some great fishing grounds and also a small population of people. These areas of Micronesia are known for having some of the clearest waters in the world and this birds eye angle surely does it justice.

5 // One of the many things I love about this island is the people. Even the most intimidating looking guys will treat you with respect and as a fellow human – not as a dollar sign which can happen in some parts of Indonesia (but is just a generalisation). “Island time” is real and most will go about their daily duties in a humble and relaxed manner with courtesy and politeness – unlike some western societies.

Some colourful local head adornments worn by women during times of ceremony.

7 // ‘Kalahgan’ is the Pohnpeian word for ‘thank you’. Like visiting any country it is always well received to make your best effort to at least try learn and use the local language when possible. On the behalf of Swilly and I, from the bottom of our hearts, we would like to say a big “Kalahgan” to all of the beautiful people of Pohnpei for welcoming us and making it such a memorable experience.

Words: Asher Pacey

Pics: Swilly