ree 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 // There was one particular day this week that the wind direction took a 180 degree turn. In one respect this meant the staple surf location of P-pass was not as good as it could’ve been – with wind blowing quite strong into it. On the flip-side, it was favourable for launching. Also, this same strange wind gave us the rare opportunity of surfing the elusive east side after the morning session.

2 // It was at times quite challenging negotiating the lumps and pinching lips but with the consistent swells pouring into the line up there was plenty of opportunity to sniff out a few fun rides.

3 // There is a saying ‘without one there is no other.’ This can be applied to many things in life. So I guess my point here is that for every pulse of swell there will be associated flat/small days. To keep things interesting i made the choice to bring my alaia with me for days like this with small, clean running waves… It’s not only quite testing to ride but will sap your energy levels real quick if your catching a lot of waves with length of ride.

4 // ‘Sakau’, which we all might more commonly know as ‘Kava’ in the South Pacific, is an integral part of culture here on the island. It is a relative of the pepper plant and the roots are where the magic happens. Pounded by hand until a fine pulp then squeezed and re-squeezed through the bark of the hibiscus tree (not the common ornamental one), before being passed around in a half coconut shell in order of hierarchy. It is a mild sedative that gives a slight euphoric feeling if enough is consumed. The locals here love the stuff and will sit quietly and pass it around until they sometimes become heavily sedated. On this particular occasion our good friend Toshio put on a feast consisting of fish, crab, pig etc which was greatly appreciated by all.

5 // When the ‘Sakau’ is rolled up in the hibiscus and squeezed it comes out as thick syrup which is the more potent form of the process before being diluted with a little water.

6 // As hard as it is, at some point it is essential to come in to the boat to rest the bones, rehydrate and re-apply sun-protection. Drinking a cold coconut and sitting in the shade for 10 minutes fits the bill just nicely.

7 // This wave up until now was borderline mythical. Requiring specific conditions it’s not a place that is easy to score. With favourable winds this day it was quite refreshing to surf a left-hander. While it was not an ideal swell direction it was a really enjoyable surf and a few rouge sets rolled through out wide the gave glimpses of its glory. Those wave in particular reminded me of P-Pass in reverse.

8 // It’s always a buzz getting closer to an unfamiliar line up and seeing some gems spinning off. The novelty of surfing a left after weeks on rights was also a bonus.

9 // The clarity of the water here is like nothing I have ever seen before. You can literally open your eyes underwater and see quite some distance, but with a lens, the picture really comes to life.

Words: Asher Pacey

All Pics: Swilly