Honolua — The best wave in the world, says me.

I don’t travel the world in search of the perfect wave, but after living in Florida, Oahu, Maui and San Diego, I have surfed my fair share of breaks. I decided to list my favorite spots in order. Keeping in mind, my style of wave isn’t huge, powerful and gnarly. You won’t find Pipeline or Jaws on this list. I like clean, chest to head high rights — with preferably no crowd.

1. Honolua Bay – Maui

The best wave in the world as far as I’m concerned. It’s a clean, right hand wave that can go forever. And it’s surrounded by the most beautiful environment you can imagine. When it gets big, it gets crowded, but during the summer on a chest high day you can still manage to have this incredible spot all to yourself. Those are my kinda days.

• Pros: A perfect right wave. Beautiful setting. Not easily accessed. Can find empty on small days.
• Cons: Can get crowded and dangerous on big days. Those days can bring out some angry locals.

2. “Pops” or Populars – Oahu

I was a townie. The big, powerful North Shore waves were too much for me. Pops is a Waikiki break, but the looooong paddle out there deterred most tourists and surfers. So, despite the name, it’s not terribly popular. Once you finally got there, it was pure fun, and usually double the size of Canoes and Queens (the insanely crowded Waikiki breaks). It’s the only place I ever surfed at night (late night), and probably my most memorable session.

• Pros: Super fun right or left wave. Always larger than inner Waikiki breaks. Very forgiving. Great for longboards or short boards.
• Cons: Very long paddle out. Usually a small crowd.

3. Diamond Head – Oahu

Diamond Head usually serves up the biggest waves on the South Shore, and it usually comes with a whole lot of wind. Despite the often choppy conditions, I love surfing Diamond Head. It’s a beautiful little hike down, and there’s almost always waves all year round.

• Pros: A short drive from Waikiki, but hidden from tourists. Usually the biggest surf on the South Shore. Lots of breaks, making it possible to find uncrowded peaks.
• Cons: Often windy and choppy. Usually relatively crowded.

4. Hot Sands – Maui

My “go to” spot in Lahaina. It was a short 3 minute drive down the hill, and then a 5-10 minute walk along the beach through the community of Puamana. Don’t park in Puamana, it’s gated and they’re really strict about surfers parking in their community. Another clean, right handed break. Hot sands is a very short and easy paddle, and usually uncrowded. I’ve had countless fun days surfing a longboard at Hot Sands with only a few regulars in the water.

• Pros: Really short paddle out. Super fun right longboard wave. Usually only a few people out on the weekdays.
• Cons: A long walk along the beach to the spot. Supposedly somebody spotted a shark while I was surfing here, I still think it was a dolphin. I’ve encountered some unfriendly locals here — luckily their aggression hasn’t been directed towards me.

5. Tonggs – Oahu

When Diamond Head was too blown out and windy to surf, Tongs was just around the corner — sheltered from the wind. It’s probably the only left, goofy foot wave on my list. Despite it’s close proximity to Waikiki, it’s somewhat hidden access in a small neighborhood near Kapiolani Park kept it from becoming too crowded. I did have my bike stolen while surfing this spot with a friend. It was later found by the cops and returned — looking like a piece of crap, but it wasn’t an expensive bike to begin with. This is completely off topic, but don’t buy an expensive bike on Oahu if you plan to chain it to palm trees.

• Pros: Usually clean and sheltered from the wind. Fun left that works well for longboards and short boards. Mellow crowd.
• Cons: I had my bike stolen that was chained to a palm tree while surfing this spot. Occasionally crowded.

6. Rainbows – Maui

When Honolua was too big for my taste, Rainbows was the place to go. When first moving to Maui, it was my most frequented break. With more power than the south shore spots, but less power than the north shore, Rainbows was great for a shortboard or longboard. Luckily, when Rainbows was breaking, most people forgot about this awesome spot and were surfing further up north.

• Pros: Super fun short board wave. Mostly a right, but has a closing out left. I had the spot all to myself countless times. Usually a fun crowd, if any.
• Cons: Really shallow reef at low tide. I was attacked by a little fish here (like 5 inches) — jumped out of the water and latched its teeth on to my back. It was more funny than anything. I have seen the spot crowded a few rare times when it was bigger.

7. Woody’s – Maui

If this spot broke more often it would have ranked higher on my list. Located between Launiupoko and Guardrails on the west side of Maui, Woody’s needs a sizable South swell to start breaking. When it does, it’s a long, forgiving, chest to head-high plus wave that is super fun. It breaks right and left, but the left is more popular since the right (eventually) closes out and pitches a little more. There is a crowd of regulars that shows up when this spot breaks, but they’re all friendly and fun to surf with.

• Pros: Super fun right or left wave perfect for longboarders. Long rides. Fun drops. Friendly crowd. Easy paddle out.
• Cons: Doesn’t break often.

8. Canoes and Queens – Oahu

Chaos. This isn’t the place to go for a great time of actual “surfing.” It’s a great place to go surfing with friends and watch pure insanity ensue. Despite everything so wrong about these well known Waikiki breaks, it can be a blast. You have to surf these spots in the right mindset. If you’re looking for a wave to yourself, don’t go here. This is party wave central. Surfers of every skill level and attitude pollute these waters. It is actually a great wave, but you’ll never have it to yourself. The closest I had was surfing a large south swell during a rain storm, and there were still a number of people in the water.

• Pros: Loads of entertainment. After being lucky enough to catch a few waves and not get run over by a kook or punched by a local, you can grab a drink at Dukes and watch the chaos from shore.
• Cons: Just about everything except sharks, they’re too scared to enter these waters. I’ve seen people punched in the water, chased to shore, verbally assaulted (constantly, and I’ve been on both ends), collisions (about every second), broken boards (including my own), bloody wounds, people hit by canoes, snorkelers and inner tubes mixed in the lineup, the list goes on and on. It’s also what makes this place so great — sometimes.

9. Bird Rock – La Jolla, CA

So far, this is one of the few spots I’ve found in La Jolla that is comparable to the types of waves I like to surf in Hawaii. It’s a fun, long right that’s usually uncrowded on the weekdays.

• Pros: Long right wave. Great for a longboard or short board. Starts breaking well at about 4 feet. Small weekday crowds.
• Cons: Cold water. Long paddle. Kelp beds.

10. Playalinda – Titusville, FL

Most surf spots in Florida are shark infested with sloppy mushburger waves. On rare occasions throughout the year, with a hurricane in the Atlantic, offshore winds and Mercury in retrograde, the surf can become epic. During those times, Floridians would argue the best spots are Sebastian Inlet and New Smyrna. I beg to differ. Playalinda goes largely unsurfed because it has a reputation as a nude beach, and the town is mostly known for its one attraction, NASA. Now that NASA is kaput, Titusville should advertise it’s other export before becoming a ghost town. The waves are usually bigger and better than anywhere else along the east coast during a good swell.

I’ve had many a fun day surfing here in college. I’ve surfed this spot in every condition imaginable. While it’s certainly not the best wave in the world, it’s the closest thing I have to a home break. My cousin Travis brought me here for the first time, and I surfed this spot with many friends and family. One of my favorite surf days took place here, on what would have appeared to be a flat day. There was some freak sand bar just off-shore, and a fast breaking, hard pitching, super consistent chest high barrel had formed. My cousin Todd and I surfed this phantom break all day until we had noodle arms and couldn’t handle getting pounded in to the shore anymore. Try as we might to find it, I’m sure this spot will never appear again.

• Pros: Nostalgia. Sometimes great, sometimes unique.
• Cons: Often choppy and mushy like most of Florida. Sharks, alligators (yup) and jellyfish.

11. Contenders

Some honorable mentions where I’ve had incredibly fun, memorable days of surf:

• DT Flemings – Maui
• Publics – Oahu
• Threes – Oahu
• Windansea – La Jolla
• Unknown Name – Maui (Between Launiupoko and Woody’s)
• The Harbor – Maui
• Ironwoods (Shit Falls) – Maui (For bodyboarding, not surfing)

For those that don’t know, a responsive site and/or WordPress theme uses CSS3 media queries to scale and/or change the layout for a variety of screen resolutions — typically used for mobile devices such as tablets and phones. If you still don’t understand, it’s probably because you don’t need a responsive layout. In fact, most people don’t. Any typical WordPress theme can already be viewed on mobile devices. So, why make it responsive? Basically, to save viewers the extreme hassle of zooming in with their fingers. That’s great, but here are my concerns:

Development Is A Pain In The Ass

Creating a responsive WordPress theme requires triple the work to develop. It’s like designing several sites in one. Each new layout presents a new set of problems.

It’s Not Worth It

I’m not opposed to more work if it significantly improves the design and functionality of a theme. However, once most people realize that a responsive theme changes layout for smaller screen sizes, they don’t want the feature. They just want their site to appear “normally” on their phone or tablet.

It Decreases Site Functionality

Responsive layouts often don’t allow users to view the sidebar, full navigation and additional content areas. Many responsive layouts disable the ability to zoom using mobile devices.

There’s No Easy Kill Switch

Responsive layouts usually aren’t easily disabled from the user end. It requires manually deleting lots of code. This poses an issue when creating a responsive theme for the masses. Requiring customers to edit code to remove an unwanted feature is less than ideal.

Mobile Devices Are Getting Better

In a couple years mobile devices may have evolved past the need for responsive layouts. Look at the new iPad — there’s no reason to create a responsive web layout for the latest version of the iPad.

The Tools Are Still Evolving

As the devices evolve, so will the tools. Currently, there are no standards for creating a responsive layout. The best tools available still aren’t quite up to par. Responsive layouts make sense to implement on an individual level for the sites and people that want a mobile solution, but I don’t think it’s ready for masses.

So, where does that leave us?

Responsive layouts have their place. I’m not opposed to having websites adapt to mobile devices. It’s a great feature for some WordPress themes and websites. As devices and the tools for creating responsive websites evolve it may become a more viable solution for WordPress themes on a mass scale, but in it’s current state it still presents problems. In my opinion, adding responsive layouts to a site or theme is more appropriate for independent contractors, freelancers and theme customizers for the cases in which a responsive layout is truly necessary or desired.

That being said, I have designed and developed several responsive WordPress themes; the Structure Theme, Verbage Theme, Business Theme and Shop Theme. My position comes from the abundance of theme customers I have encountered that wish to have the responsive capabilities removed. I think the people waving the responsive flag are still outnumbered by the people that just want their website to display “normally” on a mobile device because a responsive layout does not offer them any real benefit.

I grew up in Florida, I became a man in Hawaii, and California… well, I’m just here. There’s no rule book for having the freedom to live and work virtually anywhere in the world. It’s a relatively new concept, and while it should feel like complete freedom, sometimes it just feels like complete confusion. However, in searching for my home I have come to some conclusions:

No Place Is Perfect

There are things I love about Hawaii, Florida and California — and there are things I don’t love. Unfortunately, I can’t pick and choose my favorite things from each location to create a magical land.

The Decision Must Be Yours

Other people can’t choose your home for you, and believe me they will try. If you move somewhere for reasons other than your own, it can create a growing resentment towards the person or people that influenced your move. You must live in a location for your own reasons.

Nobody Can Relate

Choosing where to call home is a dilemma most of the world is never faced with. I’m not looking for sympathy. I might be seeking guidance. But when you’ve carved out a trail of your own, or started the Hero’s Journey as Joseph Campbell might say, the chances of finding a mentor or somebody else that has walked your path are slim.

There’s Bigger Problems

Choosing to live in Hawaii, California or Florida isn’t a “problem”. Not being able to afford a mortgage is a problem. Which might actually be the problem — not having any real “problems” anchoring me to a specific place. However, I do want to be in a location I love before those real problems inevitably arise.

Being Close Doesn’t Make You Closer

When moving to San Diego, I thought my brother and I would be hanging out every other week. In reality, we see each other once every 2 months for only a few hours at a time. It might be different had I moved to Hollywood, but that wouldn’t suit my lifestyle at all. We both have our own things going on, and the 2 to 4 hour drive isn’t as close as it might sound. Moving closer geographically didn’t make us any closer as friends or brothers. We would stay just as close living in completely different locations. In fact, the time spent together would be more valuable.

You Can’t Please Everybody

Without going in to the specifics, anywhere we choose to hang our hat is going to disappoint somebody.

The Conclusion To My Conclusions

I’m sick of feeling like my life is limbo, always waiting for our next move. It’s emotionally and physically draining. It restricts my enjoyment of my current location, and prevents me from living in the moment. I’m ready to settle somewhere. Not indefinitely, but for at least 5 to 10 years. I’m ready to fully invest in a culture and lifestyle. I’m ready to purchase a home and start a family within a couple years.

I’ve compiled pros and cons for living in each location. Hawaii always comes out on top — by a long shot. Hawaii really only has one major con for me — the distance. In my opinion, the pros of life in Hawaii more than make up for its biggest flaw. I would love for my family to be more a part of my life, but they’re scattered all over the country. Trying to appease my entire family would require traveling constantly, visiting my parents, Jana’s parents, brothers and sisters — leaving little time and money for us. I don’t expect them to sacrifice their location, lifestyle and happiness to live near me, so why should I sacrifice mine? I shouldn’t, they shouldn’t — nobody should. While it’s not their intent for us to feel pressured, the pressure still exists.

My parents did an awesome job raising me in Florida. Like any good parents, they wanted me to grow up in the best location they could afford. I want the same for myself and my family. If an option like Hawaii was ever on the table for my parents, I would be disappointed to know they passed it up. Florida was a great place for me to grow up, but it’s changed a lot since I was a kid. I know I can provide an even better environment for my family.

Hawaii isn’t perfect, but it’s still paradise — with virtually no violent crime, truly perfect weather, culturally diverse people and an incredible natural wonderland to explore. It’s not unattainable. Anybody can live there. It doesn’t take a miracle, it just takes some balls… or kahunas. Maybe it’s not the most progressive place, but they’re discovering new planets and galaxies out there! Real estate and milk is expensive, but the lifestyle is simple and cheap. Everything fun in Hawaii is virtually free. A pair of board shorts, “slippas” and a scooter is almost all you need. Happiness is dished out in heaping amounts every day. That’s what I want for me and my family — all of them, but I can’t make them all move to Hawaii.

San Diego is a common ground. Real estate and taxes are out of this world (More than Hawaii), but I like the environment and I know North County would be a fun place to live and start a family. It’s a little easier to travel and see family, but a 6 hour drive or 6 hour flight feels the same to me. Mostly, San Diego feels like a compromise of my happiness to make others happy.

The best solution for me is having a place in 2 locations. I would prefer a primary residence in Hawaii, and could “settle” for a primary residence in San Diego. Eventually I would like a condo in the Sarasota, Florida area as well. That ain’t cheap. It’s something to work for, and something I see as being very possible — 5 years from now. My more immediate solution is getting back to Hawaii, the place where I have found life to be the most enjoyable… I’m dreaming of paddling out at Diamond Head or Honolua again. Being anywhere else feels like I’m wasting time.

By the way, all 3 of those photos are from my iPhone… not bad, ay?

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Organic Themes is a premium WordPress theme shop founded by David Morgan and Jeff Milone. The site was launched in February of 2010 with 6 themes, and was an immediate success from the moment of its launch. With 11 themes and counting, Organic Themes continues to grow in both size and popularity. Two free themes are offered from Organic Themes — the free versions of the Structure Theme and the Verbage Theme. Both of which have achieved viral popularity.

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