Hawaii: Dawn Patrol
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An article in the Hilton Hawaiian Village's "Experience" by Tom Hanley elaborates on the Dawn Patrol, surfers who start their 
day in the pre-dawn hours off Waikiki. I often wake with first light and because of the view from my room (right), I wandered onto the deck and could make out specks in the dark water; they were obviously surfers, but why so early?
Hanley's article covers the Dawn Patrol, a pre-work group of hundreds of individuals that begin their day on the water. He writes:
Surfers may or may not have shaken the image of the sixties 'surf rat, the scruffy, jobless die-hard beach bum; but for most, it's far from the reality these days. The dawn patrol surfers are primarily middle-aged, some even retired, and yes mom; we do have jobs. There are cookie bakers out there, boat captains, longshoremen, roofers, teachers, bankers, surfboard shop owners, and even magazine art directors. We work, just like you. . .
The difference, perhaps, is their conversation around thewater cooler, which includes not only talk about being slammed by waves, but also about jumping whales, dolphins or sea turtles by the hundreds.
From years of ocean kayaking around the clock, I know first hand the draw of the water and its colors in all light. That is part of their draw; every sunrise is different and every sunset is different. I have kayaked in the wake of the moon on San Francisco Bay . . . I wrote of that as "padding the milky way." This is the same reason that these pre-dawn surfers are out there, and, like kayakers, they are out before work and after work. Most sports help with psychological balance and all water sports have the added benefit of Negative Ions negative ions, which create positive waves.
Negative ions are odorless, tasteless, and invisible molecules that we inhale in abundance in certain environments. Think mountains, waterfalls, and beaches. Once they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost our daytime energy.
Ions are molecules that have gained or lost an electrical charge. They are created in nature as air molecules break apart due to sunlight, radiation, and moving air and water. Part of the euphoria is simply being around natural settings away from the normal pressures of home and work, the air circulating in the mountains and the beach is said to contain tens of thousands of negative ions -- Much more than the average home or office building, which contain dozens or hundreds, and many register a flat zero.
"The action of the pounding surf creates negative air ions and we also see it immediately after spring thunderstorms when people report lightened moods," says ion researcher Michael Terman, PhD, of Columbia University in New York.
In fact, Columbia University studies of people with winter and chronic depression show that negative ion generators relieve depression as much as antidepressants. "The best part is that there are relatively no side effects, but we still need to figure out appropriate doses and which people it works best on," he says.
The 40th International Surfing Competition at Turtle Bay on the North Shore was also underway. Kelly Slater (right from a poster in a shop window) was again among the competitors.
The waves are 10-30 feet high during winter and this is considered the most dynamic competition in the world. As such, of course, it draws the best competitors in the world.
Because my trip was last minute, I didn't see as much as I would have liked of the competition and have a feeling this is going on my "annual visit to Hawaii" list of things to do.
Learning to surf is exhilarating. It is also potentially dangerous as waves of any size are incredibly powerful. It's one of those fine sports that gives you an advantage if you take lessons from qualified professionals. You will be dealing with waves -- in Hawaii, they could be Big Waves -- although some of the world's largest are at Maverick Beach in Half Moon Bay south of San Francisco where an annual "Big Wave Surfing Competition" is held; it's $150,000 purse is the largest prize for any big wave competition.
The most dangerous I've encountered would be the reverse waves off the shores of Costa Rica. They weren't particularly huge, but the path was unexpected. You will also be dealing with rips, rocks, stinging fish, rogue waves, hitting the sand and sharks in many waters (California, Australia . . . )
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