Stand Up Paddle Surfing in Tahiti

Photograph by Chuck Patterson

"I had surfed and tow surfed here before," says big-wave surfer Chuck Patterson about Teahupoo, a renowned surf spot in Tahiti. "But I always wondered what it would feel like to get tubed on my stand up paddle surf board—this is what I came for." The water is sucked off a shallow, razor sharp reef, making the barrel break below sea level. "This wave is incredibly challenging to paddle into, let alone surf," notes Patterson. "Any mistakes could be costly." The photograph was taken by a camera mounted to his board.