Deathly Hollows: Empty Waves in Ireland (Gallery)

Look but don’t touch.

As kids, we’re berated by this unenviable axiom, scolded in grocery stores, candy shops, other people’s homes and, perhaps most essentially, the shiny glassware sections of thrift stores. (Hence the appropriate signage.) It’s lunacy, when we’re young; but it’s also sound advice.

Some things are not meant to be tampered with. Some things are best left untouched, untarnished, and unknown. In some cases, it’s to preserve the mystery. In others, it’s to preserve ourselves. As for the latter, there are certain surf spots – or certain waves – that are better suited to roll through unridden, lest some overzealous charger goes hero mode and thus pays the price.

After some recent dispatches from longtime SURFER photographer Ryan “Chachi” Craig, currently stationed in Ireland, that truth has never been more evident. This recent collection of empty waves, shot on location, are the untouchables. And for good reason; keep scrolling to see why.

"There’s nothing quite like mind-surfing a wave while you’re suiting up at your local," Chachi clacked through fingers numb from cold and hitting the trigger. "That’s the beauty of being a photographer though. As soon as conditions no longer align for surfing without a realistic increase in injury, I have watched an incredible slab go from empty to packed than back to empty again in less than two hours. Although I understand why everyone packs up and leaves, being from California I couldn’t help but stay and stare at the memorizing consistency of top to bottom tubes breaking in mere inches of water, to an empty audience. Two days in particular come to mind where I stayed from sunrise to sunset, alternating between shooting different angles from land, flying my drone until I ran out of batteries, swimming in the cold and clear waters with my water housings - until my fingers were too numb to operate my camera and of course, mind surfing a whole lot of barrels myself!"

All photos courtesy of Ryan “Chachi” Craig.