{"id":126420,"date":"2026-05-06T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tracksmag.com.au\/?p=126420"},"modified":"2026-05-12T10:41:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T00:41:23","slug":"kipp-caddys-sketchiest-slabs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tracksmag.com.au\/kipp-caddys-sketchiest-slabs","title":{"rendered":"Kipp Caddy’s Sketchiest Slabs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Slab surfing has become its own sub genre within our sport. What started as a niche obsession has turned into a full-blown pursuit and is being driven by a small crew intent on finding out just how far you can push it over dry reef. The goal isn\u2019t size so much as consequence: late drops, warped ledges and tubes that fold over inches of water. Spots once written off as unridable are now being eyed off, paddled into and occasionally made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surfers like Nathan Florence, Russ Bierke, Harry Bryant and Noa Deane have helped shift that focus in recent years. Less emphasis on wave height, more on technicality and risk, threading tubes where there\u2019s barely room for error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kipp Caddy also sits firmly in that camp. Raised in Ulladulla on the South Coast of NSW and now based in Cronulla, he\u2019s built a reputation in heavy water, with places like Cape Solander and Shark Island effectively his backyard. If there\u2019s a sketchy setup within reach, chances are he\u2019s already had a look at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Locked and loaded ready to wrestle with some heavy water. Photo: Sam Venn.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Like most fringe movements, slab surfing hasn\u2019t stayed fringe for long. The wipeouts, the makes, the sheer intensity of it all plays well on social media and more surfers are starting to dabble, whether it\u2019s a playful two-foot ledge or something far less forgiving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that in mind, we asked Kipp to break down a few of the heaviest waves he\u2019s tackled and what he\u2019s learnt along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rileys \u2013 Ireland<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cConsidering I\u2019ve only surfed it a handful of times, the amount of stories I\u2019ve heard of some serious injuries out there is pretty wild,\u201d said Kipp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Irish slab was first surfed in 2007 and since then has become one of the most sought after setups with shallow water specialists from across the globe visiting the Emerald Isle each winter to try their luck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe way the water moves, it seems to push you so hard onto the shallow ledge. When you fall, you really feel the power pushing you into the bottom,\u201d said Kipp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even before you\u2019ve considered throwing yourself over the ledge at this heaving left, there are numerous variables to overcome. Just to reach the wave, you have to trek across a slippery reef which sits under a set of behemoth imposing cliffs. Once you get to the wave, you\u2019ll need to navigate a narrow ledge and jump off spot which gets covered every time a set washes through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kipp said the slab is scary at any size, with it breaking anywhere from 4-12ft plus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven at 6ft paddle size, the wave has the potential to do serious harm. It\u2019s such a crazy setup and it has a number of levels to it. When it gets above 10ft, it gets even gnarlier, it\u2019s impressive seeing some of the local boys towing it on the huge days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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No easy access in these parts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cape Solander \u2013 Sydney<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sydney doesn\u2019t trade in ruler-edged point breaks or long-period freight trains, but when the conditions align it offers something just as confronting \u2013 ledging slabs that break square over rock and leave little room for error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most well-known being Cape Solander where waves draw from deep water before quickly unfolding onto a shallow ledge just metres from dry rock. Add in the backwash that causes the barrel to warp and the multiple steps in each wave and you get a recipe for complete carnage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a combination of everything that makes it so sketchy,\u201d said Kipp. \u201cThe thickness of the wave, the way it jacks up so quickly, the close proximity to the rocks and the way it pushes you across the rocks. You can wipeout and get fully stuck on the rocks. There\u2019s this zone where you\u2019re getting washed across dry rock, the ski can\u2019t get to you and no one on land can get to you. We\u2019ve seen a lot of people get seriously injured in that zone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kipp sinks below sea level as he prepares for the lip to engulf him. Photo: Sam Venn.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Unlike some of the more remote slabs across Australia, Solander is easily accessible to the masses as it sits in the Southern end of Sydney. Kipp said the crowd was \u2018out of control\u2019 during the last Cape swell.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such an epic wave and I would never want to discourage people from surfing slabs but Cape is literally a triple black diamond run. I just think some people need to hone their skills at other waves before giving it a crack. I can snowboard a bit but I would never just turn up and go to the top of one of those runs straight away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the obstacles and the obvious imbalance in risk versus reward, Kipp said the danger is worth it if you make one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe barrel out there is like a time warp. The way it bends in front of the rock, on the right one, there is no other barrel like it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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No place like home. Photo: Luca Salisbury.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cyclops \u2013 Western Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cyclops is somewhat of a mythical creature to most surfers. You\u2019ve heard stories about it, seen sporadic clips of it but it doesn\u2019t regularly feature when discussing waves of consequence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s partially due to the fact that very few have tried to tame the beast which is located deep into the south coast of WA, hours away from any form of civilisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t given it a crack yet but it\u2019s been on my radar. I\u2019ve definitely kept an eye on the swell charts and if the stars align I\u2019d love to pull the trigger on a mission to surf it,\u201d said Kipp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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