One of modern surfing's leading adventurers, Nathan Florence, was clear about the fact that the least efficient way for him to score waves is by boat trips with his brother John John.

In an interview with Stab, he was asked, “Are boat trips with John the least ‘productive’ thing you do all year?” He replied, “Absolutely. If there were a ‘we’re getting really good waves’ meter, then your chances of getting waves on a boat trip are low. Extremely low. On the other hand, I’ve gotten to the point where I can be almost 95% sure I’m going to get waves at a certain spot based on how I get there, whether I’m flying or driving. The boat is so much lower. It has to be pure luck, just being there.”

He said the adventure is worth it because you surf just with your family on waves that maybe no one else has ever surfed. And that the feeling of finding that wave, even if it's only two feet high, is something only a big one at Pipe gives you.

Detailing the drawbacks, he explained: “The reality of the boat is that it’s extremely difficult to actively chase the swell. If you do, you’re limited to a fairly small area due to range and fuel. And if you’re really exploring, these factors become much more important than you might think.”

He adds: “If you’re sailing, the first thing is: Do we have the wind at our backs? Second: Do we have enough fuel? Third: Do we have enough water and food on board for a trip of this distance and time? Then you ask yourself: 'Okay, we’re here now, can we anchor? Is there a safe anchorage? Can we leave the boat overnight?' Maybe there isn’t a safe anchorage, so you’re stuck miles from where you need to be. Or you have to commit to checking a stretch of reef for that swell because there isn’t time to check another island or the other side of the island that day, because you lose so much time in slow traffic. You’re pretty inhibited.”

The Hawaiian said that for him, flying with a car and jet ski is the best way to score waves.