Surf: As the name Boulders suggests, this left breaks over a rocky mix of lava and the odd coral head, in pointbreak style, close to the headland. It is one of Samoa’s classiest waves and handles as much size as the Pacific can throw at it, with triple overhead plus days a real possibility. A steep roll in leads to a flying wall that’s thick and grunty, before turning totally tubular on the shallow end section. Major positive factors include rideable on lower tides and it’s nicely tucked in out of the SE trade winds, which is also the ideal swell direction so only bigger pulses on the wrap will line-up properly. Negatives include crowds of advanced surfers on big swells as all the surf camps descend by boat and road; getting too close to the cliff at high tide or the inside coral heads at low tide; being under-gunned; the regular shark sightings in the vicinity. Environment: Can be friendly enough on smaller, messed up S-SW swells and surfing in the remote bay on Sundays is usually OK. Surf: General: Pointbreaks are somewhat rare in this part of the world, but Boulders is one of them, and it's a dandy. A well-shaped, long and very powerful left-hander that can handle any swell the ocean dishes up, it can present some very hollow sections. Rippable when small, but always a challenge, it has a beautiful lush backdrop. Tides: Low Size: Waist high-2X overhead Wind: N Swell: S Bottom: Lava and coral heads. Paddling: Depends on size but generally a lot of paddling, especially when overhead. Spot Rating: Quite good. Access: Paddle from beach. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Moderate when it's firing. Local Vibe: None. Environment: Clean. Hazards: Turning your back to the ocean. Season: May-August