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I used to consider 7'4 - 7'6" entry level for Sunset.
When it's 10-12' and windy and a good deal of west and 60 guys out, you won't get a single wave on anything less. Stare down a proper 12 footer with wind coming up the face and that 9'0" isn't gonna feel so big...
If you are really intent on pushing it at Sunset on big winter swells and you are not familiar with the wave, don't go less than 8'0" and go thick. You will be in survival mode for the first several surfs, just trying to get from the peak to the channel. No shame in that. It's pretty heavy. Koa and Billy and the locals from the neighborhood at the point have gone from Shores to Vals to the point to full on Sunset since they could swim and walk. Don't compare yourself to them. Ross Clarke-Jones RIPS Sunset, pretty much rides his 10'0" Bushman gun from 1' to closing out and just kills it.
I surfed it a handful of times on a trip two years ago, but never when it was huge. Took out a 6'10" that Jacob Campbell made me and definitely felt under-gunned for the proper sets that came through. I'm not going to pretend to understand Hawaiian measurements, but they were what I'd call well overhead to DOH. At some point on my first go-out I didn't pay attention to what the current was doing and got properly caught inside.
