After my initial surfing misadventure at Makaha, I went to see a member of one of Makaha’s most prominent families. I asked him for advice on avoiding another bad experience in the water and he replied, “When someone new comes, we expect them to introduce themselves and say hi, at least.” I went back to the beach and got a chance to put his advice into practice. After I struck up a conversation with a stocky Hawaiian, we saw a big wave coming. I looked at him. Mine? His nod was subtle to the point of telepathy.