fear of big waves

[drowningbitbybit]

When it happens, you've just got to take it with a smile on your face.

I find that a screaming face of terror works too.

[long_man]

well i haven't had that yet but i have been bloody close, thats bad enough.....

not looking forward to the first time it does happen though.....

[surfdaisy06]

Or the water in your mouth.

[Lisa*]

well i would think about the amount of people that seriously injure themselves surfing... not that much - just chill out and go for it. you're only gonna wipe and out and probably just be caught under the water for a few seconds more than you would on a smaller wave.
and yes i agree to surf with other people - especially if you're not used to big waves.
xx

[Lisa*]

still scares the xxxxx out of me when i get caught inside on massive clean up sets. its not so bad when you have a wall of white water heading for you, its when your paddling up the face knowing your not going to make it over the top

haha - i was talking to the waves saying, you can break before or after me... not ON me... it didnt work. =)
xx

[keef]

ok, this may help it worked for me. I had the same fear of big waves, and it was either surf big waves or don't surf at all for a while here last winter............
I told one of the locals who works in the surf shop, and he said right as soon as you pop up I want you to count to 3 and then dive off the board, or in any case jump off before you fall off........... after that you won't be scared. It has something to do with making it a deliberate act rather than something you are trying to avoid.
worked for me.
still don't like the feeling of not getting over the top of any wave, not just the big ones on the paddle out though.................

[syk]

Train, swim, workout, train breathholds. You need to be confident in your abilitys. If your leash breaks will you be able to swim back to shore?Will you have enough energy to paddle back out fast enough after taking 3 waves on the head?Never surf alone when its bigger either. If you're surfing a shallow reef break you might hit your head etc.

[isaluteyou]

Will you have enough energy to paddle back out fast enough after taking 3 waves on the head

More like, will you have enough energy to survive when you have a macking 9 set bombs looming and you are in no mans land

It helps not to catch the first wave in the set and then wipeout otherwise you may end up getting whats above - happened to me a few times

[Bub]

I don't have fear of paddling in on big waves and taking a spill. I think the thrill of trying to catch the wave overrides the fear. For me the fear is in the the paddle out and whether I'm going to be able to duck dive timely or can get over it without falling backward over the falls. Then its do I have the stamina to get outback, ugh I hate not being a well conditioned paddler.

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

no the worst thing is wiping out in a wave and getting dragged, making it out after being dragged, then getting sucked back down by the sme wave.

[Jimi]

well, my biggest problem isn't getting out in big (for me) waves, but it is getting onto them on the way back in! I usually get smacked on the drop onto the face.