Surfing Waves

For those of you who are scared of sharks like me. Don't click on it.

http://i.imgur.com/Id3VE0u.gifv

I'm shocked at how fast it can swim.

The Patch is a longboard spot that receives beautiful waves over some dangerous rocks that rise with the ebbing tide. I get so fired up with surfing that I forget all about what's just below the surface. It's imperative to keep the rocky spots in mind and to end rides with a kick out or board grab.

My darkest fear is hitting my head on an underwater rock. I should probably get a helmet but dread the "kook factor."

My darkest fear is getting stuck in a current (via injury or exhaustion) and sucked out to sea.

BoMan wrote:It's imperative to keep the rocky spots in mind and to end rides with a kick out or board grab.

This is a reef (or maybe point?) that I surf at occasionally, and I know Jaffa has as well. Its a pretty deep and usually softish wave that is a reknowned longboarders wave and also for people like me, even though its usually a left so I suck at it. Anyway, it breaks along a rock shelf and the shoulder often runs very close to one rock that sticks out - you have to make sure you either kick out early or head way off the shoulder. I have seen several people realise too late and end up hitting the rock



sometimes it breaks right - then you have to kick out!




Anyway, thats not my greatest fear - I think its suffering some kind of injury (head knock, fractured spine etc) and not being able to do anything or completely screwing up my out of water activities for a long time. Of course, having had several year long plus injuries and seemingly injuring myself all the time now that I'm old, I claim this as justifiable.

Of course, for sharks I just ignore them. i'm very good at ignoring things I can't control - its a good life skill, at times.

Sharks I hate them even though we don't really get them in NZ, I freaked out when I saw 2 fins right in front of me and paddling back in really fast but then later found out they were dolphins

When I used to bodyboard on a wooden paipo board I went to a point break that broke along a bunch of boulders. It was a nice long tubing right and back then no one surfed it ( I am sure they are surfing it these days). Anyway one day it was looking awesome so my paipo boarding pal and I went out there. The paddle out was easy because the long point of boulders blocked the waves on the side opposite from the surf. I took off and rode a couple then got a big one and rode it really far and found myself facing a huge boulder popping out of the water directly in front of me. In one of those split second decisions you have to make surfing I decided just to go straight and hit the boulder under control hoping my wooden board would protect me. It worked like a charm. After a bit I was catching my breath and talking to my friend and asked him what he did at the boulder and he was telling me about all the ways he tried to avoid it and ended up getting pounded and pushed against the other boulders. I told him I just smacked it and he started doing the same thing LOL I guess that doesn't work so well on a surfboard with fins and softer construction. One of the places I surf has a pile of rocks that stick out of the water and you have to keep them in mind and be careful not to run into them but also not to wipeout in front of them which is the more likely scenario and then the next wave will drive you into them. I guess you can just not surf breaks like that or be very vigilant

1. Donald Trump.
2. Spinal injury followed by paralysis followed by drowning while conscious.
3. Crocodile attack.
4. Shark attack.
5. Toxic viral sewage stews that develop in the ocean after a rain.
6. Cone snails, sea urchins, and other creepy crawlies, some with ultra venom, that hang around in the depths.
7. Super strong ocean currents.
8. Hippo attack.
9. Gila monster attack.
10. Key Lime Pie (dangerously delicious).

Well, you asked.

Trump attack?

dtc wrote:Trump attack?

Any vicious attack on genitals or complex thought.

My darkest fear as a surfer would be having a wipeout so heavy I'm left paralysed underwater, unable to swim to the surface.
Or surfing a shallow reef, going down the line and having the water drain all the way down to the reef (I know it can't happen but I can't help but think about it), what if it just drains and you fall right onto the rock solid reef at full speed

icetime wrote:My darkest fear as a surfer would be having a wipeout so heavy I'm left paralysed underwater, unable to swim to the surface.
Or surfing a shallow reef, going down the line and having the water drain all the way down to the reef (I know it can't happen but I can't help but think about it), what if it just drains and you fall right onto the rock solid reef at full speed

Jump off and start running?

I don't really think there is any one big fear of surfing for me unless it is getting too old or crippled to surf.

oldmansurfer wrote:I don't really think there is any one big fear of surfing for me unless it is getting too old or crippled to surf.

I think surfing might just be one of the best defenses against getting old.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/weekend-war ... -benefits/

icetime wrote:Or surfing a shallow reef, going down the line and having the water drain all the way down to the reef (I know it can't happen but I can't help but think about it), what if it just drains and you fall right onto the rock solid reef at full speed

you mean like this

It could be time for an "unlike" button.

BaNZ wrote:For those of you who are scared of sharks like me. Don't click on it.

http://i.imgur.com/Id3VE0u.gifv

I'm shocked at how fast it can swim.

BaNZ, until you've seen them, you have no idea how fast sharks, barracuda, porpoises, seals, sea lions, and penguins swim in the water. It's nearly faster than a speeding bullet!

For your own sake, you've really got to conquer this shark fear thing.

BoMan wrote:
The Patch is a longboard spot that receives beautiful waves over some dangerous rocks that rise with the ebbing tide. I get so fired up with surfing that I forget all about what's just below the surface. It's imperative to keep the rocky spots in mind and to end rides with a kick out or board grab.

My darkest fear is hitting my head on an underwater rock. I should probably get a helmet but dread the "kook factor."

BoMan,
If the photo is where I think it is, I used to surf there frequently. It is sharky! I have many memories of seeing large sharks in the water among us surfers. Are the rocks part of the reef and located more to the right when looking out to see? And to the left is more open and leads into a lagoon?

The even more dangerous fast moving rocks turn out to be sharks.
My home beach had its first known shark attack a couple of days ago, level 2 type nurse shark foot bite, probably stood on the shark while bodysurfing!
We now have a shark detection buoy that registers tagged shark if they are nearby, anonymous sharks don't count.
Surf life saving clubs are now using drones to patrol for sharks........... there are a lot more being seen than the old way.

Yeah I've got a yellow shark buoy as well. Can't decide whether the follow it on the app or not. I'm thinking ignorance is bliss.

For the first time ever I had to leave the water because of the shark alarm - now the buoy is there they know the sharks are there!

dtc wrote:

icetime wrote:Or surfing a shallow reef, going down the line and having the water drain all the way down to the reef (I know it can't happen but I can't help but think about it), what if it just drains and you fall right onto the rock solid reef at full speed

you mean like this

dry reef.JPG

eeek!
Wipeout and your board is ruined and you're going home full of bruises