Surfing Waves

Alright, I paddled out for the sunset session. There's a decent south swell out. The report said 3-4 feet shoulder high, occasional pluses. Im pretty sure that I saw some 7-8 foot faces on the sets.. Anyways, on my last wave in I wipe out and dont come back up. It was the weirdest thing. I was sitting there under the water, going nowhere. I began to panic and swim hard for the surface and nothing. I started to think "someone help me, did someone see me go under??" Then I realized that noone was going to get there in time. Then a calm came over me. I reached down and found my ankle. I pulled me leach strap off and came up. My board got pounded into the rocks but sustained minimal damage. When I got out I was a little in shock. I guy that had been sitting in his car said he saw the whole thing and he said I was under for about 20-25 seconds. The whole thing still feels really weird to me. I dont know if it was because of the current that I didnt go for my leash or because I was panicked, but I know for next time to go for the leash immediately.

bgdkmetzger2003 wrote:Alright, I paddled out for the sunset session. There's a decent south swell out. The report said 3-4 feet shoulder high, occasional pluses. Im pretty sure that I saw some 7-8 foot faces on the sets.. Anyways, on my last wave in I wipe out and dont come back up. It was the weirdest thing. I was sitting there under the water, going nowhere. I began to panic and swim hard for the surface and nothing. I started to think "someone help me, did someone see me go under??" Then I realized that noone was going to get there in time. Then a calm came over me. I reached down and found my ankle. I pulled me leach strap off and came up. My board got pounded into the rocks but sustained minimal damage. When I got out I was a little in shock. I guy that had been sitting in his car said he saw the whole thing and he said I was under for about 20-25 seconds. The whole thing still feels really weird to me. I dont know if it was because of the current that I didnt go for my leash or because I was panicked, but I know for next time to go for the leash immediately.

If I had kept panicking and trying to swim I think I had about 10 more seconds before I would have drowned.

Thats a nasty experience. Panic is the number one cause of drowning My advice is to learn from it but dont take that fear with you into your next session it will only spoil it for you

You were right though the forcast said 3-4 but im sure i dropped down some bigger sets at cliffs. One or two of the outside sets were easily 6fters.

isaluteyou wrote: Panic is the number one cause of drowning

Number one would be 'water' surely?

Iv had an experience like that too, hard not to panic in that situation, but i suppose it is definately better to stay calm. I was kept down for a few sets and i got to t he surfacegasping. It is scary stuff I have to say.

drowningbitbybit wrote:

isaluteyou wrote: Panic is the number one cause of drowning

Number one would be 'water' surely?

pmsl!

You could however drown in custard!


bgdkmetzger2003, that must have been scary. Could have been all those raw eggs weighing you down?

But seriously, glad to hear you made it dude, that sounds dark.

bgdkmetzger2003 wrote:Alright, I paddled out for the sunset session. There's a decent south swell out. The report said 3-4 feet shoulder high, occasional pluses. Im pretty sure that I saw some 7-8 foot faces on the sets.. Anyways, on my last wave in I wipe out and dont come back up. It was the weirdest thing. I was sitting there under the water, going nowhere. I began to panic and swim hard for the surface and nothing. I started to think "someone help me, did someone see me go under??" Then I realized that noone was going to get there in time. Then a calm came over me. I reached down and found my ankle. I pulled me leach strap off and came up. My board got pounded into the rocks but sustained minimal damage. When I got out I was a little in shock. I guy that had been sitting in his car said he saw the whole thing and he said I was under for about 20-25 seconds. The whole thing still feels really weird to me. I dont know if it was because of the current that I didnt go for my leash or because I was panicked, but I know for next time to go for the leash immediately.

Doesn't like like a nice experience I presume your leash had got caught on something on the sea bed?

yeah, it got caught on the reef there.

bgdkmetzger2003 wrote:yeah, it got caught on the reef there.

Must have been scary! Can't you buy those quick release leashes they started making after Mark Foo drowned?

I had an experience like that many years ago. I was surfing down in Mexico during a big swell. 15+ feet waves. My leash broke and I got worked over and over. At one point I had tumbled so much and been pushed down so far that I did not know which way was up. I ended up blowing some air out and put my hands around my mouth to see which way the air bubles went. I did not go back out for the rest of that trip I was so shaken up. I feel for you. Don't let it get to you. Get back out so you can regain that stoke.

How hard was it to get the leash off in that situation?

My leash is a bit worn, and sometimes it takes me a while to find the tab to get it off, and that's standing in knee-deep water. I often wonder how hard it would be to get loose in an emergency.

I've tried drowning in beer on more than one occasion..

Sounds scary, I'm sure as surfers were all going to have moments like that...

Damn dude, That could not have been fun. I have been in water all of my life and would you not know it I almost drowned in 2-3 footers last year. That was the first and I hope the last time that happens. I never imagined a 2 foot wave could about kill a person but it was close.

Go with what the rest of the people said, "get back on it".

I watched the documentary "Riding Giants" last weekend. Excellent historical surf film for those who haven't seen it yet. Anyway a surfer talked about how he was held down in the wash for a long time, he tried to reach for his leash but the flow of water was so strong, he couldn't even flex his body over to reach the leash. I think the moral of the story probably is, if you're not wired to be a risk taker or don't like to stare at the face of death, stick to surfing under 4 footers. But sometimes those killer sets come in out of no-where and catch you off guard.

justloafing wrote:Damn dude, That could not have been fun. I have been in water all of my life and would you not know it I almost drowned in 2-3 footers last year. That was the first and I hope the last time that happens. I never imagined a 2 foot wave could about kill a person but it was close.

Go with what the rest of the people said, "get back on it".

I'm curious, what happened specifically that caused you to almost drown on the 2-3 footer? Lots of improbable things can happen I suppose.

Bub wrote:

justloafing wrote:Damn dude, That could not have been fun. I have been in water all of my life and would you not know it I almost drowned in 2-3 footers last year. That was the first and I hope the last time that happens. I never imagined a 2 foot wave could about kill a person but it was close.

Go with what the rest of the people said, "get back on it".

I'm curious, what happened specifically that caused you to almost drown on the 2-3 footer? Lots of improbable things can happen I suppose.

It was really strange. For one thing I fell off so quick I went in with no air in my lungs (that has never happened to me before). That was the first strange thing. Secondly now this is the strangest part, that wave held me under believe it or not for about 10 seconds. I don't know if it was my board still in the wave and it was dragging me by the leach or not. I just have no clue what happened. It never happened before or has never happened since.

soz to hear that bgdk'.. sounds like ya got close to a dark one

but what doesnt kill ya makes ya stronger ..so on the up you'll be able to cope with a similiar scenario if it happens again

The closest ive got to drowning was when i worked on a building site as a nipper !?! .. and the big fleshers put me upside down in a barrel full of water ..i think it was when my legs stopped kicking they realised the joke was'nt that funny afterall .. !!


p.s to end that story ..i set fire to the lunch hut while they were all inside... my joke was funnier

justloafing wrote:

Bub wrote:

justloafing wrote:Damn dude, That could not have been fun. I have been in water all of my life and would you not know it I almost drowned in 2-3 footers last year. That was the first and I hope the last time that happens. I never imagined a 2 foot wave could about kill a person but it was close.

Go with what the rest of the people said, "get back on it".

I'm curious, what happened specifically that caused you to almost drown on the 2-3 footer? Lots of improbable things can happen I suppose.

It was really strange. For one thing I fell off so quick I went in with no air in my lungs (that has never happened to me before). That was the first strange thing. Secondly now this is the strangest part, that wave held me under believe it or not for about 10 seconds. I don't know if it was my board still in the wave and it was dragging me by the leach or not. I just have no clue what happened. It never happened before or has never happened since.

I can definitely envision that happening. I once nose dived my board so fast, I didn't get my eyes closed in time before my face hit the water and instantly lost a contact lens upon impact. So I can see how you could not get your breath held in time. And even a small wave dragging a board (and you by the leash) could give enough problems on resurfacing. That hasn't happened to me yet but I can easily see it happening sometime down the road. I only have about 10hrs or so in the water surfing so far so its probably just a matter of time weird things will happen.

justloafing wrote:
It was really strange. For one thing I fell off so quick I went in with no air in my lungs (that has never happened to me before). That was the first strange thing. Secondly now this is the strangest part, that wave held me under believe it or not for about 10 seconds. I don't know if it was my board still in the wave and it was dragging me by the leach or not. I just have no clue what happened. It never happened before or has never happened since.

I know what that feels like... Happened to me a coupla weeks ago.
Might get myself one of those extensible dog leashes for next time!