How do you react to large waves ? poll

[trifish]

This past weekend I had a little 1 on 1 time with some 8 foot waves that tossed me around like a rag doll. So I present to you, this POLL. Fyi I tried all the options in the poll with little sucess

[Beachbum]

How about paddling for dear life . I remember doing that with sessions beyond my skill level.

[O_Danny_Boy]

you really have only one option there my friend, either duck through it or go over the falls backwards, the worst kinda beating

wwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee and not in a good way :/

[garbarrage]

preferably under but failing that under/through...
got rolled by a couple of 8ft+ sets last week... over the falls backwards and sideways which on this particular occassion was actually the worst pounding i've ever had.... took the leash right off my leg (didn't snap it... just popped it clean off)...
nothing like trying to duckdive a 7' board in big waves to show up the fact that i can't duckdive lol!!!

[Sykes]

Eskimo roll.

It's the only way with a 9' 2" board like I've got.

[trifish]

Yeh I couldnt get underneath them with duckdives. The waves was to strong and would suck me out the water back into the wave. I think I managed to do about 10 flips with a few twists on one, the olympic divers would of been proud Talk about a helpless feeling when you realized its gonna get you.

[LeeM]

We had some big waves last week. I spent the first two hours on the longboard, trying to duck dive it with varying success. I can get it through the wave, but then have to paddle like hell to keep moving out and not get sucked backwards.

I switched to my shorter 7' board, and discovered that I can duck dive! It seemed so much easier than the 9' board. Of course, I can't surf the shorty board worth anything, so the rides are short.

[gerk86]

if I cant duckdive in time, i grip my board with my arms and legs and go along with the ride. NEVER leave go of your board and try to swim through! It puts a crazy amount of strain on your leash. If it snaps you have a long swim back to shore in the middle of a set!

[isaluteyou]

duck dive if you got a shortboard. Otherwise eskimo roll. If worst comes to worse check behind you then scuba dive

[LOLRuss]

By spinning rapidly under water, and holding my breath.

Actually, as long as I am moving fast towards it and it doesn't literally break ON me, I can duck dive with my 11' board and not get pushed TOO far in barely overhead surf.

If its gonna smash on me I roll over and try to hold on, but like as not the board gets away from me. If it scares the xxxxx out of me, I will dump the board and dive for it. I've gotten to be a pretty strong swimmer, so I could make it back to shore especially if I body surf it a bit.

[esonscar]

I can't vote since I got obliterated by a wave at a South Wales reef.

Twas big you know – few in, most a watchin.

Peaks of different sizes – perfection personified.
Thing was, the whole bay was rippin, and rippin fast.
Me paddling strong flat out was still getting sucked onto the old Crab Island. Pointing to horizon was I ending up, goin around was I – but a peak of peaks beyond the outside came lurchin up . No bother me thought, just duck dive her – summer suit would allow a good un.
Down I goes. Felt like the best duck diver I have ever done – deep and purposeful.
Down down down I goes, sees captn Nemo sub and Atlantis I was so deep, then - up up up I goes! Ballax, over over over, back back back nooooooooooooooooooo – Impact.
I hit the reef with my board on my chest, the lip explodes all the air out of me lungs.
I was perplexed now.

Lucky is me nickname cause I counted 21 seconds from duckdive to air again. Hand over mouth and blacking out. Couldn’t find up or down. Methinks I held me breath for as long as I could, or me leash got snagged – dunno, but ooh – that were a bad un – a real bad un.

Daylight was hindered by froth, the foamy air I breathed tasted of barnacles, land was over the ridge of white somewhere – BOOOOOMMMMM another hits me and drags me sorry arse the last few yards into the lagoon.

A jellyfish was I now, paddling like a half drowning cat to the shoreline, shaky and disorientated, but calmed knowing the lagoon was my sanctuary.

Land.

I got back on me horse shortly after that same day and ripped the living walls out of a smaller spot to avenge the queen of the sea. Har.

Seriously, crapped it on that one !

[LOLRuss]

I have no idea what I would do at a reef break.

[Koki Barrels]

whatever you do don't opt for the last option on the poll

stare at it and whatever, scream

this happened to me, but i can't say i stared at it and didn't do anything, it was a sneak set and the waves were all of 8'-10' i tried paddling to get through it, but i didn't make it and ended up paddling myself right into the impact zone....Bad Idea! The lip hit me and pushed me to the bottom and pinned my head and the top of my shoulder to the bottom, I was in a good 20 -30 ft of water and when i reached the surface I was shaken, paddled to shore and called it an evening, and have been humbled ever since. Kinda glad it happened...I use it as experience, but as for the survey i think it all depends on your placement in the water compared to where the wave is breaking, it's a split second decision, just pray you make the right one!

[LOLRuss]

Yeah, thats what people here talk about a lot in bigger waves: judging what the wave is gonna do is what is important.

My favorite though is when they start to break right on me but I'm hauling ass and pop through just under the breaking face and get a little air on the other side.

[pkbum]

when a wave is pretty big, i usually freak out(cuz i m a pussy.) then look around and bail the board.
i still practice duck diving those xxxxx when I have the time. but i don't wanna get washed around by the laundry machine

[trifish]

Some pretty interesting answers. Atleast im not the only one


esonscar, awesome narrating, had me cracking up. What makes it funny is I can relate on a certain level. For a second i read the last sentence wrong and I thought a jellyfish got you on your way up. LOL

"I counted 21 seconds from duckdive to air again."

Dang man thats ruff. I got caught in a few that held me down for around 5 seconds without much air in me and I was starting to freak out.

[parrysurf]

duck dive is the most under rated part of surfing......i love the creeper sets...clears out those who can't do the duck, and the goods are for those who can.

practice like hell on your duck, you should be able to gain ground as you are going under a wave it should not be taking you back at all. Even in BIG surf.

[esonscar]

I totally crapped it years ago at Hossegor in France too – hurricane Andrew was a blowin’ and I was a surfin.

Ha ! three significant close duck dives later and I was outside, after running full pelt into, and gliding over the just broken shore dumper from hell.

I was having a ball when the (only !) other surfer in was a hootin and a hollering – I looked back and OMFG – I was on a big old wave
The surf had picked up

My slick moves on the wave and up and off the lip became a down the line ride !
She was big and gnarly – the lifeguard was putting his fins on in case it got me into the sand – she was breaking into dryness as I stayed ahead of her casm

Good ride that.

The next day was massive – I didn’t go in (my board was too short, ahem !). Believe it or not, a helicopter was lifting people out of the water form way outside.

One body boarder form London (Martin ? you read this forum ? )stayed in and two South Africans, from South Africa funnily enough, went in too – Chris and Stefan.

They waited hours for their set waves and dam, big big big big biggggg.

The Rockfood café break was killer too – a dam good surf trip was had.

[twerked]

i'll try to duck it. but i'm always trying to watch the horizon and the swell lines. i can usually tell when one is gonna stack up and i'll paddle outside to avoid the washing machine. every now and then, usually on the paddle back out, i'll get caught a little too far inside, then i just try to duck dive it. worse comes to worse i just get tumbled for more than i would like

[miamisurfer]

At popoyo there was an outside that started feathering 300 yards out. i almost paddled in. if i would have then i would have gotten the worst beating of my life. The wave was solid triple o and i almost took off under the lip of it. i think it closed out though so i am so glad i didn't go.

the secret to duckdiving big whitewater is just getting deep, speed isn't as important