Can't get myself to surf big waves..

[wowzersam]

Hey all, I need some help. I've been struggling with surfing bigger waves for a while. It all started when I was young and took a beating and almost drowned. I have been wary of big waves ever since. But, slowly I have been getting over my fear, and have been catching bigger and bigger waves. Right now, I'm only comfortable with 4-5 foot (front) waves. From what I hear, that's pretty pathetic, but it's a big improvement from what I started out on. I almost always go surfing with my friends, who like to surf much bigger waves than I do. I usually end up just sitting on the beach watching them rather than paddling out. I'm so embarrassed when I wimp out and sit on the beach, my friends make fun of me for it. I would really like to get past this barrier and be able to paddle out and have fun with them. I'm 15 (almost 16), have been surfing for 4 years, and can hold my breath for 30-45 seconds (I know that isn't very long, but waves don't usually hold you under for longer than 20 seconds right?). Anyway, I have been really struggling and didn't know who to confide in to help me out. I read some other posts on this forum and decided to give it a try. If you guys need any other information about me just ask. Thanks in advance.

[oldmansurfer]

get more fit. You should be able to hold your breath a minute easy. What exactly are you afraid of when you sit out the session? How did you almost drown?

[wowzersam]

get more fit. You should be able to hold your breath a minute easy. What exactly are you afraid of when you sit out the session? How did you almost drown?

I've been trying to hold my breath for longer amounts of time (If I hyperventilate before I hold I can do a 1.5-2 minute hold), but I can't seem to be able to get past the 45 second barrier. If you have any tips to exercise my lungs I would really appreciate it. How I almost drowned was at a shore break. I was very young and the waves were quite large. My father paddled me out and pushed me into a huge wave (I don't think it was that big but it felt big). Anyway I couldn't hold my breath for much time and the wave held me under so long I almost passed out. After that I didn't even go near the water for 3 years. What I'm afraid of is drowning. Not breaking my neck, not hitting my head, not getting cut up and stuff (I live in Hawaii, basically everywhere is a super shallow reef break). I'm afraid I won't be able to hold my breath long enough to survive. As crazy as that sounds, that's what I struggle with every time I sit on that beach looking out at the waves. I know I can hold my breath long enough, but I just can't get myself to go out there and give it a shot. I really want to break free of my irrational fear, it's been weighing me down ever since I picked surfing back up. I really enjoy surfing and would give anything to go out there with my friends and have some good fun, but I can't without freaking myself out.

[waikikikichan]

I'm from Hawaii. What breaks do you and your friends surf at ? Maybe I can give some insight on that wave.

[oldmansurfer]

exercise so that you are out of breath slightly and continue that pace for as long as you can hold out or for 20 to 30 minutes at least. Learn to swim better, maybe take up bodysurfing and learn how to be safe around waves. Take lifesaving classes. The big wave surfers keep themselves super fit for the confidence it gives them so if you take the skils that are needed for surfing and excel at those it should help

[wowzersam]

I'm from Hawaii. What breaks do you and your friends surf at ? Maybe I can give some insight on that wave.

I live in Kona on the Big Island, and from your username, I assume you live in Oahu. The spots here are quite a bit different from over there.

[wowzersam]

exercise so that you are out of breath slightly and continue that pace for as long as you can hold out or for 20 to 30 minutes at least. Learn to swim better, maybe take up bodysurfing and learn how to be safe around waves. Take lifesaving classes. The big wave surfers keep themselves super fit for the confidence it gives them so if you take the skils that are needed for surfing and excel at those it should help

Thanks for the info, I'll definitely try some of these things. I think the main thing I'm worried about is my ability to hold my breath, so if I can get that down I think I'll be pretty confident out in the water.

[oldmansurfer]

I quit surfing for 11 years and when I restarted I found that I panicked when I was under water for more than 5 seconds. It wasn't rational since I wasn't in danger of drowning. I wasn't in very good physical shape at the time. I started doing more vigorous exercise so that I was slightly out of breath figuring that maybe if I got used to being out of breath that would be good. Somewhere along the line I also improved my cardiovascular fitness and the panic underwater went away. Therefore that is my recommendation. I unlike you am very familiar with waves and the ocean having spent most of my life in the ocean an have no fear of bigger waves in general except that bigger waves held me under the water longer which made me panic irrationally.

[oldmansurfer]

If you are panicking under water then you aren't doing it right. When you panic you use more oxygen which only makes things worse. Fighting the wave and struggling to get to the surface likewise use up extra oxygen. You have to remain clam and let the wave dissipate then come up to the surface under control with normal purposeful movements. Perhaps if there is a lot of foam and your leash is still on then grab your leash and pull on it to get to the surface. Then the board will be right there too. Be aware of what the next wave is doing. Be ready to take evasive action to avoid getting pounded by the next wave. If you are held down a long time often the next wave will be coming and you can hear it breaking or see it coming at you underwater in which case you might opt to stay down till that one passes. Being in good physical shape is the key to having the confidence that you will be ok and probably also helps to keep you from panicking irrationally.

[Surf Hound]

No. Average hold down is not 20 seconds. I don't know for sure but from experience I would guess 5-8 seconds is the average hold down. Hell, maybe less but no way is it 20 seconds. Your fear is understandable as you had a bad experience when you were younger. Your fear is real but probably pretty irrational for the size of surf you are wanting to surf. Best thing to do is surf with some buddies out of your comfort zone and take a beating or two. Experience will eliminate your fear as fear is really the not knowing. Once you know what its like then your fear will be gone. Go with a trusted friend and force yourself to go on a wave that you would normally not. Hopefully you wipe out on the take off which will boost your confidence by knowing you can handle what the wave dishes out. If you are spending all your time on an Xbox or something then you may want to drop that and get outside more often. Being 15-16 years old you should have enough cardio without tons of training (assuming you surf often)

[wowzersam]

No. Average hold down is not 20 seconds. I don't know for sure but from experience I would guess 5-8 seconds is the average hold down. Hell, maybe less but no way is it 20 seconds. Your fear is understandable as you had a bad experience when you were younger. Your fear is real but probably pretty irrational for the size of surf you are wanting to surf. Best thing to do is surf with some buddies out of your comfort zone and take a beating or two. Experience will eliminate your fear as fear is really the not knowing. Once you know what its like then your fear will be gone. Go with a trusted friend and force yourself to go on a wave that you would normally not. Hopefully you wipe out on the take off which will boost your confidence by knowing you can handle what the wave dishes out. If you are spending all your time on an Xbox or something then you may want to drop that and get outside more often. Being 15-16 years old you should have enough cardio without tons of training (assuming you surf often)

Thanks all the suggestions. I do spend a good deal of time playing video games on my computer (I don't have an Xbox or PS4), but I take any chance I can to get out of the house and go surf or something. Problem with surfing with my "buddies" is that they really only care about themselves out in the lineup. I think you're right about going out of my comfort zone, but it's really hard for me to just get up and go out there. Hopefully I can get over myself and just do it.. By the way, I'm not fat. In fact, I'm quite thin, but fairly strong. I don't think cardio is an issue, it's just my self confidence.

[drowningbitbybit]

it's just my self confidence.

Then just go out there again and again and again, every chance you get. Don't worry about whether or not you're paddling out to the big waves, or whether you're going for the best waves, just get out there and surf. Your confidence will increase over time with you barely even noticing.

When I was first learning to surf (...quite a long time ago now...), I used to be nervous when I was surfing in deep water (which is silly... once its deeper than you are tall... it doesn't matter how deep it is). But those nerves just faded away over time as I carried on surfing without trying to make a conscious effort about it. What I mean is, don't fixate on the problem, it'll just get seem more of a problem than it is, just go out there and surf.

[jaffa1949]

Let's start with a simple thought! Surf first and foremost waves you enjoy and can improve in.
Enjoyment not going big is the secret of surfing, little increments in size and maybe some play time body surfing and bodyboarding, get your swim skills and water skills up! Build confidence.
NEXT; don't compare yourself with your friends if they don't share some look out for you and gently encourage you ( note that word EN COURAGE ) enhance your courage! Recognise your wariness and help you increase the size you have fun in.
We are not equal but we should be encouraged to expand our limiting beliefs.
BTW there should be a size in everyone's surfing environment where they don't go out.
And that is their personal safety limit, and will vary with different conditions.

Please don't ever be forced by imagined peer pressure to go beyond your safe limit, but you can challenge it bit by bit, small steps

[oldmansurfer]

The whole point of surfing is to have fun. I think the experience is different for everyone but you should still stay safe. I almost drowned once in waves that were so big that your friends would probably be scared to go out in waves half that size. Oddly in my case I did not become afraid of going out in huge surf. In a way it increased my desire to go out because I survived. Now I am an old man and I am scared to go out in waves more than half that size but at half that size I may still go out. Everyone is different. I look at the waves before I go out and figure out where I want to be and if the are big then I also think about what I want to do if worse comes to worse. If it seems like there is too much risk I don't go out there (but maybe somewhere else). When I surf I keep a reserve....what that means is I don't push myself to my limits so that if worse comes to worse I can still push myself some more. To do this requires that I be more fit than I need to for what I am doing. So when I am out in bigger waves or treacherous conditions if I start getting tired I go in. If I get tired right away then it was all a waste of time because I have to paddle back in before I catch a wave so I try to keep myself fit enough that I can handle things for a while. Fitness (and wave knowledge) is really the key. Your friends probably surf more than you so they have better wave knowledge than you and they are probably more fit than you. So for you to catch up you need to go surfing more and get more fit. Kelly Slater was afraid of bigger waves when he was younger and he even surfed shore break in a contest on the North shore of Hawaii rather than to ventrue into the big surf. He just wasn't used to it. Gradually he surfed bigger and bigger waves and now he surfs the Eddie (big wave contest at Waimea Bay). I would take it easy and not push yourself into conditions that scare you but try to go surf more and get super fit.

[Surf Hound]

We all have our fears - it's just at different size of surf. It's healthy to be scared as its healthy to push yourself. Just don't go alls balls in on a day your not with a trusted friend. The more time you spend in the water the more confidence you have. For most of, once waves get a certain size - that's it - can't over come that fear. Know your limits and remember it's good to surf with a buddy but never put yourself in a situation you can't get out of yourself. Bigger waves takes time in the water

[wowzersam]

Thanks so much for all the responses guys, it means a lot. This morning I went out on a little bigger day than I usually go out on. It was about 5-6 faces. I stayed calm and remembered everything you guys told me and I felt okay out in the water. I discovered what I'm most afraid of though. I think my biggest fear is the paddle out to the lineup (where I went out, the paddle out is like 1/2 a mile so it takes a while). I think I'm most afraid of paddling out and getting caught in a huge set. Also when I catch a wave, I'm not afraid of the wipeout itself--I quite enjoy it actually--I'm most afraid of the waves I might get caught in when I come up. I'm not the best at duck diving so if you guys have some tips I would really appreciate it

[oldmansurfer]

It's been a long time since I surfed a board that I had a chance to duck dive...oh wait that's not true I surfed my wife's 6'2" but only in waves so small I didn't need to duck dive. You can practice while you wait for waves or when there are no waves. I saw a video of John John Florence training duck diving in a pool he goes down and swims underwater the length of the pool underwater with a board. It's not a skill I ever truly mastered. So sorry but not a help with that.

[waikikikichan]

Push the tail down with the ball of your foot. Do Not use your knee ! It will allow you to sink the board farther and save the deck from getting pressures.

[jellyfish365]

I can relate, once the waves get 5ft and over I start to freak. I've been surfing 2-3 times a week for the past 6 or so years. Its usually between 2 and 4 feet. I feel comfortable and feel like I can surf pretty good on this size wave. As soon
as it bumps up 5ft and over I cant deal with it. I get so bummed, everyone else is so pumped. I guess my fear is getting
caught inside. I normally ride a 6'2 which I can duck dive but when the waves are bigger I feel like I don't have paddle power and its harder to duck dive. I'm thinking about using a longboard when the waves are bigger but then I would have to deal with turtle rolling which I always think is kinda sketchy in big waves. I feel stuck or on a plateau
Help!

[dtc]

Jellyfish, google 'step up boards', which are exactly what you are kinda thinking about.

You don't need a longboard, just a longer board designed for bigger waves. Usually slightly longer, usually a bit narrower, bit more rocker, bit more thickness, narrower tail (than your normal board). if you surf a 6ft2, your step up might be 6ft6 but with those other change, or something like that. Basically you don't want something that is designed to be fast or high manoeuvrability, because the wave is fast enough to do both jobs for you. You want more control instead. Should probably still be duck diveable

For wowzer, the others have given excellent advice. Seems to me your biggest fear (and what I think is the biggest risk in big waves anyway) is being caught out, not by the wave itself, but by the mass of water moving around. If you lost your board, what would happen...one thing might be to upgrade your leggie to a big wave leash (7mm or whatever). May not really need it, but that extra confidence might be nice to have. If you are connected to your board, it's almost impossible to drown unless you injure yourself (assuming we aren't talking 3x overhead here). Obviously you should be able to swim in without the board, but just in case it's worth being safe. As old man says, make sure there is something in reserve.

Going out with friends and keeping an eye on each other is also important.