by oldmansurfer » Tue Aug 07, 2018 5:22 pm
You turn up into the lip of a wave and not on a wave like teahupoo and not a really big wave and then grab the front part of the board like a duck dive before it goes underwater and the momentum from the speed you had drives you through the lip. You come out the back felling quite similar to having done a duck dive. I am pretty sure I saw someone do one of those during the Jbay contest. I remember the first time I did that maneuver because while I had seen it done once or twice it wasn't something I thought about. It was one of those days that comes once in 5 years at Wailua beach when the waves are perfect (6 foot Hawaiian). I was time limited. I forget what but there was something I had to go do so I paddle out and everyone is sitting inside the peak for some reason. I just paddle around them another 20 yards deeper in the lineup and wait for a wave. The first one I catch I turn and get tubed immediately and one of the guys dropped in on me. I didn't want to ride behind him so I turned up and punched through the lip. I just did it almost without thought and as I emerged from the back I paddled a bit to make sure I didn't get sucked back over the falls. I paddle back and this guy comes up and says what happened? I said someone dropped in on me. He said that was me sorry he didn't see me but when he did he cut out. He asked if I punched through the lip and I said yeah. Then he told me he was so disappointed because the waves were so good and I was the first guy he saw that actually got tubed. I wasn't able to get tubed again on that particular day but likely because I had to go in and do something after only a short session. But I have done that maneuver several times and even a couple times since I restarted surfing. Lots of surfers can do that maneuver.
So what is worse.... dying or regretting it for the rest of my life? Obviously I chose not regretting it.