Biggest wave you've ever ridden??

[surfnut1018]

wow. thats awesome. see i dont know how you overcome that fear tho. I cant ever imagine being so experienced that a 15foot face doesnt scare the sh*t out of me. the biggest wave i've ever seen was probably 20 feet at the CP near the end of Hurricane Earl. There was only one guy out there (but plenty more on the beach watching). It was a sneaky set that broke farther out. I've never seen anyone paddle so fast hahaha

It's like everyone else says, time in the water. Doesn't mean you still don't get butterflies, but you get a lot more confident in your abilities. Also, 12-15 ft at Pavones is a lot different than 12-15ft East Coast beach break. The paddle out was a little tough, I found it akin to a big day at Assateague or St. Augustine. Once I was out though, I found it to be much more forgiving. The wave is so consistent that you pick up on its nuances pretty quickly. I found a 12 or 15 ft wave to be about the same as an 8ft wave once you were on it. The drop was just a little longer (and way more fun). Plus, getting pounded in 70-80 degree tropical water in board shorts is way less intimidating than getting pounded with all your rubber on. Call me crazy but I actually enjoy getting worked when it's warm.