Puerto Escondido Hold Down

That's pretty deep dude. Scenarios like that really make you think twice when assessing your situation. I've had a few close calls with drowning, being sucked into jetties during OH surf etc. but nothing quite that heavy. The close calls as I see it are lessons learned. Glad you're able to turn it into a positive.

 

Thanks bud, I just have to be more careful in bigger surf and make sure to tuck my limbs when getting pounded like that. I think I panicked and it got me into trouble. I have to remind myself to stay calm in bad situations, easier said than done when a mountain of water is getting ready to rock your world. Also, I probably could of avoided this by going to the reef spot instead of the beach break with heavy close outs. Not sure why I chose that spot this day when it was most likely easier to deal with conditions just down the road. Lessons learned.

 

Ha.. It was him. He's got the "how not to surf/hold down" videos on lock

#9/12SUNIL

[video=youtube;s695pzIiRDg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s695pzIiRDg[/video]

 

Thanks for the tips, noted. Live and learn right?

 

Absolutely true... Normally, I exhale slowly out my nose just to keep water from being pounded up into my sinuses. But if I know it's gonna be bad... and I usually do... I resist doing that, and just snort out the water.

The one and only time I had a close call was making that mistake, and blowing out all my air before I had a chance to surface. The moment I realized I screwed up, I panicked and fortunately... pushed off the bottom and rocketed to the top just in time.

 

Interesting. So on the first wave he gets dusted on he is actually at a corner and bails the board at :15. Water in the shot and no yellow board. So that means he bailed on a great duck dive opportunity. Had he completed the first one he would have been home free. But he bails on every other DD also, paddling sideways for some reason. Maybe he is a stuntman on purpose getting hammered for views. I mean even an 8 ft. gunny board can be duckdived (duck dove?) pretty deep. I would rather go down head on with both hands on the board and both feet kicking the tail down pointing the bow back up than bail which is certain pain, agony and of course a broken legrope. Blowing a take off is another story.

 

When you say dive deep are saying ditch your board and dive or duck dive with the board? I get conflicted with this decision when the incoming set looks impossible to duck dive, especially when you know the lip is coming down right in front of you.

 

Thanks for sharing lol

So, I don't own a gun (yet), my big wave board for now is a 6'4" Coil Flashback Fish, cross between a HPSB and a Fish. Lots of volume under chest and all performance in the tail (pulled in swallow) with a decent rocker, but flat bottom to V out the back.

My only other options are my new 6' Coil, which is less volume but more HP, probably not a good idea, OR I have my 9ft HPLB, single fin and pulled in tail, nice rocker. I've had it in HH to slightly overhead waves and have done fine, but not sure how it would do in surf of that size, the rounded nose is what might do me in, IDK

I also have a 6'10" WRV FunFish, which is a good big guy short board, but i'm not a big guy so it's just an oversized HPSB / Fish for me. Again, lots of volume under chest and all performance in the tail (pulled in swallow) with a good rocker.

 

I always do the same thing! Blowing out all my air right when the pounding hits. I've consciously been making effort to do the opposite though. Taking the beating all calm, relaxed and full of air is the way to go.

 

I've had to do that exactly once, on the biggest wave I've ever tried to paddle into, in Indo, and hope i never have to again. It felt like a long time just to get to the point where my brain said "its taking TOO long down here, grab that cord and start climbing"....

Actually that's a lie, i would love to get the chance to surf waves that big again somewhere.

 

Your board can be a deadly weapon in conditions such as this, push the board away and dive deep as possible, you do *not* want to meet up with your board in that kind of wash.

 

I've got the scar to prove it

 

Almost every surfing injury I've ever had is board related. Think about it - hard solid object with three knives attached to one end.

 

And a leg rope attached to it to make sure it sling shots back at you

 

the video from the beach and the go pro footage are no way the same day

no way