im actually very secular when im underwater

Eyes closed all the way

Feel the bottom

Reach for the surface

 

Being under is sorta spiritual. Getting worked does create a sense of perseverance. Depends on type of surf too...killer tropical reef break I purposely open my eyes often. Conversely, on the beachies (like EC or playa Hermosa etc) I purposely keep'm shut.

 

Not much...18 ft at iupui

Bubble rings for errone, biches

 

Longest I was ever held under was Ocean Beach, CA. It was humbling alright.... I swore I wasn't coming back up and couldn't hold my breath any longer. Finally made it to the surface and got hit by another set. Let's just say, I made it shore and called it a day. Ha

 

I'm usually secular *above* water. It's when I get held under for an extended period that I tend to find God.

 

I got tumbled pretty good in El Salvador. It was the biggest day I surfed while there, I was nervous and asking for it. Took off on my biggest wave of the trip, rode probably 100 feet down the line, came back off the top trying to wraparound and bounce off the foamball and just got walloped after my rail dug. Fell from the top of the wave, probably 8 feet to the bottom and got completely twisted. Felt like I was under a lifetime and when I finally came up an Australian dude was coming off the top of the next wave right on my head. He fell, got tangled up with me and we both rolled for another lifetime. I was shaken after all that but still paddled back out got up to Mitchell and said "did you see that?" He replied "no, did you get one?" Lol, just goes to show what we see as life altering is meaningless to everyone else.

 

o Mitchell lol

 

I had somthing kinda similar happen to me. Wasn't a very big day. HH and heading to low tide. Winds were kinda nasty though. Cross/side shore. But me and my buddy saw some makeable ones so went. The water was doing some strange things that day. A lot of water moving. Long story short. I caught one, kicked out. Was going to just head in because conditions were a little sketchy but decided to look outside just to confirm my decision. Well i ended up taking a few on the head. Board got ripped from me. Id come up from getting tumbled and get half a breath in before getting rocked again. After 3 or 4 waves on the head i came up looking towards shore and look behind me. I was already sucked 3/4 up the face looking up into the meanest foamyest lip. Worst possible spot to be haha. Again didn't get a full breath in before getting absolutely rocked. While under i felt like i didn't have anything in my lungs. Was calm at first then was just like oh sh*t I'm going to pass out for sure. While getting worked i swear just my mouth broke the surface and i was able to get a quick quarter breath in. Came up. Everything was black. Took a second or two before i could see. Got to shore. My buddy was reaching shore at the same time. I asked if he saw what just happened and he's like "no, that was a good one?" I'm like yeah it was a good one but got the beating of my life afterwards. It was crazy because the waves weren't life threatening waves at all. Just got into a bad situation. But while under i had this thought. Like this is it, nothing i can do now. If i drown i drown. And i was sorta at peace with that thought. Crazy experience. And the guy with me had no idea.

 

I actually kinda enjoy getting tossed around when the water is 50+ and I ain't got no hood on...it's peaceful just to let sh1t go all limp and stuff in the seldom seen oh summertime beach break

It's when it's sub 40 and I'm shrink wrapped in 5+mil of neoprene that I come up gasping occasionally and I question my ability to make adult decisions

 

Summer of 1999. Hurricane swell. Not sure which one, I just know it wasn't Cindy because I recall Cindy. Was mid afternoon. Swell was pumping, but winds onshore light to moderate. Sets spaced way out, like 10 min, but they had 10' faces and just long lines completely closed out at our beach. However the in between waves were shoulder to head and had what appeared to be barely make able corners. No one was out (smart decision), but one of my optimistic buddies convinced me we should give it a go.

Our plan was to time the sets to essentially avoid them. Once a set went through, we could grab some of the in between waves, then get back outside for the next set. Well, I caught a nice in-between set wave that was about head high, but the onshores left the face choppy, and I biffed pretty early in the ride. Came up to see a set looming outside. I should have paddle in and rode it out, but instead I went for all I was worth outside (bad decision one). Needless to say, I didn't make it, and ended up right in the impact zone. Decided to attempt a duckdive rathe rthan ditching and going for the bottom (bad decision 2). Next thing I knew, it was like I was hit with an explosion. The board was ripped away with such a fury, it was amazing. I got pinned to the bottom, and it felt like I was under a waterfall. Then I eventually came off the bottom and got kind of sucked along in the white water. Lungs ready to explode, I didn't just ride it out, but instead I panicked and fought furiously to get to the surface (bad decision 3). I eventually did, got a breath and was hit by the next one. 2nd one wasn't that bad though because I had already been dragged significantly further in. After that one let me go, I started paddling to shore, and as the third caught up I just ditched off my board and let it wash me the most of the way in. I just wanted to get back to the beach as fast as possible at that point.

Now my buddy made it past the set, but just barely. One of the groms from the neighborhood was taking video of it, but he had the camera on my buddy though. You can see him scratch over the wave that got me, and it had about a 12' face. It really didn't look crazy or anything, just a lot of water. I think just got hit with the perfect set of circumstances to take a royal beating. I got out after that, and despite my buddy trying to talk me into paddling back out, I wouldn't. I retreated with my tail between my legs. My buddy got out too....guess he didn't feel good about being out there alone.

Anyway, that's my worst hold down. It wasn't peaceful or zen or anything, it was a $hit show for me. In reality, I probably wan't held down that long, but I was out of breath when I went under, and it held me longer than usual, and it felt bad. Not sure if I ever opened my eyes or not. I rarely do, but always instinctively seem to know which way is up even after being thrashed.

I probably still have the vid somewhere, and it would be cool to dig it out, but its VHS and I don't even have a way to play that format any longer. Man that makes me feel old.

 

There's beat-downs, and then there are those waves that implode you with such force you feel like your skin has been flayed off you.

I never open my eyes under water, not sure why.

 

I'll try to keep this brief because I think I shared this story once.
I was crab fishing on the dock one day when I slipped, I smashed my head on concrete. I got all sorts of fcked up.
Trying to regain my composure I sat back for a bit. Still feeling dizzy I decided I better pack it in. When I leaned over to pick up my lines, I blacked out and toppled over into the drink. My eyes opened, I was under water about four feet down with no immediate recollection on how I got there. There was no panic or struggle to breath just a sense of calmness knowing I had to get back to the surface. Why I didn't drown that day is behond me, I guess.

 

Heavy man. That's scary sh*t right there!

 

I had a situation like that too. Long story short...dp sesh. Only guy out but others making there way. Caught a left. Then a right. Then took the LB to the dome. Totally smashed in the rail/tail of the LB and my head. Lots of blood. Didn't go out but was extremely dazed. 10 stitches later and all i wanted to do was take a nap. Had to fight hard to stay awake. Drove around to bring my board to get repaired (had my hair smashed into the board. Guy at the shop liked that one) and did a few other things. Felt drunk all day. Pretty sure i had a concussion and am amazed that i didn't get knocked out

 

I've gotten blasted so hard my eyes have filled with water... literally up under my eyelids like water balloons.

I usually keep my eyes closed while getting worked, but open them up once it's over.

 

the trick is learning to like the wipeout.sometimes its fun,sometimes u think ur going to die lol.as far as looking up I cant see shyt in the green murky waters of the derty jers,cant imagine its that deep tho,cant say iv been pushed 20 ft lol