Sketchiest situation you've been in?

Ginsu, you just made me sick with those pics! HA HA Good luck on the recovery dude!

Yankee, I think you guys did the right thing by getting the hell outta there!

 

Don't make this dumb mistake! It was mid June in OC, my girlfriend just showed up for the summer. Although an over head powerful storm swell just arrived with walls thick enough to crush boards just had to make it out to the lineup. The Bch patrol were only allowing surfers out if they were dumb enough. The current and undertow was treacherous over the sand bar waiting for lulls in the sets. I was just about over the backside of the bar when the next set was rolling in. So paddled like hell to the shoulder to avoid the impact of the A frame. I was still just a little to far inside, as I poped up, the wall pick up the stick slid it down the wave face while the curl rolled me faced first on the deck of my Frye. I hit so hard it knock me semi conscious floating up and under the foam. Another surfer caught inside rolled me on his board so I wouldn't drown. He shot the board toward the beach where I fell off on the sand and blacked out. I don't how long it was, paramedics were called and used smelling salt on me wake me up. I was still in state of shock, covered in blood, then jumped up ran down the beach looking for my board. The medics chassed me and tackled me as I was puking blood all over myself. They loaded me in the ambulance and off to Salisbury Hospital. The impact, knock out 1 tooth, split my lip down the middle, my chin was opened up like a can opener and my nose was shattered. The deck of the Frye had imprint of my face crushed over an inch into the foam as it was easily repaired over the surgery to repair my face the following winter.

 

mines idiotic. drifted too far out during a hurricane swell and started lazily paddling back in. take about 20 strokes before i hear the faint sound of a feathering lip behind me. just as i look back i get sucked up the face and over the falls. don't get a good breath and practically drown. worst of all it was early in the sesh and i never really recovered and missed out on one of the best days of the year. lame...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txqiwrbYGrs

 

My leg no longer hurts.....

 

shoulda put some color into the imprint before repairing it. That would be a pretty sweet little remembrance/design for your board.

 

Parallel universe

 

These stories are sick! ..dam! Mine isnt bad.. but jut the norm of getting held under.. allmost drowning with no board... smashing my face into the board etc etc.. broken nose.. Seeing a dolphin fin and freeking the **** out

 

dude I seriously read this on the edge of my seat. nice spooky element to it. everyone has their "sharky" moment whether it be all mental or for real.

 

Sitting on the Outside at Soup Bowl, Barbados, the "Mutant Sets" were coming in easily at double overhead from a big February North Swell. Every wave looked like you could fit a truck inside of the tube. I had been surfing a few hours already and the swell had picked up size significantly since earlier in the morning. My most recent wave had sent me over the falls and onto the reef, shattering my wrist watch. Shooken up pretty bad, I paddled to stay with the six other guys out in the lineup. My arms were noodles and had no life left in them. The rip was so strong, the only way in was to catch a wave. We would sit further in, in hopes of catching a sweet 8ft tube. But, every 15 minutes or so, whistles could be heard from locals on the beach....looking North, could see the monster set waves breaking off the point. At this point, everyone starts to "Paddle to Africa", as the locals say, to make sure the cleanup didn't swallow you.

It felt like it took forever to catch that last wave. Much respect for the Soup Bowl and those guys who charge it even on the largest of swells!

 

Wow, some awesome stories on here. Ill give it a go, I'm sure this has happened to a good amount of other NJ surfers.

This past winter a solid swell came through, nothing huge but a solid 4-6 foot head high swell. I decided on a spot in NJ where the jettys are a little closer together than some other places and where it tends to break a little further out on these kinds of swells. I decided to paddle out in the middle of two jettys where theres a good rip running. I timed it the best I could but there were barely any lulls between sets it was just one after another so it took some serious work to try and get out.

The current was running strong on the inside and I kind of underestimated it. So while Im paddling out Im not quite out the back and a set comes in, I do my best to try and duckdive the 3 or 4 waves in the set and when I come up from the last one I see something out of the corner of my eye. I realize its the next jetty down and Im only about 20 feet away from it with the current pulling me in fast.

At first I try and fight it and paddle as hard as I can in the opposite direction but Im getting closer and closer to the thing due to the current. I realize Im going into it no matter what I do so I turn around and hop off my board with it under my arm and try and brace for impact. At this point Im about 5 feet away from it and I dont know how the hell I pulled it off but I time it perfect with the next wave and it just kind of pushes me right up onto the jetty onto my feet.

So Im standing up on the jetty with my board under my arm completely unscathed and another set is coming in. I know the thing is slippery as hell and I need to get to the beach ASAP so I start moving quickly but carefully. As the next set hits and the water washes over the rocks my feet come out from under me and I full on body slam my board against the jetty. Now Im pissed cause I assume my board is f*cked but I get up and quickly get back to the beach.

I check out the damage on my board and some how there are only a few little stress cracks in the glass. Its a Firewire tech board so I guess those things really are strong, if it had been PU the thing would have been demolished under my own weight. I dont know how I came out of it with just a little bruising on my hip and a board in one piece, I guess I got lucky. My buddy on the beach thought I was done for, it was definitely sketchy and now Im more careful around jettys for sure.

 

A few years ago when VB had a pier (a steel one) down at 79th street, me and a friend were surfing some lefts that would hit the pier, wedge up and double in size. At this time, i wasn't exactly the strongest surfer, and was WAYYYYY out of my league. My buddy kept pushing me to go out, and had convinced me that i could do it. Well the current was ripping North, right into the pier, and you really had to stay in paddle mode to keep from getting smashed into the steel. After a few waves went through, i finally caught my nerves and decided to go for one. There must have been probably 60 people sitting in the lineup, and everyone of them was looking at me as this set came though. As if that wasn't enough, it was a solid 6 ft. face and had everyone hooting and hollering. With all eyes on me cuz i had been the only one right into where the peak was, i had to go. Scared, nervous, and in over my head, i dropped in, and somehow managed to make the drop. As i was getting back up the face of the wave, my excitement took the best of me, and i lost complete concentration. All i remember was me saying "OH YEAHH!!!" then "OH SH*T!" as i lost my balance and face planted, which inevitably turned into me scorpioning. When i came up, the current had dragged me within 15 ft. of the pier with a few more waves coming in fast. That next wave sent me under and into one of the steel pylons. Not only did i smack my head against that pylon, but my board and leash when the opposite way around pole, holding me in place as i got worked in between the 2 pylons. Somehow, through all the mayhem, i managed to remember my quick release on the leash, i ripped it off, and instantly felt all that water push me through the pier. I managed to get to shore, I'm guessing by adrenaline, only to puke while everything seemed to be spinning. My board ended up only getting a few repairable dings, and i ended up with a minor concussion, but that little adventure quickly made me respect the breaks and reconsider my "toughness". I'm in good shape and can swim great, but when mother nature has a hold of you, there not much to do besides hope she has mercy. Since then, i've gotten 10x better, and was able to surf near a jetty/pier for the first time this past year.

 

My first was at the Casino Pier. it was a good size day (around 6ft). I wouldnt say that the current was particulary strong. But the waves were breaking at a wierd angle by the pier. They were smashing right into it. Most of the guys were surfing the right in between the piers. But their were a couple of guys surfing the left. I rember thinking they were crazy because the shoulder was right next to the pier and with the angle of the sets if they didnt make the drop or didnt gain enough speed after it they'd be smashed on the poles. i was surfing the right ofcourse. i caught a wave that ended up being a closeout. As i was paddling back out i miss-timed a duckdive. When i resurfaced i was inches from the pier. I look up. The next wave of the set is coming. Its big, and its coming right for the poles. (<< This is my sketchiest moment) I wasnt on my board and tryed to swim to the bottom. It didnt work out too well. I got smashed back first into a pole. When i came up i was underneith the pier and inbetween poles. My leash was wrapped around a pole. Luckily enough, i wasnt hurt and that was the last wave of the set. I took off my leash and used the poles to push myself out of there. When i got out i was uninjured, but my heart was pounding so hard i thought it might explode. Deffinitly one of the scarier moments of my life.

The second was stupiddity. Basicly, i just went out on a hurricane swell (Earl, I think) that was wayyyy too big for my experience. It was 10-12 feet and very clean. I swear i saw a 15 ft wave. It must have been, because it was only 2-3 feet from going overtop of the pier. The paddle out was too easy. Once i got out there i knew i didnt want to be there, but now i wasnt too sure how to get in. I was safely past the impact zone. I waited till i thought there was a gap in sets and began to paddle in. There wasnt. I look over my shoulder. Theres a monster coming. I knew i shouldnt go for it. But do i keep paddling? I was having a hard time predicting when it was going to break. What if i wind up right in the impact zone? Should i paddle towards the wave and try to make it over it? It looks like i might have time. What if im wrong? So i paddle my ass off towards the beach. Thank god i did, because it broke sooner then i thought it would. I would have never made it over it. The white water was the strongest i ever felt. Ripped me right off of my board and washed me up on the beach like a fish. Very scary experience, but im glad i went out there. I probably looked like an idiot to everyone else, but it deffinitly gave me a new respect for the ocean. And not too many people get to see such a magnificent thing up close (12ft and clean). Easily one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life. Im glad i took the risk.

 

holy s h i t! nicaragua is pretty sketchy it seems! what a story that was yankee! i've been to nicaragua just only a year, and a half ago. it was nice, and it seemed sketchy, but i was only there a day, and didn't see anything too bad. same with el salvador, and costa rica, and puerto escondido mexico. i was only in those places for one day, but have heard some bad stuff about them. luckily i had good experiences. i did see some sharks in costa rica, and everyone got out of the water. i've seen them before, but it was pretty scary out there especially with that warm water, but it was very nice, and i would go back again.


me i got nothing sketch involving surfing.

 

walked up to the wrong building (thinking it was the hostel) and was greeted by 2 giant great, really pissed off Danes. I was positive the headline would read "Gringo maimed to death by man eating dogs". Luckily a man with a machete came out to save... the dogs. I was then being screamed at in angry spanish by a guy with a machete, barked at and circled by blood thirsty danes, and nearly pissing myself. When I got back to the hostel, like 2am, i was so shaken up that I couldn't sleep, so i headed back out. Wouldnt you know I ended up getting robbed at knife point on my way back to the monkey bar. One bad night in costa... or one epic adventure, you tell me? Lesson to be learned- watch your ass after midnight in Tamarindo, cuz the predators are out.

 

I never really had a problem in Tamarindo. I had herd crazy stories; but, honestly I would be more concerned with walking around parts of Wilmington,New Jersey and NYC than in Costa..Nica on the other hand can get shady. Just use common sense when out of the country and don't act like a fool.

The sketchiest situation that I have ever been in was seeing two separate triangular dorsal fins swimming parallel to the beach on Hatteras Island. I also have surfed the t-storm sessions in Costa. But seeing how many locals disregard the thunder/lighting, I figured it was worth the risk.

 

Man, i've had my leash wrapped around one of the poles under a pier too, it was ****ing horrible and the most scared i have ever been in my life.

 

Puerto Rico back in 2003. Overnight a 15-20 ft. swell rolls in. My buddies and I were so excited we celebrated by getting wasted. Up all night watched the sunrise and saw that it was at least 20 ft. By morning everyone was crushed and everyone backed out from charging it. We checked Sandy Beach, Marias, and Tres. While standing on the rocks at the eastern side of Sandy, no one out, i see a local guy running towards the shore with his board about to charge. I was like, if there's a local paddling out here then I'm definetely going. Grabbed my 6'6" from the truck and charged down to the shoreline. Expecting to get fully denied I decided I had to at least give it a go so I paddled and caught a window where I only had to duck a few of these monsters that were rolling through. With all the swells rolling in I couldn't see how far out the local guy was so I just kept paddling. I finally get out there after some of the deepest duck dives of my life to find out the local is no where in sight. I paddle look towards pools, nothing. Look down the beach nothing, look back towards the shore, there he is getting handled. He got denied and dragged down the beach almost down to Antonio's and he's walking back to his car. I'm out in 15-20 ft. and all alone. My 3 friends watching me from the rocks. Worst feeling of loneliness and despair I have ever felt while surfing. I end up catching the three biggest waves of my life. Rides that seemed to go forever. After the third I look back out and see the rest of the set rolling through so I head in to shore knowing I'm not making it back out. My friend got pics of the rides on his disposable camera and although I don't have them anymore, I remember how small I looked in comparison to the wave. Sick experience though!

 

Same exact story here... just double overhead, and 2 months into my surfing career (I know, you don't surf double overhead in February 2 months after you started surfing)-lesson learned.

 

After reading some of these posts I had to chime in with my OH SH!T moment. I surfed throughout my childhood and teenage years after high school I went to a landlocked university and reluctantly gave up surfing for several years. After college I got heavily into sponging, body surfing with fins during the redflaggers and a few years later surfing. So as I was just getting back into surfing in 2009 I decided to take a trip with my wife to Cabo San Lucas. I didn’t know anyone down there and have a lot of respect for local knowledge so I decided to book a surfing excursion to utilize locals as opposed to bringing a board and jumping in. So I booked the excursion for Friday 10-16-2009 at Old Man’s, a perfect cobblestone bottom point break with a channel cut by a stream that acted like a conveyerbelt for the paddle out. Nearly every wave broke at the same exact spot giving a short punchy left hander or a long peeling right until you got to the channel. On Friday the surf was 3-5 feet and insanely perfect for me and almost to big to run the surf school only a few people caught waves on the shoulder not at the peak of the point. I caught a ton of waves the instructors giving me props the whole time. Well needless to say I was super excited and booked another surf excursion for Sunday. The forecast was calling for 5-7 feet Hurricane Rick was predicted to stay a cat 1 about 1000 miles dues south no worries. Well Sunday morning rolls around and the forecast is still calling for 5-7 feet I get to the surf spot the instructors say it is to big to run the surf school but I could still go out. So I grab the 9’6 longboard they brought for me and paddle right past 2 other guys knee deep in the surf scoping it out. Dumb move! I did not take time to see what was going on and I would later SH!T myself for being so hasty. Well I ended up paddling out by dumb luck during a lull in the sets, even so the waves were at least 2wice the size they were 2 days before but still not breaking out in the channel. There was about 15 or so people out at the point so I got in line a little to the outside to wait for a wave. 5 or so minutes go by and I see a wall way out on the horizon, everyone in the lineup immediately turns and shags ass to try and make it past the first breaker, I paddle my ass off and realize I’m not gonna make past the break so I look behind me no ones there so I ditch and dive under the wave it grabs the board and ragdolls me underwater for a solid 15 seconds I break the surface and continue to take another 4 waves on the head. I am now thinking that was by no means a 7 foot wave it was much bigger. At this point I am tired so I paddle waaayyyy outside into the channel where I figure I can catch my breath. The sets keep rolling in and getting bigger by the set. Then I see a set way out in the distance that looks like its gonna break in the channel at that time one of the surf instructors Roberto gets out to me and says its waayyyy to big and we need to go in. This wave was a F@cking monster the fear I felt when I saw it breaking outside us is indescribable. We both ditch our boards and dive under it, and take another 3 waves after, although they had broken far out and were white wash by the time they got to us. After the set Roberto says to me it never breaks this far out in the channel and it is definitely over 10 feet. We paddle our asses off toward shore only to get nearly broke in 2 by a shore pound close out. I got back into shore after this 2 hour ordeal exhausted and listening to the locals talk about how big it is and they haven’t seen it like this in a decade and that it is well over DO. Later, I got back to the all inclusive we stayed at and immediately went to the bar, then my room to check the buoys, they had upped the forecast on surfline to 15-18 feet by days end and the cat 1 hurricane was now a cat 5 175mph sustained 600 miles due south moving north. Later that evening we took a booze cruise to lovers point on a 300 person partyboat. They captain would not leave the harbor because the surf was “extremely large and dangerous” all I did was chuckle.

See the article in the link below I still can’t believe I went out in it.
http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/hurricane-rick_31411/