One of the few moments in life where you really have a clear head.. Anyone been in a similar situation.. What were you thinking?? hahaha
when I go over the falls, I try to quickly mentally prepare myself for the underwater thrashing that's about to happen. I kind of prepare a game plan for trying to come to the surface quickly
Damn thats heavy. If he was actually trying to drop in i don't know what he was thinking. And super fish.....no s hit?
for some reason I ready his question "what were you thinking" as what do you think when this happens...I just got off work, I'm tired.
the only thing that would be crossing my mind in that situation would be, "oh ****..." that said, i've seen that pic before & it is bruce irons at chopes...& if i recall the original caption correctly, it said something along the lines that he knew going into it that he wasn't going to make the drop, but he went anyway...gnarly!
at that point (aka if i were bruce) i would try to dive into the water. he's screwed but might as well go deep. but then again it might be shallow coral. oh man, hes screwed either way aha
That's actually me...they superimposed Bruce Irons, man, they don't call it Skull Crusher for nothing...that makes sand look like fluffy pillows
I remember the same caption! It also said the reason he went was just to mess with Andy (or Joel Parko, I forget which) and not let them have the wave. Then he came up laughing his brains out. Kind of sick if you ask me!
recipe for disaster... It\'s not often I have much to say...but in response to an earlier thread along the lines of \"swimming to the surface as quickly as possible\"...that can be a recipe for disaster.\r\n\r\nIt\'s not all that often we get much vicious pounding swell in NJ (granted, we wait for hurricanes and Nor\'Easters)...but it\'s been a while since something really big (or at least powerful) has come our way.\r\n\r\nBUT, my only suggestion...when it does actually get strong enough out East to hold you down, is to just relax and ride it out.\r\n\r\nThink about it, when a big wave explodes on you, you\'re surrounded w/ the froth of the bubbles, and there\'s no way you\'re going to swim yourself up out of that.\r\n\r\nYou\'ll be better off, saving that last bouyant lung filled breath, keeping your arms and legs loose, waiting a few moments till the churning stops, and then head for the surface.\r\n\r\nIt\'s that initial pounding panic state that sets in, that does the detriment to newbies that get hyper-excited by the flush and pinning...same thing as those swimmers that drown during rips vs. those that just float to safety.\r\n\r\nYour lung air reserves are limited...but, so long as the air is in your lungs, you\'ll pop up eventually. Resist the urge for a few moments, to fight the inevitable of Mother Ocean, whom you will not be able to paddle up and through when it\'s the wrong time.\r\n\r\nI\'ll admit, it\'s no fun being pinned on your back ten feet down in the dark w/ your back against the rocks...but by the same token, fighting against it is fruitless, wastes energy and air, and if you can wait it out and take the washing machine ride for just those few extra seconds, you\'ll be much better off trying to make your approach for the surface after having waited for bubbles to subside. Plain and simple, you can\'t paddle up though foam, so don\'t bother doing it...just as simple, a few seconds later, that foam turns back to water, floating you, and giving you something firm enough to create motion through.\r\n\r\nI admit, part of this post is a preventative measure to keep us from hearing about Gruuvi being washed up on some distant shore.\r\n\r\n...surprised not to see any threads on how dismal the reality of today\'s surf was, vs. the sitewide predictions on what it would be (checked from Deal to Manasquan, and everything in between...and despite an hour\'s ride to the beach, just slept on it for an hour w/ the occasional eye blink to see herds of people bobbing like geese and not looking like they were enjoying themselves...but definitely not waiting for anything good, clean, or more than chest high).\r\n\r\nIf another poster hadn\'t commented otherwise...I\'d have suspected this pic was just a photoshopped person on top of the falls (where\'s the spray or water attached to him...where\'s the board?)...Anyway, I\'m sure whomever made the drop, held their breath, didn\'t panic, and waited a moment for things to clear and let themselves naturally float up, before they made the effort to get to the surface.\r\n\r\nIf there\'s one thing to learn (that experienced folks already know), it\'s not to panic when it comes to getting pummeled...How long can you hold your breath? How long when your getting tumbled in 34 degree black hard cold water resisting that natural urge to breathe...stay calm a few extra seconds and it may not only save your life, but bring you to appreciate the joys of REAL NJ BIG winter surf.
oh trust me i want none of that but 'what ifs' can stick in ones craw forever. i was sorta thinking what he was maybe thinking. being a hawaiian i bet he has had way worse. i will take my head hi to a couple feet o h and be content
