Duckdiving/'low pressure zones"

Haha. Yes they exist, in many forms, all depending on bottom contour and wave types. On dredging beach break days where you would even be concerned with this, these voids are located right behind the lip. It doesn't take much to get into that area, just pushing at about 45 down into the wave with a falling lip. One mushburger waves that are big and on reefs like Sunset Cliffs and "non-slabs", the void is usually a horizontal one a foot or so under the water. Even on a big day, those waves that break on top of each other and turn into walls of whitewater usually keep all their force and power on the surface, so simply going under just a little bit and keep parallel to the surface like a butter knife, the water will roll right over and not even budge you.... Those are the two common ones that I always use. But then there are certain waves where none of those options work and a "void" is not really there for the taking. I learned this primarily on a big day at a Slab Reef. The lips were super hollow and the water isn't that deep, so when you get behind the lip and expect the wave's energy to roll right by you, you can get caught in that energy and get sucked up and over the fall into shallow reef. I learned this quickly.... Then at the same spot, I was further inside and the wave had already broken and turned into the wall of whitewater, I took my usually duck a couple feet deep and stay parallel and the impact just shredded me. Ripped my board, shredded on the reef, I moved back probably 20 yards and stood up in an inch of water...

So yeah, sometimes, there is no sweet spot, but on almost every average to decent day at a beach break, the sweet spot is there and there is a complete energy void.

I am not sure how to translate it if you are a bodyboarder, because its a different thing, but a common way to play with this if you are riding a shortboard, is when you are in a section and you are done with the wave, just cut your nose into the face and a completely perpendicular angle, you will come to a dead stop and the wave will roll right past you and you will just be standing on your board while its under water and the energy moves right around you. Won't even knock you off the board. If you think about it and you are a shortboarder, you probably do this move and don't think about it. It also a good wave in a closeout barrel if its a decent size, you just cut back into the wave face while you are inside of it and the energy just releases around you.

I guess that is the only way I can explain it.

 

JawnDoeski,
Because I usually have twice the volume of most surfers and four times the volume of your BB, I definitely spend some time looking for rips and lulls. I'm the king of the dry hair paddle out (even though I don't have much hair.)

I'll just have to add this to my bag of tricks.

 

Zach I like you! Capt Jaq your wise beyond my years so I would assume you know the math...

 

I'd rather a wave break right on my back than 3' in front of me. Those are the worst.

 

I heard the pros talking about ducdiving theres air pockets with no turbulence inside all the turbulence or something like that.like when u duckdive,its cloudy but when u go to pop up to the surface they say look for the air pockets and youll be good.idk I seen it on the down the line espn vid

I always wondered about that :secondary impact".i had a few wipeouts where u get thrown with the lip and get spun around,then ur head comes above water and u get sucked right back down again.its a weird feeling,kinda scary,more scary than getting pitched with the lip.after looking at that image it makes somewhat sense.

 

Now that I can see the article, that is not at ALL what I was talking about. What I was saying was a much more simple concept. While the science in that image is probably true, I have never experienced a situation in which the wave had already broken and was looking for a spot in the left of middle there. The right hand side of the image is what I was talking about.... All you gotta do is get behind the part that says "Shockwave" and you are golden. But again, I could see that image translating into a big day at Pipe or something where the energy can't go very deep so it lifts up and over for a second and third time.... .


Makes sense, but I can't really see an application for the primary low pressue and the secondary low pressure unless you are in a distant land.

And since this was a boogie boarding article, I have to ask this: Isn't getting really deep on a duckdive on a sponge rather easy? And I just mean that because with the fins on your feet and a lot less buoyant of a device in your hand, I would think you could duck under and just drive down pretty deep with the fins on with little effort. If that is the case, just do that 10 outta 10 times unless you are at a shallow reef.

 

On wind swells I notice the turbulent area behind the wave is rather short whereas a ground swell has a lot more energy way behind the wave. What I try to do is get to the surface quick on the wind swells and try to flatten out under water and surface slowly on ground swells.

 

Is this serious? I can't do that because I need all 35 liters of volume. what the frick?

http://stabmag.com/tournotes-how-to-do-the-worlds-best-duckdive-with-john-john-florence/

 

Only us who surf at Belmar, NJ (the best break on the east coast) are true water men, you know that Mr Jawn!

That's why we bench 500 on the beach... just to get ready for the paddle out.


Seldom- this is great, Its great to have an interesting surf related thread!

Have you ever gone to duckdive and found that you totally cant get underwater?Usually happens way on the inside or when its shallow... thankfully when this happens the waves don't have much energy- anyone??

 

how 'bout a thread on this issue?

 

Like most, I've experienced these but couldn't explain... glad someone here has brains.

 

yes, but, how much can you bench?

 

ever do this in hawaii?
your own personal ephipany.

should i stay or should i go now?
if i stay there will be trouble.
if i go it could be double...

 

nope...east coast experiences only. ymmv

 

i always thought i was cheating in some way when i got past outside sets unscathed, i guess now there's a science behind my 'cheating'

 

This is all true and good stuff. The key though is to make sure you don't dive too early, if you do you'll surface right as the lip is detonating on your dome, no bueno. Too late and you're getting blasted too. Get forward momentum and get under and stay under while it rips over your head you will just pop out the back with ease. The angle of your board while under water is crucial. After diving head first and thrusting your board downward with your arms make sure you push your foot on the tail to use the buoyancy of your board to your advantage, think almost like you are drawing a "U" underneath the turbulence. Look at the underwater tube it creates, try and get under it. Bigger wave means bigger tube of turbulence underneath the surface so you really wanna dig as deep as possible. All this stuff is part of duck diving but it's easily overlooked in smaller surf because most can get away with poor technique and still get outside. It becomes instinct and survival skills in big waves. Failure to do so leads to beatings or worse.