FINS. get some decent ones to prevent cramping... and get socks or savers to save yourself alot of lost cash. Pulling into closeouts on a sponge is sketchy sometimes if it's shallow and big. You are much more vunerable lying down. It's an art to getting out unscathed. In just a few short years I've had a few nasty injuries in big conditions. Slipped disc by several wintertime bounces off of sandbars at lowtide, hyperextened knee by getting caught coming out of the tube. Summer, when it's smaller, is a great time to get the feel of getting out of the back from a different position. Basics-going right, right arm on the front right corner, left arm midway on the opp. side. Vice versa going left. Use your fins and legs to help stall and steer. That probably sounds wierd, but you'll eventually realize how much you can utilize from your waist down to direct where you want to be. The upper body and arms are where the balance comes in. But once you get the hang of it, take that **** out when it's big and you'll see some views that you never have standing up.
