Safely Taking a Beating

One thing I didn't see mentioned is ditching board vs duck diving. Duck diving is obviously preferable most of the time (less change of breaking board, hurting other surfers, getting a jump on next wave, etc). However, I found that ditching the board on purpose (making sure no one else was around) a couple of times gave me a lot of confidence.

If you are willing to risk a broken board, taking a deep breath and diving to the bottom well in-advance of the wave breaking is really not a big deal. You get pushed around a little, but on east coast the sand will give you your bearings and you just have to wait it out.

Taking a couple on the head and ditching my board made me feel that if all else fails and that's the only option, that I was comfortable with it.

 

If it's possible to duck dive you aren't really in heavy surf.

 

tell that to owen wright you idiot

 

That's because you're addicted to the weed

 

You wanna get high?

 

L-M-A-O i move back from washington, search for some east coast surf forecast sites, and i find this forum with a post like this.. this is a heap of bologna im almost embarrassed i made a name that includes jersey. guys publicly asking for tips on staying alive during OH beachbreak...........

hahaha in all seriousness if you want some tips listen up- 1) go to a surf school 2) listen to that Hawaiian guy 3) dont listen to anyone else except me and the Hawaiian. the majority of you sound like middle aged men still struggling with your take offs 4) get in shape. at least 100 pullups a day 300 pushups 300 situps

 

Is this NJSHREDMACHINE lite?

 

I think most of us, when we consider what scares us about big waves, are mostly concerned with being held underwater until we drown. But let's think about that for a second. Unless you are surfing really big waves- something over 15' faces or so- how long do you really get held underwater when you're hit by a wave?

It was very enlightening to me when I started hooking a Go Pro onto my board to see just how little time I'm thrashed by a set of waves. There have been plenty of times where I've started the camera on the first wave of a set, fell, then paddled and duck dived for what seemed like an eternity only to realize that maybe 90 seconds had passed. Really, what's the longest you've been held down?

So if you really think about it, being held underwater and drowning is pretty unlikely. Most average surfers should be able to hold their breath through a beating.

What really makes me nervous on a big day is how much water ends up moving around- the currents and rips. What I do before I paddle out is to come up with a plan. I don't know if anyone else does this, but I've been doing it so long it's second nature now. Before I paddle out I take a good look at the beach and the water. What obstructions are on the beach that can hurt me? Piers? Jetties? Rocks/Reef? What is the ocean doing? Which way is the current moving? How strong? Where are the channels and rips?

Once I have an assessment of how the environment is working that day, then I mentally start ticking through scenarios that might happen. If I break a leash where is my board going to end up? How am I going to swim in? If I get caught inside paddling out, how long do I have before I need to head back in before I end up washed into a cliff or jetty? If I get caught inside after a wave, where is my escape zone? Do I head to the channel or take the set on the head? Do I want to get washed in or try to get outside?

This doesn't have to take a long time, but there is some value in getting a feeling for how to navigate the waves safely while you're still on the beach and have the luxury of planning for contingencies.

 

oh yea and to expand on the mary jane and lung capacity i roped a bong dry before almost every paddle out when there was beef. kept me zoned in and focused so smoke reefer if your tryna charge

 

Yeah, the shred would never move to Washington.

Wonder if he has an iPhone 12 yet.

 

Yes!

 

NJSHREDMACHINE v.002

 

Owen Wright isn't duck diving his 9'6" at Waimea or Jaws. Most people don't duckdive in the impact zone at pipe either. If you are floating around in the impact zone you did something wrong. Yes, you can duckdive your pipe board on the inside and through the beachbreak, but most people aren't trying to duckdive the critical part of the wave. If you are in truly heavy surf and you try to duckdive, it won't end well.

 

And you are still an asshole.
hahahahaha!!

 

Duck diving?? Well, logic says there is a proper time (like leash tying) and an improper time. You will know when you are facing it. Size, where you are in break zone, board size, all play a part. Fear has no part in it--skill does.

 

Big Wave Barry

 

In small to medium waves with standard equipment it's always possible and you should always duckdive if there are others around, even if you get worked. In medium/heavy conditions with beefier equipment it's a matter of skill and timing. Generally, if you don't know when it's appropriate to ditch and/or duckdive, you probably shouldn't be out. In truly large surf with big wave equipment duckdiving is not possible. Dive off the board and go limp. No one around you expects to duckdive, but everyone tries to give each other space.