SternWake
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- Nov 30, 2013
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I started surfing when I was 10. I've been surfing for 34 years. Today was close to being my last day breathing.
El Nino has been delivering large back to back westerly swells. My back went out on me last month badly, for 10+ days, and I lost a bunch of physical conditioning, and confidence. But One must get back up on the horse, even if that horse might be rabid. I'm happy to be able to climb on a horse after that debilitating backpain episode.
Yesterday I paddled out with a friend I grew up surfing with, whom I'd not seen for quite some time, and was not sure I'd actually be able to punch through to the outside, as the waves were large and frequent and radiated pure energy to anybody with eyes ears and a simple grasp of physics. It was just outside where I shared an oceanfront campsite with Jay and Margie and Bindie last November. I was doing underwater cartwheels just paddling out getting rolled and beatup, and totally winded once I finally did make it outside. It was a bit windy and unruly and I only rode 2 waves successfully. Inbetweeners with a mere 10 to 12 foot face height and not the 15 foot faces which would occasionally roll over the whole lineup. Really this does not even fall into the big wave category. Waves over 15 feet are a whole different level of surfing, One I do not have the confidence or conditioning to confront, not in my 20's and certainly not in my 40's with an unwanted spare tire around my middle.
Well today, the swell was supposed to be a bit smaller, the buoys had gone down by a foot, and 2 seconds less interval with a touch more northward direction, but when I got to my regular surfbreak they seemed even larger than yesterday, and more consistent with frequent sets of wave trains with 3 to 10 waves per set. Best part was, with such wave size and consistency as of late, and being a holiday late afternoon, there were very few surfers out.
Well, Long story shorter, I got one of the largest waves of my life, and while I made it to the bottom, I did not make it much further. The lip of the thick wave landed just behind me with enough force it lifted my back foot off my surfboard and blew me up. I was going so fast when I hit the water, I bounced, and only then did the white water catch up and rolled over me and tumbled me underwater for a good 10 or 12 seconds before the turbulence diminished enough I could even try for the surface.
But I did not know which way was up. But, I was wearing a legrope and the board is buoyant enough that one can climb the legrope hand overhand and eventually, hopefully reach the surface and get a breath before the next wave arrives.
Double wave hold downs are rare except in the 15 foot+ range of big wave riding and true to this reality I came up after climbing my legrope hand over hand, and got two deep breaths before the next wave rolled me less violently and of lesser duration than the wave I rode, and there thankfully was no third wave to further rock me and push me inside.
I paddled back out and got a smaller wave with merely a 12 to 14 foot face height, and rode it to shore, achieving redline speed for a good 60 to 70 yards before turning shoreward, and still have some adrenalin shakes 6 hours later.
I love to be humbled by nature, the ocean has always been able to fill me with fear and desire and an undescribable to a non surfer type of Lust, and put me in my place while giving me the love I don't get elsewhere, but today was a different level. I was never that close to unintentionally breathing water before.
I got to get in better shape. I should not have been needing a breathe so badly after that ride. While conditions were large and humbling, it was nowhere near the level of what the real surfer's have been riding in Hawaii and Northern California this year.
But then again those guys are now wearing inflatable vests too, wisely. Surely there would have been a few drownings otherwise on this exceptional winter swell season.
http://www.surfline.com/video/webisodes/11-hours-at-mavericks_135839
20 years ago the waves were considered too big to be paddled into, that they could only be caught and ridden successfully with jetski assist.
The benchmark for size at which a wave can be paddled into has been raised to a whole nother level this season.
http://www.surfline.com/video/webisodes/jaws-returns-again-january-27th_135495
Waves of this size have occurred this season more times than the last several seasons combined, and the season does not end for another month and a half, and the wind forecast over the North Pacific has more purple and platinum blobs that should fan out additional XXL large groundswells out across the Entire pacific ocean basin.
Wish I was in better shape.
El Nino has been delivering large back to back westerly swells. My back went out on me last month badly, for 10+ days, and I lost a bunch of physical conditioning, and confidence. But One must get back up on the horse, even if that horse might be rabid. I'm happy to be able to climb on a horse after that debilitating backpain episode.
Yesterday I paddled out with a friend I grew up surfing with, whom I'd not seen for quite some time, and was not sure I'd actually be able to punch through to the outside, as the waves were large and frequent and radiated pure energy to anybody with eyes ears and a simple grasp of physics. It was just outside where I shared an oceanfront campsite with Jay and Margie and Bindie last November. I was doing underwater cartwheels just paddling out getting rolled and beatup, and totally winded once I finally did make it outside. It was a bit windy and unruly and I only rode 2 waves successfully. Inbetweeners with a mere 10 to 12 foot face height and not the 15 foot faces which would occasionally roll over the whole lineup. Really this does not even fall into the big wave category. Waves over 15 feet are a whole different level of surfing, One I do not have the confidence or conditioning to confront, not in my 20's and certainly not in my 40's with an unwanted spare tire around my middle.
Well today, the swell was supposed to be a bit smaller, the buoys had gone down by a foot, and 2 seconds less interval with a touch more northward direction, but when I got to my regular surfbreak they seemed even larger than yesterday, and more consistent with frequent sets of wave trains with 3 to 10 waves per set. Best part was, with such wave size and consistency as of late, and being a holiday late afternoon, there were very few surfers out.
Well, Long story shorter, I got one of the largest waves of my life, and while I made it to the bottom, I did not make it much further. The lip of the thick wave landed just behind me with enough force it lifted my back foot off my surfboard and blew me up. I was going so fast when I hit the water, I bounced, and only then did the white water catch up and rolled over me and tumbled me underwater for a good 10 or 12 seconds before the turbulence diminished enough I could even try for the surface.
But I did not know which way was up. But, I was wearing a legrope and the board is buoyant enough that one can climb the legrope hand overhand and eventually, hopefully reach the surface and get a breath before the next wave arrives.
Double wave hold downs are rare except in the 15 foot+ range of big wave riding and true to this reality I came up after climbing my legrope hand over hand, and got two deep breaths before the next wave rolled me less violently and of lesser duration than the wave I rode, and there thankfully was no third wave to further rock me and push me inside.
I paddled back out and got a smaller wave with merely a 12 to 14 foot face height, and rode it to shore, achieving redline speed for a good 60 to 70 yards before turning shoreward, and still have some adrenalin shakes 6 hours later.
I love to be humbled by nature, the ocean has always been able to fill me with fear and desire and an undescribable to a non surfer type of Lust, and put me in my place while giving me the love I don't get elsewhere, but today was a different level. I was never that close to unintentionally breathing water before.
I got to get in better shape. I should not have been needing a breathe so badly after that ride. While conditions were large and humbling, it was nowhere near the level of what the real surfer's have been riding in Hawaii and Northern California this year.
But then again those guys are now wearing inflatable vests too, wisely. Surely there would have been a few drownings otherwise on this exceptional winter swell season.
http://www.surfline.com/video/webisodes/11-hours-at-mavericks_135839
20 years ago the waves were considered too big to be paddled into, that they could only be caught and ridden successfully with jetski assist.
The benchmark for size at which a wave can be paddled into has been raised to a whole nother level this season.
http://www.surfline.com/video/webisodes/jaws-returns-again-january-27th_135495
Waves of this size have occurred this season more times than the last several seasons combined, and the season does not end for another month and a half, and the wind forecast over the North Pacific has more purple and platinum blobs that should fan out additional XXL large groundswells out across the Entire pacific ocean basin.
Wish I was in better shape.
Damn cold water up here saps your strength too.
