Caught in the shallows

[headmount]

We've had a long period south swell the last, can you believe it, three days straight.  Pretty good for a south swell which are usually gutless.  No wave riding for me since last winter so great prep for the real McCoy in a few weeks.  But even rusty,  I'm always much more cavalier on the south shore and today I had to scramble to keep from damaging my board.

Today's session was along a rocky uninviting shoreline and the waves were pealing right up to the edge.  The whole morning had me milking waves to the bitter end and kicking out clean like I knew what I was doing.  But finally towards the end of my session, a fall, right at that kick out spot, placed me in dire straits.   Thought that taking the third wave would place me at tail end of the set but it was only part of a longer set.  The end of the waves were breaking in shin deep water and were battering me.    Didn't want to remount and possibly lose my fins, so I held on knowing that the also long lull would eventually come.  Braced against a sharp rock with my heel since it's my toughest body part and had board upside down.  Cool I'd wait it out. 

But then the rock poked into my heel and in a moment of ouch the paddle came out of my hands and is on the rocks.  Crap.  So when the lull finally comes, I disconnected my leash, pushed the board out a ways deeper and slithered onto the rocky edge to grab the paddle.  Lucked out as I got back out to the board just before another set.  Takeaway is get out while the getting is good.

[TallDude]

It always ends up with some damage to something. Loosing track of time and not paying attention to the tides will get you in the wrong place. Last winter during a swell, there was so much wave action that it left a layer of foam almost everywhere. It was cloudy so the lighting was darker. I catch a long ride, and it reforms. A couple of strokes and I drop at see the rocky bottom in about 12 inch of water. Shit!  I tried to stall the tail and turn on a high line. I felt my fins hit just as I dove into the thick of the wave. What are you going to do. I saved myself, but busted two fin boxes out , and cracked a fin.

Head,
I think that was your Bootie call....

[PonoBill]

I can't count the number of times I've screwed that up. The worst place to do it is Latina break wall. You can wind up in three inches of Vana crusted coral with just a moments distraction. The bottom has such a funny slope that the swells never stop breaking on you. No easy way out. The south side is where that always happens. Can't think of a place I've been stuck like that on the north shore. Well, maybe kuau channel.

[covesurfer]

I can't count the number of times I've screwed that up. The worst place to do it is Latina break wall. You can wind up in three inches of Vana crusted coral with just a moments distraction. The bottom has such a funny slope that the swells never stop breaking on you. No easy way out. The south side is where that always happens. Can't think of a place I've been stuck like that on the north shore. Well, maybe kuau channel.

Is that Latina Breakwall the one in Mexico? These damn keyboards are harder and harder to operate. Too many moving parts, hahahaha!

The day you dragged me across the reefs at Lahaina, you know, the one over here in Her-why-yah, not Mexico, I think I had the most pucker ever. That is the shallowest, sharpest, nastiest, most vana encrusted bottom I've seen around these parts. If you'll recall, before we surfed at the breakwall, we went in across reef so sharp and shallow that I got on my knees to paddle, even though it was totally glass and flat. 

That whole area from Launiupoko on north really has some nasty bottom and often puts you in a spot. I've only surfed at the breakwall that same day I went with you and I quickly found out that while there were consequences for going too long on a left, the rights were even worse. I found myself in 8" of water with a breaking wave and no where to go two times before I decided going backside and keeping my skin was far preferable.  Rainbows is another spot like that, although I've gone there a bunch of times and if the tide and waves are right, it's not a problem. But I've seen it at lower water and yikes!

HM, glad it worked out ok. If I even touch the bottom, even brush it lightly, I nearly always come up scathed.

[PonoBill]

I've gotten into trouble with Latinas, but it had nothing to do with surfing. Damn spellcheck. I need to find it and kill it.

That little slot I dragged you through was nuttin'. That's a great little break when the swell is about 3 feet. Throws a pitching wave with some real steam, like a micro Teahupoʻo. Just don't go to far to the left 'cause there's NO water.

[covesurfer]

That little slot I dragged you through was nuttin'. That's a great little break when the swell is about 3 feet. Throws a pitching wave with some real steam, like a micro Teahupoʻo. Just don't go to far to the left 'cause there's NO water.

That like slot, like it's like pretty intense (rising interrogatory)? Like I like hate those shallow spots (not a question). Especially, like, if they like take my like skin off (could be a question or a statement).

BTW, I've had, like, two weeks, like trying to break my like daughter's speech patterns before she starts, like, you know, going to college (probably an interrogatory statement/question).? So, like I like really know what you're like talking about in your other post! I like know this should have gone under the other like thread but like, after I read your post over there, like, I couldn't stop like saying like!
 

[stoneaxe]

Like I leave skin behind like every time I come out there like.

[supthecreek]

Gerry Lopez says "never ride a wave to the end.... " (he knows that "Murphy" is waiting)

Sometimes, when surfing rock points or reefs, I'll get lazy on my last wave and ride, fully standing till my fins are about to hit..... way too shallow to jump, fall or take a knee, so I stall, place my paddle judiciously, and step off onto the least terrifying spot. I have to stop that.

[PonoBill]

So far the closest times I've come to drowning while surfing have all been in about five feet of water. That little holdown I had practicing for the BOP was a real pulse pounder. I still find myself thinking about it and shuddering. I think if I hadn't done the right thing and been lucky on timing I'd still be there.

It just dawned on me that there was a bodysurfer missing at Salt Creek the week before.