Author Topic: Caught My first Overhead Wave Today.  (Read 8599 times)

PonoBill

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Re: Caught My first Overhead Wave Today.
« Reply #15 on: March 29, 2015, 11:29:43 AM »
It doesn't take that long to start feeling like overhead is a minimum. Yes, you'll still surf baby waves--it feels good and you can just play. But the fun factor rises rapidly with size, and then gets overwhelmed by the fear factor. I envy the guys that are comfortable in waves like Tidy Bowls here in Maui, that routinely reaches 20 feet faces. I've done it, scared the crap out of me, and I get pounded every time I go out there. I thought getting worked a few times and surviving would diminish the fear, but getting worked by a really big wave feels like a marginal thing--like you barely made it, and it could have gone either way.

I suspect for a lot of people, and certainly for me, the wave they are comfortable in is the wave they believe they can survive. I'm good with double overhead and a little bigger. But that's about it unless I start routinely wearing a vest.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

goodfornothin

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Re: Caught My first Overhead Wave Today.
« Reply #16 on: March 29, 2015, 12:07:03 PM »
I loooot tidy bowels ;D.

standuped

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Re: Caught My first Overhead Wave Today.
« Reply #17 on: March 29, 2015, 12:21:21 PM »
Although I have been slammed and tumbled by a few overheads, I have never caught one that I am aware of, though some big ones have come from behind that I couldn’t tell how big they were, except by being risen up high in the air.

This one was between Private’s and Sharks in the deep water area that starts to open up at low tide.

I was standing up on the Prowave when it came in, I saw the swell and knew it was something big but didn’t really know until I saw the blasted lip looming way up there behind me.  My literal thought in panic and fear was “Jesus, please preserve my parts”. 

It hit, I was parted from the board for an instant, but landed back on it and the rails engaged traveling downward for the bottom turn for the fastest frigging ride I have had so far.  When it lifted me, I thought that I was going to see clouds around me I was so high up on that steep triangle of water.

I gather with those big, steep ones you have to jam the fins down on the lip triangle and then very gingerly skid then lean the rails down the steep incline to catch the bottom turn, rather than leaning forward as in smaller waves.

There were also a lot of four and five footers that allowed me to practice my lip dangling before sliding down into the trough.

It was extremely crowded Saturday today, but I have been out around Sharks and Privates so long, I am able to find the holes during tidal conditions to get waves that are otherwise ignored or that sneak by the proners.  I pretty much managed to get my fill in spite of the crowds.

That darned Prowave is just a wonderful board. It has literally taught me how to trim.  It’s going to take me a few more months to catch up to it’s basic standup paradigm, but on the waves, it is incredible, even at my humble level of learning.

Wow, great eloquent post.  I enjoyed reading through the ride. You got your endorphin levels up for sure. Congratulations.   This is a great example of "don't need no v-i-d-e-o".   
Florida gear.. Bic 12'x31"~207L.. JP Fusion 10'8"x34"~190L..Angulo custom 9'6"x33"~160L.. SIC Fish 9'5"x29.6"~145L..Epic gear elite paddle~7"x75"..Oregon gear..JP Fusion#2..Foote Triton 10'4"x34"~174L.. Surftec Generator 10'6"x32.3"~167L..Kialoa Pipes 6 3/8"x75"...Me 6'1" 220 lbs circa 1959

SUPcheat

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Re: Caught My first Overhead Wave Today.
« Reply #18 on: March 29, 2015, 04:52:00 PM »
How karma reverses itself.  I went out today at the same general low tide time.  I was able to find a few areas to  catch waves at first, but the waves were coming from different directions and the currents were pretty unpredictable.

After an hour or so, my so called home turf expertise was worthless. There were so many flotsam and jetsom weekenders, long boarders, short boarders, and general proner punctuation marks that things became very unpredictable from the side, the back and the front.  There was one kid buzzing around me like a gnat giving me strange looks, i couldn't shake him, he seemed to go in perfect dog paddling circles to defeat my entering a wave.Finally, he turned and ran into me.  I bailed on many entries because there were punch drunk guys sort of half idling and half paddling in front.

By the end of the session I was so paranoid, I went way out on the ocean around everybody to go back to Privates. I finally located a clearing and surfed a wave back into the beach area.  I was happy to get out of the crowd mess, but even the little kiddies running around all over the beach made me nervous.

   
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Me: 6'1"@230 lbs 68 years old

southwesterly

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Re: Caught My first Overhead Wave Today.
« Reply #19 on: March 29, 2015, 06:44:08 PM »
Yes it was crowded today. Very crowded. I almost paddled in a few minutes after I went out, but after hanging around awhile I found some open spots on the reef and it turned out to be a real fun session.

There was one stand up kook on a very large NSP who paddled past me going out to try to make it over a set wave. He saw that he wasn't going to make over, so he paddled sideways right in front of me and bailed off his board. Lucky for me I was able to turn around to face the beach before bailing deep with my hands around my head. Both kook and board barely missed me. It's no wonder they hate us.

Can't wait for things to get back to normal after spring break.

SUPcheat

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Re: Caught My first Overhead Wave Today.
« Reply #20 on: March 29, 2015, 06:55:26 PM »
 You're pretty impressive at making those turns and cutbacks.  If you couldn't deal with it, I certainly couldn't.
2013 Fanatic Prowave LTD 9'3"x30.5x@134L
Sunova Speeed 8'10"x29.12@131L
Sunova Flow 8'7"x30.25"@121L
Carbon 9.3x32@163L Hammer
Me: 6'1"@230 lbs 68 years old

SaMoSUP

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Re: Caught My first Overhead Wave Today.
« Reply #21 on: March 29, 2015, 07:57:54 PM »
I survived a pretty gnarly session today in north/west Malibu. Tried to get over a 7-8ft wave but it was breaking right in front of me so I jumped off my board to get under the whitewash. Got held down real good. It got dark and luckily got hold of my leash and climbed up it to get some air. I almost got to that point where I had to open my mouth underwater to inhale. Once I got to the top and inhaled, I turned around to get pummeled by the next wave. I was caught inside what was about a 6 wave set. I was wishing I had that tail handle setup. I managed to hang on to my board and ride back to the beach on my belly. Got out of there barely alive.

But hey a few months ago I would've been sitting on my couch watching the surf cams all day because I was fearful of overhead waves.


It doesn't take that long to start feeling like overhead is a minimum. Yes, you'll still surf baby waves--it feels good and you can just play. But the fun factor rises rapidly with size, and then gets overwhelmed by the fear factor. I envy the guys that are comfortable in waves like Tidy Bowls here in Maui, that routinely reaches 20 feet faces. I've done it, scared the crap out of me, and I get pounded every time I go out there. I thought getting worked a few times and surviving would diminish the fear, but getting worked by a really big wave feels like a marginal thing--like you barely made it, and it could have gone either way.

I suspect for a lot of people, and certainly for me, the wave they are comfortable in is the wave they believe they can survive. I'm good with double overhead and a little bigger. But that's about it unless I start routinely wearing a vest.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2015, 08:06:51 PM by SaMoSUP »

PonoBill

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Re: Caught My first Overhead Wave Today.
« Reply #22 on: March 29, 2015, 08:45:33 PM »
Tail handle. Use it right and that would have been no big deal. No guarantees, it's not a safety device, but the first time you use one in those kind of conditions you'll be stunned.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

covesurfer

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Re: Caught My first Overhead Wave Today.
« Reply #23 on: March 29, 2015, 11:43:54 PM »
It doesn't take that long to start feeling like overhead is a minimum. Yes, you'll still surf baby waves--it feels good and you can just play. But the fun factor rises rapidly with size, and then gets overwhelmed by the fear factor. I envy the guys that are comfortable in waves like Tidy Bowls here in Maui, that routinely reaches 20 feet faces. I've done it, scared the crap out of me, and I get pounded every time I go out there. I thought getting worked a few times and surviving would diminish the fear, but getting worked by a really big wave feels like a marginal thing--like you barely made it, and it could have gone either way.


PB's summary is spot on as far as I'm concerned. When I first started surfing the SUB here, anything over chest high scared me. I think the biggest issue I had was getting caught inside while trying to get back out, and getting knocked off the board and then drilled by a few waves.

Time in the water has helped me learn timing and the wisdom of almost never taking the first wave of a set, knowing the following waves will be bigger. It's also useful to time your trip back out to the line up with the sets, you can wait it out inside most places, then make a dash for the outside when there's a break, as there almost always is. I feel much more in tune with the ocean rhythms now. It's also easier to be more objective about judging the size and power as you paddle out and face the break. Some of the waves that used to scare me are of no concern but the big stuff  - for me, that's anything over head and a half high - is still terrorizing.

I find myself having the best time in waves with 5 to 7 foot faces. I LOVE those conditions and will sometimes risk braving a bigger day to get the candy. For someone that never shows any fear of big waves or sea life, PB summed it all up perfectly, especially the tradeoff between fun and fear.

 


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