Author Topic: Happy, Humbled, Hammered, and Hurting  (Read 3929 times)

stoneaxe

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Happy, Humbled, Hammered, and Hurting
« on: September 28, 2017, 06:07:40 PM »
Happy to paddle out almost hair dry.

Humbled by the devil's washing machine outside.

Hammered to the bottom by a big one

Hurting...tweaked my back in the wipeout

I saw Whatsup at the beach and we chatted awhile....I jokingly mentioned that I was a bit superstitious about 2nd...I've been injured there twice in silly accidents. I should have listened to myself.

It was the Siren song of the channel at 2nd beach that got me. You know what Sirens do though. It was big and gnarly with the wind blowing the tops off. Very shifty and variable in size.....some absolute bombs going off way outside at elbow ledge.....looked like depth charges going off in the distance. The channel looked good though, between the wind, rip, and gaps that looked like a path to the outside I figured I could manage. I waited until a shortboarder got clear of the channel and paddled out. I was immediately surprised by how much crazier it felt in the water than it looked from shore. Lots of energy running under the surface and I had to keep changing direction on the paddle out.....waist high whitewater perpendicular to the swell from the rebound off the cliffs.....then chest high from the swell. I made it almost all the way out though before what was a trough suddenly exploded into a geyser of converging waves. Quickly back up and a scramble on my knees over the last one and I'm out.

OK...now what? It's nucking futs out here. The 3-4' rebound off the cliff and the beach are insane coupled with the big swell and 15 mph gusty wind. Bizarre peaks popping up all over headed in different directions. Every pitch, yaw, roll, and spin had the wind driving under an edge. I'm hardly making any headway I have to brace so much. I sat down for a bit and watched...trying to pick a spot that had some consistency but it was useless....too much current, too much wind, too shifty. I decide this is going to be one and done.

Ok...do something. I see a set coming and get up....it's setting up pretty good....paddle hard, harder, HARDER (fucking wind)...I start to drop and I'm thinking  I'm in a good spot and then I stop dead as the top gets blasted off . I ride the backwash as I get sucked back into the trough. I should have spun and sprinted for the horizon but I was bouncing all over the place again and I foolishly decide to go for it. Did I say there was fucking wind? I wasn't lucky enough to get blown off the back this time.....it held me up just long enough to go straight up and over the falls....my board entered the water vertical.

The wave drove me straight to the bottom, smashed my neck and shoulders into it and then I bounced along on my back upside down with my leg getting pulled up by my leash. Blew the paddle right out of my hands. I curled up into a ball and waited a few and pushed off for the surface. I came up right next to my board. I had just enough time to grab the tail handle and pull the board to me.....this is when the tail handle pays off. My back was screaming and my legs felt a little weak. Despite that it was no big deal getting back in...just hold on.

I found my paddle on the beach, left my board with it. I swam back out a ways and just let the swell wash over me as I stretched my back laying in the water...definitely feels funky. No way I'm paddling back out...not even from the channel but I have to paddle back up the beach....current had taken me 1/4 mile. I wove my way back up the beach riding over the inside whitewater and catching some of the reforms.....got back to the parking lot and felt like I was doing the walk of shame..... :-[ :-[ :( >:(. At least I provided some entertainment for the prone crew on the beach watching the SUP kook get slammed.

Hurting tonight but I don't think it's serious...TENS machine and some ibuprofen helping, weakness in my legs is gone.

1st pic is 1st beach....din't bother trying to paddle out. I was talking to Pdlsrfr on the phone saying I was thinking of paddling out at 1st way over on the more protected left side.....as I was talking a massive bomb exploded a mile out at Elbow ledge, then it hit Tuckermans and the whole thing went off at once, then made like a set of freight trains all the way into the corner. Paddling out there I would have been crushed.

2nd pic is 2nd...you can see why i wanted to get out.
« Last Edit: September 28, 2017, 06:41:20 PM by stoneaxe »
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

PonoBill

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Re: Happy, Humbled, Hammered, and Hurting
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2017, 06:35:52 PM »
I was immediately surprised by how much crazier it felt in the water than it looked from shore.

Wow. So you just learned that?
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stoneaxe

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Re: Happy, Humbled, Hammered, and Hurting
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2017, 06:49:34 PM »
This was way beyond the normal difference. I hate rebound....sneaky little bastards coming in from behind.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

WhatsSUP

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Re: Happy, Humbled, Hammered, and Hurting
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2017, 06:51:37 PM »
Stoney:  Your paddle out was very impressive!!!!  Lot's of eyes on you....folks probably thinking "this ought to be good" and you handled the standing paddle out like a pro!  NICELY done!

I couldn't get my sucky camcorder to pick you up once out...you were out there!!!

Sorry to hear about the beat down and hope you quickly rebound.

See you soon!
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TallDude

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Re: Happy, Humbled, Hammered, and Hurting
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2017, 07:49:33 PM »
Stretch tonight and tomorrow. Walk tomorrow and stretch more. Don't give your neck and back a chance to tighten up. Why do we do that to ourselves? I still do sometimes... ::)
It's not overhead to me!
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PDLSFR

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Re: Happy, Humbled, Hammered, and Hurting
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2017, 03:03:29 AM »
Stoney your nuts, I knew when we got off the phone you’d be trying to get out there, I could hear the excitement and terror in your voice like an elementary school kid looking at the giant wooden rollar coaster for the first time.

It was knarly at 7am when I sat at both spots thinking how the F can I get out there and ride one of those massive waves, while in the background I hear my moms voice saying “Derek don’t forget you have your daughter to think about don’t risk your life”. So I drove away talking to Mr Big giving him the eyes on surf report and telling him no way not today maybe tomorrow.

Glad your only banged and brused Bob, it could have ended worse.

Looking at the cam now it’s like a different beach !!!!
« Last Edit: September 29, 2017, 03:36:50 AM by PDLSFR »
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PDLSFR

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Re: Happy, Humbled, Hammered, and Hurting
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2017, 04:07:19 AM »
Look I think I see Stoney’s feet 
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surfinJ

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Re: Happy, Humbled, Hammered, and Hurting
« Reply #7 on: September 29, 2017, 05:04:34 AM »
It's funny how this is a stoking memory for you, a stoke story for us, but has a vastly different effect on the average person.  They just think we're a bit nuts.

stoneaxe

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Re: Happy, Humbled, Hammered, and Hurting
« Reply #8 on: September 29, 2017, 06:38:45 AM »
Thanks for the kind words  but i'm definitely sure that was the only impressive part....except for the impression on my forearm...:). No idea how I got the nasty bruise that runs from my wrist to the inside of my elbow. I don't remember getting whacked.

It took awhile getting out of bed today but I made it to work. I have a powered standing desk so i can change position frequently. I'll take a walk at lunch...beautiful fall day here in Providence. Going apple picking this weekend with the family...lots of yard work to do....it will stay stretched.... :).

Good description of how I felt but I had to go. Learned a lesson anyway....I think. The size was great, wind and rebound, not so much.
Bob

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SlatchJim

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Re: Happy, Humbled, Hammered, and Hurting
« Reply #9 on: September 29, 2017, 11:13:16 AM »
In the immortal words of Tony Romo, what doesn't kill you - lays you out for months.

Beasho

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Re: Happy, Humbled, Hammered, and Hurting
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2017, 11:42:34 AM »
Awesome story.  Super proud.

Sometimes we just have to face our demons and paddle out.

The only part I was upset about was reading about the pull on your leg!   

1) WTF aren't you wearing a waist leash. 

& 2) I bet you weren't wearing any float.  An O'Neill gooru would have given you a much more comfortable experience.  At least while you are getting pounded a part of your mind is giggling knowing that you are going to pop back up.

Again - Awesome story

stoneaxe

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Re: Happy, Humbled, Hammered, and Hurting
« Reply #11 on: September 29, 2017, 05:22:26 PM »
LOL....not going to be a month. I can tell the difference....this is just muscular.....the leg weakness was gone pretty quick. Should be good in a day or two or three. No surf here for awhile so at least I'm not missing out. The honeydo list has to happen too and if I try and say I can't because I'm hurting from surfing......lets just say there isn't much sympathy..... ;D

And to add to the stupidity Beasho. I have a Pono made waist belt/leash sitting in my garage. I took it out of my truck last week when I was moving some stuff and it somehow didn't get back in. I had to go buy a new leash before I went out. I'm still looking for a vest that will fit me....I think I may have to ask my sister to modify one for me. The largest gooru still won't fit and I'm having a hard time finding one I like. I think my upper body size is part of the reason wind effects me so much....i make a damn good sail.

I can't stress enough what a difference the tail handle made. The next wave came right down on my head but I had just enough time to grab and then pull the board in and push down on the tail.......complete anti-climax. Just washed over me with a tug on the board. I was worried that the size would be too much but it made an otherwise potentially precarious situation a yawner.

I'm kind of pissed at myself though now as I think about it. I should have sat longer and waited for one I knew would work. I rushed myself and made the bad worse. I have to admit I was a bit nervous. Despite paddling pretty far out a set had come through earlier that had broken well outside of where I was. My choice sucked though. There were makeable waves to be had and I blew it.
« Last Edit: September 29, 2017, 06:05:23 PM by stoneaxe »
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

devon_sup_surf

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Re: Happy, Humbled, Hammered, and Hurting
« Reply #12 on: September 30, 2017, 12:31:07 AM »
Very interesting bob. And terrifying! Just how large were the bigger sets?

I think I read this somewhere on here- but if you bought two impact vests I bet someone could stitch them together to make one big enough.

stoneaxe

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Re: Happy, Humbled, Hammered, and Hurting
« Reply #13 on: September 30, 2017, 05:26:06 AM »
It was tough to tell exactly how big they were way outside breaking, nobody out there. Where I was trying to surf.....the 2nd picture has a guy on the wave that I saw on the beach and would guess him to be 6'. He was on a mid sized wave there. Where I paddled out to it was breaking right probably half again as big. I'm guessing I fell 12 or 13'..... ;). The wave I saw roll through over on 1st beach had to be a 20' set. At a guess the ones that I saw break outside of where I was were 15'+
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

Ake G

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Re: Happy, Humbled, Hammered, and Hurting
« Reply #14 on: September 30, 2017, 01:17:58 PM »
Fun read, Bob. Many credits given for the effort and beat-down and that it made you happy! Hope you're feeling better today.

Thanks for taking the time to show us the "other side" of those endlessly tiresome "I caught 48 out of 50 overhead bombs and heroically ripped n' shredded the life out of every last one riding my 100 liter 6'2" custom carbon micro-mini O what a great Man I am....." posts.

 


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