surviving a big wave wipeout

koslovski001
April 2007

hey all....

I've started surfing bigger waves, and its great fun until I wipe out on a 8-10 foot wave... I for some reason get pumeled by the wave pretty much all the way back to the shore....

Can anybody out there give me any advice on how to survive big wave wipeouts

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17 Replies

Peter Lambert
April 2007
To me, dealing with and riding big waves is 90% mental and 10% physical. You have to be fairly surfing fit, but its not exactly like I train with rocks in the bottom of my swiming pool or anything. In riding, padling, duckdiving, I think the key to the semi-big stuff is to just be calm in the water, not to panic, and just relax. Paddle arround gently, conserve energy for those super deep duckdives, relax, chill, etc. Try not to wipe out at all, and if you must, then at least try to make it into the barrel, that should spare you the bulk of the spanking, and if it all goes to poo, and you have to take one for the team, then just try not get hit square on the head by the lip and relax as much as possible underwater, don't fight it, and swim up once the beating is over.
rylin
April 2007
yeh Peter, well put.
the main thing to do is KEEP CALM and RELAX.
then it all comes naturally.
SmT
April 2007
RELAX RELAX RELAX
Take it easy and you'll get through it. Someone once said, the safest place is in the Barrell!
Also, by getting a solid beating you kinda push yourself further, you feel more confident after surviving and your super amped to push it a bit more next time!!!
Chilternburt
April 2007
lol it always sounds so easy.. until you get held down on a big day....
peterbee
April 2007
One of the things that really burns oxygen when you're under is when you start panicking about how much breath you have left.

Here's some advice: if you go under on a big wave (6 foot for me, 12 for Peter Lambert), count the seconds out slowly... you'll be surprised how short the submerge is (I seldom get close to 10 seconds), and it'll help to relax you, knowing that you have reserve air even though it doesn't feel like it.

Also, once you start relaxing about the hold-downs you'll often be more comfortable going under quickly, rather than getting washed all the way to shore!
hugh grant
April 2007
When I surf, the waves are afraid of me holding them under!! Anyways, no wave gets big enough to scare me!!
Chinnychinchin
April 2007
"and if it all goes to poo"....ha ha ha ha ha

I recon one of the best things to do is to know your surf spot.....Where do the outside sets break if its high/low tide, if it's an eg. SW swell, where and how does it break....ect ect. learn where to sit and when, so you can "predict" it to a degree, it's not an exact science but it does def help when it's maxing out!!....I still recon the best is when you "know" a clean-up set is looming and you go deep while all the posers are sitting shallow laughing at you.....the look of panic on their faces as you bottom turn on their heads right before they get WORKED it's THE best!! ha ha ha ha. You can also hang around the impact zone on waves that make you a LITTLE uncomfortable, and get the beat down on purpose, it's like a boxer in the ring with a sparring partner...it's all about conditioning....just don't friggin drown!! I also got a buddy to take a few pics of me surfing "6ft"....let me just say that waves ALWAYS look bigger when you're riding it, but in actual fact they're generally not as life-threatning as we may think.....
Steve
April 2007
the counting thing works very well
April 2007
well i just panic like heck!! Swim around clueless and look for the nearest piece of kelp to climb up.. if nothing like that.. well then i just breathe out all my air so have to fight it harder to get to the top quicker!! HAHAHA

Ja Peter has pretty much got it waxed.. hes good at getting you right into the impact zone also So easy training with Peter...haha

Ja just count wave gaps between them and work out how long you have to break the surface before the next one hits. Most times its 10-15 secs longest which feels like ever. But ja dont panic and go along with it...

Also when its 8-10ft plus (Thats not Kalkbay size) its basically impossible to duckdive or not get a good thrashing... so if you cant beat it..... JOIN IT!! and have fun seeing how many rolls, backflips, spins you can do under the water... Sometimes just take the biggest one and have the worst wipe out .. and ja most of the times thats the worst you are going to go through..

Good times and try surf with someone when its big just incase!!

Peace out
Mark
Jmo
April 2007
HalfbinZ you chop! You slipped up! Now I know that you and Peter dragged me in front of that set wave on purpose!!
I must admit it was good preparation for my wipeout later that session though...

Some good advice in this thread so far, its super hard not to panic when getting thoroughly minced by a sizeable wave. For me there are 2 tactics to handling a wipe:
For waves breaking over shallow reef/sand, then generally you aren't going to held down for very long since you get pushed forward and out of the zone quicker, but your concern is more with hitting the reef correctly or preferably avoiding it at all. In this scenario you want to avoid ragdolling too much under water, rather get yourself flat and stabilised with your back down and feet up and arms out while being washed over the reef. This usually minimises the wipe to a bump on your back/arse and the occasional dead leg if the reef is all gnarly, sometimes you even get a little cushion of water between you and the reef to float on.

For deep water waves your concern is more with being shoved deep and being held down for ages. In this case you want to be relaxed and ragdoll around, this conserves your energy and breath. Only once you have stopped being rolled around should you take a sec to figure out which way is up by feeling your board pulling on the leash or looking for the light (not the one at the end of the tunnel). In theory most people can hold their breath for much longer than the longest hold down, it is just our panic reflex that messes with your mind.

All bodyboarders can grin and gloat that they have fins on their feet when wiping out because without them it takes double the time to reach the surface. So get yourself some good ol' trusty shoelaces and strap those fins on so they don't come off!

The next thread needs to cover how to stop the hours of naso drain after a long session of hearty mashings.

Cheers
Jmo
ch4os_
April 2007

Jmo wrote:
The next thread needs to cover how to stop the hours of naso drain after a long session of hearty mashings.

indeed, or how to duckdive those behemoths of water
Elementree
April 2007
indeed, or how to duckdive those behemoths of water

Ha Ha...lol

Don't even joke buddy...duckdiving big waves usually isn't even an option!
You just gotta try and push under as far as you can and await the beating, praying that your leash will take the strain.
dcmike
April 2007
Definitely some very useful info here. The most reassuring thing is to not be alone out there when you test these theories (even if they do leave you in the impact zone laughing their asses of JMO!) at least you know your buddy has got your back. And yeah, peterbee has the truth there. I used to get really freaked with leash/board/limbs/bubbles/kelp swirling everywhich way - count... it really puts a hold down in perspective. I was out at a rather gnarly beachbreak on Sunday and one of the okes took a huge beating and wacked the only rock for miles, losing his board in the process - His buddy was right there and offered his board for floatation cos the guy was so disorientated by the beating. Share the fun - share the beating and keep charging!
peterbee
April 2007
On the subject of duckdiving the beasties... again, panic can screw you up. When you go under, don't come up again just cos your lungs are convinced they're gonna burst after 3 seconds - you'll end up being dragged 20m by the turbulence.

Stay calm instead, and try and only come up once you no longer feel the turbulence buffeting your back. You can look up as well, to see if it's clearing...

This works for me for the first few waves, whereafter I'm too tired to stay under for long anyway, and ask myself what the hell I'm doing out there in the first place...
Chilternburt
April 2007
i can t look up, my contact lens will pop out...

yea beatings are never as bad as you 1st think...
Spy Dude
April 2007
I open my eyes under water, i find just knowing where the light is relaxs me.
koslovski001
May 2007
Hey guys... I just want to say thanks for all the advice. Started trying get my self under the lip on waves that are about to close out on me and that helps loads, but I have to say the counting thing works the best for, helps me stay alot more relaxed well taking a beating.

Thanks

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