Rough Morning

Yesterday I woke up at the usual time of 5:30 am and strapped the surfboard to the hood of our Ford Sapphire. This morning was a little different, because for the first time it was not overcast and grey. It was still dark, but the sky was deep blue with a few stars visible. Today the sun would come up, and I would actually be able to see it. I thought this might be an indicator of a good day of surfing, but I was very wrong.

It was a big day on North Beach, and not a lot of people were out. Only about 3-4. The waves were being stood up high by a strong offshore wind, but were not breaking down a line. Rather they were dumping all at once. Tall, peaking waves breaking that doubled over simultaneously amidst an explosion of white foam. Can be a little dangerous for a novice like myself. I have to note that waves here are very different from those in Galveston. Very rarely do G-town waves get overyour head. And when they do, they rarely break in such an simultaneous and powerful manner. For some reason the ocean seems so much more powerful here. This is real surfing, and all the dangers that come with.

Anyway, I was out past the jetty when large set came in. We paddled out hard to try and avoid the wave breaking on us, but not all of us made it over the crest. I saw another surfer get tossed into the break. I intentionally fell off my board at the peak in an effort to keep my body behind the wave, rather than being dumped over to the turbulent side. I made it over the peak, my board did not. Everything was calm for a moment on the safe side of the break. Then I felt a strong pull on my leg, and then a snap. My board was thrust forward by the wave and my leash had broken. I was no longer connected to my surfboard. I turned to see my board sailing away from me. I found myself treading water in the middle of the ocean with large waves breaking all around me.

I was a little confused at this point. Well, actually I was terrified. I had seen this happen before to people at North Beach. The poor surfers were forced to swim all the way back in and collect their board. Not fun or easy to do. Plus, I was right in the impact zone and the waves were breaking consistently. I also had a good distance to swim, even if the sea was calm. I instinctively started paddling toward the shore with one eye behind me to check for breaking waves.

At first, I moved toward the shore slolwly, but surely. I held my breath as each wave turbulently broke around me. I tried hard to remain calm as breaking waves shook and spun my body underwater. But it was getting harder and harder. The more I swam and the less I breathed, the more tired and more frightened I became.

I think at times in the past, I would have really panicked here. But I had been swimming more lately, specifically working on swimming underwater with out much oxygen. I am glad I did all that. I think if nothing else, it added a shred of confidence to this most humbling situation. I just kept pressing forward, trying to get air when I could. I never felt that I wasnt going to make it or that I needed any help, but I dont think I have ever wanted to be on the shore so badly in my life. I kept pushing forward despite a hint of panic in my strokes, repeating the cycle of swim and submerge. My feet eventually touched the sand, and I couldnt have been more relieved. I waded up to the shore, and found my board on the sand. I coughed up salt water that I had inhlaed along the way. I was exhausted, but safe.

So what did I learn from this potentially dangerous event. 1) Stay calm. Panic costs you a lot of oxygen. Relax and get yourself to safety. 2) Better to stay on your board and get dumped by a wave than bail and risk snapping your leash. 3) Buy a higher quality leash next time. 4) Keep training. Surfing is a dangerous sport at times. Swimming and training can keep you confident in an emergency and maybe even save your life. 5) Maybe we'll stick to the milder breaks in Durban when North Beach is big and scary. Maybe we'll avoid large swells alltogether. 6) Finally, respect the ocean. I have found myself at nature's mercy in the past, and its often frightening to do so. We live in a world where we desperately try to control or avoid nature's threats. We often cannot, as evidenced by the most recent hurricane that has all but destroyed the gulf coast. Whether hiking several days from food and water or hunkering down in a tent beneath a powerful storm, nature can be a powerful beast at times, and one that demands resepect and caution.

My mom might be reading this right now, worried about me all the way around the world in South Africa. Not to worry Mom. While I am always careful out there, I will certainly be more cautious in the future. I dont think I did anything wrong necessarily, but I was reminded how powerful the ocean can be and will keep it in mind everytime I head out to surf.