OK ... I wanted to try the big waves ... had been craving them all summer. I headed out to Diamond Head this afternoon -- partly because, even tho the waves aren’t as well-formed as in town, this place always has something to teach me. It was low tide just changing to high, uneven, windy, crowded. Still... it was exhilarating!
At one point I found myself inside of a particularly large set coming in. A 12 foot face was building toward me ... hoovering and starting to crumble ... I panicked. I know I shouldn't jump off my board, and I do know how to duck dive ... but there was no one near me to get hit or caught by the board. I was too scared to care about popping the leash. I only trusted my body to free dive.
Then ... I didn't dive as deep as I thought, and I got caught in the roiling water. This is not unusual, so I wasn't too worried. But, it turned unusual. I realized I was trying to surface behind the wave and the force of the "backdraft" was *way* *way* strong! I looked behind me and saw columns of water-whirlpools spiraling down. Above I could see the surface, but I couldn't get to it! My board was dragging me into the whirls. I started kicking for my life, scratching for the surface. In the back of my mind I knew that surfacing with a gasp could be deadly if the next wave was just breaking. I realized ... this is the way people die. So, this is what they mean by hold down!
I finally surfaced, gasping and shaken ... and as it happened, the next wave was a roller. I had been spared. I wondered why I didn’t take that advice from the women bodyboarders clinic seriously, "Always hang on to your board." ... It all makes sense to me now.
I stayed out for another hour, so I had a few chances to try that out. If I got caught in the strong currents of the wave and held onto my board I would get tossed around, tumbled and shook up ... but I always popped up to the surface! Sigh ... I sure do learn things the hard way.
Mama Sus
