You always hated to fall off your board, because it meant you were in for a swim, and possibly to the beach to fetch your board. Sometimes, depending on where you were surfing, your board could end up on the rocks. Almost guaranteeing a ding or two.

Paddling out you had to give it everything you had to hold onto your board if you had to push through a wave or two on your way out to the line up. There is nothing worse than having your board ripped from your hands on the way out, especially if you just got in the water and haven’t even caught a wave yet. Like ‘dang, I haven’t even reached the line up and I’ve got to swim for my board.’

So the smart surfer would always pay attention to the surf. You’d do your best to time your go out between sets. Scramble hard to get to the line up so as not to get picked off. As well, you could plan your paddle out so as not to reach the impact zone when a set wave was on coming. Slow paddle or just sit on the inside and let the wave’s energy diminish some before it reaches you. I even would paddle inside a little to get away from an impact zone if it looked like I was not going to get picked off.

I never forgot getting picked off on a good sized wave at D and W. I tried my hardest to hold onto my board but the wave just laughed at me. Ripped my board away, tossed me around like a rag doll and left me to swim. When I reached the beach I couldn’t find my board… until I looked up on the jetty. There it was resting on top off that pile of rocks. So I always did what needed to be done to keep my board from getting away from me.

Of course sometimes you just get stuck. And, of course now days you’ve got your board velcroed to your leg.. so no need worry about loosing your board. Never mind if you ditch your board on your way out… unless someone else gets stuck by your board… but when does that happen?

My son told me the guy we work with at Patagonia FCD, Cyrus, got stuck by a ditched board. It happened last week. I haven’t seen Cyrus yet but was told the board busted his nose and left him with stitches in his head.

Slip off your board, hold your nose and submerge yourself… from what? Wake up and smell the salty air, and act like you don’t have your board tethered to your leg. Think, plan and hold on tight.

D.R.

http://vimeo.com/34903457