Posting!
Finally did something other then work and hang around Perth. Although i have saved good money in the short time im here..
Went to Margaret River , WA this past weekend. Its on the south west corner of the continent/country and hosts an international surf comp every year. This years was about 2 weeks ago, so the waves are pumping right now. Its got an interesting combination of South ocean, Indian ocean and river mouth. When i was there the waves were crashing in at about 8 – 12 feet depending on where you were. I jumped into the 8 – 10 ft section and kept clear of the reef breaks ..(waves over sharp rocks) some pics
and here
give an idea of what i attempted.
When you stand on shore there is no way to compare what it feels like to be in water with these waves right on top of you. Its just not the same at all. You can stand on the beach or cliff and say.. “yeah thats big but doesnt look too bad” and think you could still swim in it and live.. but once your out there dude.. your done. Its huge. Its like looking up at a cliff and saying “yeah i can jump that, its not that high” and then going up there and actually looking down.
I paddeled out into some monsters and almost drowned. How? Well surfing is all timing.. and when the wave is comeing in you have to try to match a part of its speed so it picks you up. You also have to do this so that when you match the waves speed its cresting and you catch the rip/power of the wave and ride inside of where it breaks .. sorta like a convyer belt made of water. Really fast moving, falling , rolling water that has an entire ocean on the other side of it.
Since ive never been in waves this big before I messed up my timing and paddled too late missing my wave.. but leaving me too far in front of the next one.. which means I have 1000’s of tones of water fall on my head. Waves come in sets.. i missed the beginning of mine.. ergo.. I got wave after wave on top of me. Sending me tumbling underwater for 20 sec or so at a time. 20 seconds is an eternity underwater!! Man my lungs were burring and I struggled against the wave to surface just to get a breath, come to the surface, and be sent back under again…. and again…. and again.. panic had set in.. and ive been trained to not panic with rigourous martial arts exercises where you hold your breath for a long time and in the water .. but in real life… oh man it was hell!
Eventually i washed up out of the immediate impact zone and got my surfboard and labored back to the beach. My arms felt like noodles.. useless, so exhausted.. so close to not making it back to the surface each time.. I now know that when im about to die, im scared. I struggle. I fight. But man, it was so close … way too close…
i went and sat on the beach for a while..
Then i got back out there , cause walking away would have just been defeat. Fuck that! I paddled back out and made my attempts .. most unsuccessful .. I can catch a 2 – 6 foot wave anyday.. but 10 feet is entirely different. But i can totally do it and i cant wait to try again. Ill get it next time with a little more experience under my belt.
I took some pictures of waves , myself before i went in , and after i came out.. but having trouble uploading due to crap internet.
Australia has the worst internet out of any country ive been too.. yeah.. Laos and Cambodia are better.
Dang yo!
Leaving Oz in a month.. stay tuned.