what are you guys experiences of having to swim into shore after snapping a leggie in big surf. im sometimes more concerned about that then getting held down in big surf. what advice do you guys have?
No fins, heavy impact zone that has a strong suck out. Or big onshore rippy days. Breaks a long way from shore that have a big dead zone with strong cross currents between you and the beach. do you guys prefer swimming through the foam? or zig zagging through the channel back to land? there's gotta be some heroic stories from some of you hellmen who charge the big nasty days
swimming to shore in big surf
Moderators: jimmy, collnarra, PeepeelaPew, Butts, beach_defender, Shari, Forum Moderators
-
Holy Smoke
- regular
- Posts: 158
- Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:01 pm
- Location: Eutopia
good question. not being a powerful ocean swimmer has always prevented me from paddling out on big, ugly days. i really don't mind getting pounded by the big ones...it/s annoying as hell but not scary. what scares me most is losing my board and having to swim a LONG way to land. although i can do 50 laps of a 50m pool, in the ocean it scars me when big and rippy. usually when out back i make a mental note of where i am going to swim to if i lose my board. what course i'll take etc. so that i am prepared when it happens.
I have only ever snapped a leggie once out in the surf. That was at a place called the Pines in Vic. It's a pretty small reef-break, mainly mal riders, and I was absolutely rooted having to swim 50 metres in a steamer and booties to catch my board.
I'm not a bad swimmer and reasonably fit as well. After that experience I now always make sure I replace a leggie every 6 months or so. Getting caught out at some places down here without a board, such as Gunnamatta, on a decent day with the rips at full steam would be damn nasty.
Although I tend to avoid the big stuff anyway.
I'm not a bad swimmer and reasonably fit as well. After that experience I now always make sure I replace a leggie every 6 months or so. Getting caught out at some places down here without a board, such as Gunnamatta, on a decent day with the rips at full steam would be damn nasty.
Although I tend to avoid the big stuff anyway.
was surfing a sydney reefy with a mate the other week. swell fairly solid but not one of the bigger days.
it was a sat morning and i noticed some guy paddling against the rip on a mini mal over at the beachy .. chuckled to myself .. weekend crew blah blah
about half hour later the nose half of his board washes through the reefy. we send it in on a bomb.
no less than an hour after that the other half, including legrope wash through as well!
my mate salvages the leggy 
(no leg attached)
also, surfing the same beachy a few days later i snapped my board and had the fins end attached to my leg. was trying to bodysurf that in and copped it across the jaw. got me pretty sweetly too. lucky i got the rail and not the fins.
it was a sat morning and i noticed some guy paddling against the rip on a mini mal over at the beachy .. chuckled to myself .. weekend crew blah blah
about half hour later the nose half of his board washes through the reefy. we send it in on a bomb.
no less than an hour after that the other half, including legrope wash through as well!
my mate salvages the leggy (no leg attached)also, surfing the same beachy a few days later i snapped my board and had the fins end attached to my leg. was trying to bodysurf that in and copped it across the jaw. got me pretty sweetly too. lucky i got the rail and not the fins.
Years ago on a trip to Bali I got caught inside at Ulus, I swam under the first of the set on the corner, got driven way down and as I started the climb up the leggie it snapped. Seconds later the second wave of whitewater raored overhead and I kinda went into that limbo stage. When I surfaced I was well on my way to Padang and despite copping a few racecourse sets on the noggin I felt way more positive about swimming into the reef, rather than trying to go round again.
Using the whitewater, even underwater, at least your heading into the shore. And after about 10 or 15 I was at least able to get up on some rocks and get a rest. I couldn't imagine having to do a sunset beach swim out, let alone a few times in a row.
Using the whitewater, even underwater, at least your heading into the shore. And after about 10 or 15 I was at least able to get up on some rocks and get a rest. I couldn't imagine having to do a sunset beach swim out, let alone a few times in a row.
First up, you should check the water movements before you paddle out in the event your leggy or board breaks. But of course big wave surfing requires a certain cavalier attitude so this safety measure is often overlooked.
All breaks follow a certain pattern; water pushes down the reef or point where the waves break, and then heads back out to sea, usually through a deeper channel (beachies are similar though they are harder to read and the pattern can change). This means that to hit the beach you've usually gotta be in the whitewash, and that means you're gonna get rolled a bit. But as long as the whitewash is pushing you towards shore just suck em in and roll with it. Keep remembering you're heading away from danger towards safety.
Sometimes the deep water can be the danger. You think you're safe cos your not getting hit, but without realising it you're getting taken out to sea or along the beach away from an easy port. Stay with the whitewash, it's you're lifeline to shore. When you get to a gutter swim like a madman.
Do swim training in the ocean. It's very different than laps in a pool. I've done the Perth to Rotto swim a couple of times but be buggered if I could swim 50 laps in a pool. Probably be lucky to do half that.
I haven't had any real problems with getting back to shore for many years so I think it's an experience thing (dont worry I'm typing with one hand and touching wood with the other)
PS: Not that sort of wood!
All breaks follow a certain pattern; water pushes down the reef or point where the waves break, and then heads back out to sea, usually through a deeper channel (beachies are similar though they are harder to read and the pattern can change). This means that to hit the beach you've usually gotta be in the whitewash, and that means you're gonna get rolled a bit. But as long as the whitewash is pushing you towards shore just suck em in and roll with it. Keep remembering you're heading away from danger towards safety.
Sometimes the deep water can be the danger. You think you're safe cos your not getting hit, but without realising it you're getting taken out to sea or along the beach away from an easy port. Stay with the whitewash, it's you're lifeline to shore. When you get to a gutter swim like a madman.
Do swim training in the ocean. It's very different than laps in a pool. I've done the Perth to Rotto swim a couple of times but be buggered if I could swim 50 laps in a pool. Probably be lucky to do half that.
I haven't had any real problems with getting back to shore for many years so I think it's an experience thing (dont worry I'm typing with one hand and touching wood with the other)
PS: Not that sort of wood!
the biggest worry i have at cronulla is if oneday i get caught in the voodoo express out behind south cronulla that runs all the way to voodoo.
one day i had just come in from island when this guy missed a wave coming in from cronulla point.
next thing he's off down near wanda and the helicopter was after him.
i thought it was my brother so was getting ready to go get him (thats another story).
the helicopter guys were calling it 20 foot.
they picked the guy up and got bravery awards.
i reakon that would be a bad experience as the next port in is botany bay in that size swell. thats if you got swept through merries reef alive.
touching wood it never happens to me.
2nd reef, do you have any tips on swimming in the pool when used to swimming in the ocean?
i have trouble with going between the two.
in the ocean im swimming with flippers and over and under chops.
then hopping in the pool, my swim stroke is all screwed up.
one day i had just come in from island when this guy missed a wave coming in from cronulla point.
next thing he's off down near wanda and the helicopter was after him.
i thought it was my brother so was getting ready to go get him (thats another story).
the helicopter guys were calling it 20 foot.
they picked the guy up and got bravery awards.
i reakon that would be a bad experience as the next port in is botany bay in that size swell. thats if you got swept through merries reef alive.
touching wood it never happens to me.
2nd reef, do you have any tips on swimming in the pool when used to swimming in the ocean?
i have trouble with going between the two.
in the ocean im swimming with flippers and over and under chops.
then hopping in the pool, my swim stroke is all screwed up.
Interesting 
Losing your board, breaking a leggy in big surf pfft 
Try being out there with a camera
Only got one arm to assist, get thrown around like a bloody washing machine when you try and come in.
And the camera acts like a bloody anchor
Bodysurfing the whitewater, don't happen. Anything over 4ft of whitewater
makes you do upside down cartwheels, and then you have to work out
which way is up
You HAVE to take the whitewater, cause if you get caught by an sort of water
movement (rip/sweep/channell) you have 1 of 2 choices:-
1. Ditch the camera and swim for it
2. Ride it out, and try and come in another way
2nd one is not necessarily a good option either, cause generally the reason your coming
in is because your starting to get tired
Or your batteries are dead
Or your memory card is full (hopefully with keepers)
Or your camera's just DROWNED
So after my experiences with the camera, I've never had an issue coming
in whenever I've broken my leggie
My thoughts: "If you don't reckon you can swim in without your board, then don't bloody well go out"
Losing your board, breaking a leggy in big surf
pfft Try being out there with a camera
Only got one arm to assist, get thrown around like a bloody washing machine when you try and come in.
And the camera acts like a bloody anchor
Bodysurfing the whitewater, don't happen. Anything over 4ft of whitewater
makes you do upside down cartwheels, and then you have to work out
which way is up
You HAVE to take the whitewater, cause if you get caught by an sort of water
movement (rip/sweep/channell) you have 1 of 2 choices:-
1. Ditch the camera and swim for it
2. Ride it out, and try and come in another way
2nd one is not necessarily a good option either, cause generally the reason your coming
in is because your starting to get tired
Or your batteries are dead
Or your memory card is full (hopefully with keepers)
Or your camera's just DROWNED
So after my experiences with the camera, I've never had an issue coming
in whenever I've broken my leggie
My thoughts: "If you don't reckon you can swim in without your board, then don't bloody well go out"
Face the shore and try and bodysurf in , even the whitewater will push u back to the beach just put your head down and kick and swim like a muthafuka , I also havent really been out in anything over 8ft but have chased my board back to sure plenty of times, this is where swim training pays off, Butts check my swimming thread heaps of swimming gurus left tips for pool swimming.
Nearly drowned myself on two separate occasions in big top-to-bottom surf at DY point after losing my board. Both times were after having had the flu and, in my enthusiasm to catch one last ride, staying out too long.
I only just got in. I had absolutely nothing left. If I’d been caught by the rip and had to go round again I’d have been a goner.
My rule is now: If I can’t swim in without my board, I don’t go out.
I only just got in. I had absolutely nothing left. If I’d been caught by the rip and had to go round again I’d have been a goner.
My rule is now: If I can’t swim in without my board, I don’t go out.
There is some real good advice in this thread. Don't be tempted to swim out the back and wait for a lull. You'll just tire yourself out. As the others say, stay in the white water and as long as you are headed for shore you should be OK and the upside is, if you do drown they won't have to drag your body so far back to the beach.
Still hate clubbies, a leftover from the 60's, but thankyou to the old man (who was a clubbie) and his mates for teaching me how to swim in the surf and bodysurf.
The worst thing you can do is panic. Once your neck starts to tighten you are in trouble. Stay loose, even underwater. A body that is full of air will float for a while. Breathe....but only when you are above water!
Still hate clubbies, a leftover from the 60's, but thankyou to the old man (who was a clubbie) and his mates for teaching me how to swim in the surf and bodysurf.
The worst thing you can do is panic. Once your neck starts to tighten you are in trouble. Stay loose, even underwater. A body that is full of air will float for a while. Breathe....but only when you are above water!
2nd reef is spot on.
The whitewater is your friend. After a set, start to swim in directly though the break zone. If a bomb comes, get to the bottom and curl up, once you feel it just get to you, swim up so you get thrown around a bit and dragged in behind the white wash, not infront of it. repeat this two or three times and you should be close enough to shore.
oh and never fight a rip, much better to conserve energy and take a few on the head in the impact zone.
The whitewater is your friend. After a set, start to swim in directly though the break zone. If a bomb comes, get to the bottom and curl up, once you feel it just get to you, swim up so you get thrown around a bit and dragged in behind the white wash, not infront of it. repeat this two or three times and you should be close enough to shore.
oh and never fight a rip, much better to conserve energy and take a few on the head in the impact zone.
That's pretty much what I do right there. I generally don't go out on really big surf, as I'm still learning the craft, but I must admit my ambitions far outweigh my abilities, so I tend to find myself being thrown around a bit. :p2260 wrote:2nd reef is spot on.
The whitewater is your friend. After a set, start to swim in directly though the break zone. If a bomb comes, get to the bottom and curl up, once you feel it just get to you, swim up so you get thrown around a bit and dragged in behind the white wash, not infront of it. repeat this two or three times and you should be close enough to shore.
oh and never fight a rip, much better to conserve energy and take a few on the head in the impact zone.
I'll pretty much follow the wash in. I'm pretty confident with my stroke, although I suffer with my fitness. Or lack of. I'm also quite confident at holding my breath for extended periods so I'm normally pretty comfortable with curling up in a ball and toughing it out, and then going for broke when I get a lull.
Big surf at a beach breaks seems to have the habit of pushing you into shore. IMO small(ish) surf at a reef break is far more trecherous without a board. Once snapped my leggie in 3 foot surf at Voodoo's (heavy little wave, caught on the inside) and proceeded to "ride the rapids" for several hundred metres - including getting stuck on a number of coral heads when they sucked dry, only to get smashed by the next wave etc etc: end results = cuts on hands + feet, ripped wettie, fins smashed out of board - all while a "mate" ashore laughed his head off . Give me 6+ foot at the local beach anyday!
So anyone with good advice on getting ashore from a reef break after getting seperated from board on the insde??
. Give me 6+ foot at the local beach anyday!So anyone with good advice on getting ashore from a reef break after getting seperated from board on the insde??
-
surfingmaster
- newbie
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:30 pm
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 105 guests