BIGGEST WAVE YOU EVER DUCK DIVED

[aaronn]

successfully ?

[Trev]

Pictures!
Or it didn't happen

[aaronn]

big

[Nick Carroll]

Successfully: 10' Sunset Beach NW set wave, I was about 20 metres inside the breaking wave line and succeeded by recalling something someone had once told me about a refraction bounce coming off the Sunset Point reef in bigger swells; the refraction passed across the wave zone just as I encountered this massive load of whitewater and I stuck the board as deep into it as I could, and got carried through with it.

Unsuccessfully: 12' Teahupo'o freak set on a 6' day, I duckdived while scrambling to get wide and into deep water, but then panicked, realising the wave (which was only just breaking as it passed me) was going to take me with it if I tried to stay with the board, and so bailed from the board and swam out the back of the wave as it snapped the leggie without any effort whatsoever.

[Jimi]

Hey Nick

Pictures!
Or it didn't happen

[aaronn]

last year i watched pancho sullivan, on the webcast of the Sunset event, stand on his board as the whitewater approached him, in order to sink the board deep as...then he dived under after it. don't know if this method is popular or effective, but it looked good

[matt...]

Hey Nick

Pictures!
Or it didn't happen

well, put's an end to that pretty quickly!
the stories might be entertaining!

no pictures from me, so it doesn't count obviously...

I'll just say that big bower & big haven LOOK similar when a big, wide one swings around the corner - and realising that you're way too inside to make it...

they also FEEL similar as the seven foot gun is ripped out of your grasp, underwater rollercoaster ride starts, feet bouncing off the rocks as you go... then paddle back out & do it again!!

may get the chance this saturday - it's expected to pick up again, isn't it?

[bc]

Unsuccessfully: 12' Teahupo'o freak set on a 6' day, I duckdived while scrambling to get wide and into deep water, but then panicked, realising the wave (which was only just breaking as it passed me) was going to take me with it if I tried to stay with the board, and so bailed from the board and swam out the back of the wave as it snapped the leggie without any effort whatsoever.

By panicked, do you mean you did the wrong thing? or just realised too late what the outcome would be?
-and with the benefit of hindsight you would have...?

[mustkillmulloway]

^ stayed in bed and sux a cock



I USE DUCKDIVE BIG WAVES

now after a year in noosa ( and really...it never gets big up here, perfect and head high, yes...indo quality even but ....6ft and there screaming like it's something i miss those wild nsw sth ground swells ...alot ).....

when confronted by a tinny ball whitewater nowdays

i just scream something out that sounds from o/s
something like

"frockinahhhhhomasurfschollahhomba goddiodn't teach methis ombaahhhgod"

and throw my board into the crowd and dive deep

works out ok for me

guess happens a million times a day here

so i get away with it

p.s moment i go sth....i show bit more respect

[daryl]

doubt even an 8 foot

[pridmore]

8-9ft Anga's, big bomb sets , first one broke about 6ft in front of me so definitely was in wrong spot but wasnt jumping off coz 5 secs earlier saw big noah feeding between me and the beach so when the sets came I had to paddle out and had no clue where the shark was, plus if I bailed I was in the water with it and getting washed towards where I saw it, plus my leggie could have easily snapped and thats last thing I wanted...duckdived 3 sets ,all about the same size, then scrambled onto a frothy 5 fter and rode it in, glad to be outa there. I was only one out the back, about 5 or 6 guys sitting inside....and one bloke said once we were on the beach that he saw it a few times a bit earlier...WTF ??? why wouldnt you at least tell others if yo saw a 6ft shark feeding on schools of fish....???

[Nick Carroll]

Unsuccessfully: 12' Teahupo'o freak set on a 6' day, I duckdived while scrambling to get wide and into deep water, but then panicked, realising the wave (which was only just breaking as it passed me) was going to take me with it if I tried to stay with the board, and so bailed from the board and swam out the back of the wave as it snapped the leggie without any effort whatsoever.

By panicked, do you mean you did the wrong thing? or just realised too late what the outcome would be?
-and with the benefit of hindsight you would have...?

By "panicked" I mean panicked -- like blind fight-or-flight mode. It was probably the right thing to do, but I did it purely to get myself out of the situation, not 'cause I'd made a cool headed decision on the matter

With the benefit of hindsight I'd have been out the back behind a jetski 'cause aside from being utterly terrifying, that thing was one of the most perfect waves I've ever seen in my life.

[Buff_Brad]

Lanes , Maui on a day (1996) that went from four foot in the morning to twenty plus by late arvo. Out with Laird (settle Dino.....deep breathing....relax) Hamilton, Kalama and a couple of others when a massive set approached around 11am. Scraped over the first two with the others then all of us were confronted by a white horizon. The third wave had already broken and the white water was fcuking massive. I thought there was someone behind me so tried to hold onto my board but board and body seperated ....everyone got washed in.

That arvo I rode my mate's bike down through pineapple fields to Jaws and watched the hellmen on their towboards ..... incredible.....first time I'd seen tow-ins. Kalama got an insane barrell.

[lambert]

Canggu last year in june- probably some of the biggest waves ive been in (pushing 10 SW- 11-13s period- no wind) got too deep on one (7ish id say) and came up inside- the wave behind it was coming through with abit more size (hollow 8-9) managed to get on and start scratching but it broke 5 meteres away ish- went the dive but it was useless haha.. snapped leash, both fins came off- one of which the heel strap got torn by my shoelace :? it was a ridiculously long way out

[Nick Carroll]

So what's the go? Tell people and risk humiliation or look after No. 1 and hope the noah doesn't have a chomp?

Tell people! Best to be concerned for them, not about their possible reaction to the info.

People might roll their eyes when you say "Shark", but I tell ya what, they don't roll their eyes at the shark.

[purple pyramids]

the largest wave i've duck dived was one wave before the largest wave to give me a beating...and that was at coogee.

[Chrisp]

For me it's probably only about 6ft or so, remember the day pretty well. I was (am) still a bit of a kook (only took up surfing when I was 20) and decided to go out on a day that was probably a bit above my capabilities. The main problem was that it was too easy to get out, just had that perfect run of duck dives, few strokes & duckdive.

Now when I got out there & realised how big it was I freaked, saw a set wave coming & just headed for the horizon, I managed to make it through alright but I was sh*tting bricks, only one other bloke made it over the clean up wave so I casually said "mate I'm way out of my depth, what do I do" thankfully it was good advice.

"wait for the next set, after that paddle toward the beach & try to get a smaller one" so I did, but misjudged when the set was over (or got caught up in the next set) I remember being rag dolled most of the way to the beach & got out very much with my tail between my legs.

[CRACKERS]

On all these days below Id duckdived quite a few successfully but isnt it always the ones you dont make that have the best storys? unless you make it and your mates get smashed? or even better your little brothers!

Although its not huge(its on film though!) heres one I didnt make thanks mainly to the guy in front of me who paddled sideways across in front of me then duckdived to late and lost his board, which smacked me right up the arse!



Heres another one but its my brother where there really was no point even trying
he caught this

turned around to this ,you cant see him now he is further to the left but another brother is taking off

then the wave after ....hahaha unlucky


and the aftermath about 3mins later still trying to get in without boards