Rock Hops and Reef Scrambles

[HB]

For twenty years I've slipped over boulders, stumbled across ledges, hobbled across reefs, and generally bloodied the waters of breaks all over the world - and I feel as unco today as i idid two decades ago.

Is it just me?

[Merry Pranskter]

I find that 99.9% of the time I am fine but every now and then I get smoked. Generally its the ones that you think are going to be an easy jump where you end up with cut feet or a missing fin.

[swift]

I always seem to get hammered coming back in from a surf at Lennox, getting out to the lineup has had it's moments as well.

I think if you hesitate you lose!!!!

[HB]

Swift, you're right - coming in can sometimes be worse than getting out.

And sometimes it's all so simple. I remember seeing Mark Warren on Channel Nine looking like he's gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson after a rock hop disaster at Avalon - and Huey knows how many times he must've done that.

The reef doesn't play favourites - i think it keeps us all honest.

He who hesistates is indeed lost. BUT patience is also a virtue...

[glider]

I always seem to get hammered coming back in from a surf at Lennox

My worst one there; leash got wrapped around both ankles as I was getting out. End result: 4 urchin spines in the right foot, 3 in the left. Feet, ankles & shins all shredded from the rocks/crustaceans. Upteen holes in the glassing.... I looked very uncool

Always seem to lose a bit of skin on those rocks

[CaT_SPeW]

i slipped on a rock back in early feb and put a small hole in my heel, didnt do too much damage, but it still hasn't healed fully and i picked a small stone out of it a couple of days ago :?

[ether]

For twenty years I've slipped over boulders, stumbled across ledges, hobbled across reefs, and generally bloodied the waters of breaks all over the world - and I feel as unco today as i idid two decades ago.

Is it just me?

Nope, it's an inexact science which can f*ck over the best surfers.

And even on your local which you've hopped off from a 1000 times there's potential for disaster.

I've been doing the tama jump off for well over 10 years now and yet a couple of years back I had one of my worst ever performances. Jumped off and landed straight on rock in what was a simple case of poor timing. Smashed two fins in the process. No blood shed but a big ouch to the ego and gutted about pretty much destroying a 3 month old board.

[Clif]

bloody lennox is too funny. always difficult in small or large swell.

rock off at Burleigh isn't fun either. Got caught at Currumbin once and was cheese-grated. More embarrassment then pain tho. haha.

how about when your ankle deep on a reef, a set appears, you try to run but fall down holes until you turn around to see a mass of whitewater bearing down. you jump into it, but ...

heappened to me too many at Asu. that end section is terrifying.

[marty]

never had a problem with rocking-off - you need to be sure-footed and have a quick escape route.

although getting back in is a completely different story - as soon as you start to slightly panic you always seem to find those slick moss-covered rocks.

it certainly aint just you. but patience is definately critical.

[Hound]

Had a good laugh at TC's misfortune during Aprils Watti swell, getting rag dolled against the rocks, losing bark and his wedding ring, as reported in ASL. And all cos he was "distracted"!! Yeah Tom, we all f*ck up sometimes!!!

Even worse than any rock hop was getting dragged into the caves below the cliffs at Morrocos Killer Point, bloody scarygetting stuck on a rock, waves smashing in, board about to fall apart!!classic.

[chrisb]

bloody lennox is too funny. always difficult in small or large swell.

If you can get in and out at Lennox without scratches your'e doing well !

I remember Mark Warren's facial lacerations also - on 9's "Wide World of Sports" (with Max Walker?) ..... well over 15 years ago. Set back his modelling career for a few weeks.

[Nick Carroll]

best one I heard of was Hawaiian Kimo Hollinger climbing up the rocks at the western side of Waimea Bay (the left-hander side) on a 25'+ day.

This because it was either climb up 'em or be killed by being thrown against 'em.

Witnesses reckon he was red from head to toe and didn't surf Waimea again.

[jam_freefall]

I remember Mark Warren's facial lacerations also - on 9's "Wide World of Sports" (with Max Walker?) ..... well over 15 years ago.

Off topic now - but I think the other host was Lisa Curry-Kenny???
I loved Wide World of Sports - was on all Saturday arvo, Sunday morning and then Sunday Arvo. That's going back to the mid 80's there.

[marty]

Maxy Walker & Kenny Sutcliffe wasn't it?

[Hawkeye]

Aarrrrgh! Slime and rocks!

Yesterday at DY point I put one foot down on the rock platform next to the pool to start walking over to the rock outcrop, and the next split second it was like WTF?! as my feet flew up in front of my face and I landed flat on my back and arse with my board rattling on the rocks! Iced the back of my hip last night before hitting the hay, so it's not as sore today, but I have a couple of dings in the board I'll have to get fixed.

I must have done that traverse probably hundreds of times over the last twenty years, never with any problem. Would have been hilarious except for the dings!

[brenno05]

the old rock hop keeps us all honest and on our toes dosent it...dosent matter how well u know the place or how many times uve rockd off there before its bound to happen to you..

getting back in is the worst though, i will always paddle the extra 20 mins to save myself and my board unless im 110% sure i can make it bak in on the rocks, such a sketchy rock in at most places at the best of times, throw in a solid swell and an audience and uve got a funniest home video waiting to happen!

[Chrisp]

After hearing stories like this I hardly ever rock hop, even the pros have issues, if you've seen Free as a Dog you see Parko getting nailed (and didn't it make us all smile, smooth in the water, just as bad as the rest of us on the rock off) so I don't rock off much,

But my question is why do you rock off? I've seen people do it on 2-3 foot days at a beachie, now I know the 1st paddle out can be a little painful, but I find it warms me up, I always tend to get my best wave in the 1st couple, and it's usually not hard to find a bit of a rip or something.

I understand it on a point break or heavy reef with no channel, but seriously I'm saving my board/self and paddling unless I can't get out,

[Trev]

Ah! The rock hopping blues. Like some of the previous respondents I have fallen foul of Lennox. Grew up on the Goldie and first surfed it about 1966 after seeing it pumping during a school excursion in '64. After many years out of the water I fronted up there on a 4-6' day in the early 90's. Jumped off the rocks, paddled out and had a great 2 hour sesh. Only when I decided to come in did I remember how hard that was. Got caught up to my thigh between the rocks only a couple of metres from safety and copped a few feet of white water. Lucky not to break a leg.
Then there is the keyhole in Currumbin Rock - supposed to be safer than jumping off the front. Trouble is, you have to guess when there is a break in the sets- or else!