Swimming out the back

The day I learned that flippers would give me the strength to get passed the front waves, the wonders of swimming out the back of the surf was opened to me.  I love the risk and the excitement of being back there, with the other surfers, waiting for the large waves in a set.

Sometimes the conditions seem too good to be true.  The sun might be setting behind me into the horizon, the water perfectly clear and the waves have enough strength and size to give a thrilling ride.  When the waves are easy to get passed and seem to pick me up time and time again, and the sun is nice and warm, I never want to go in, not for food or rest or warmth.  I’ve been in angry surf too, where I have been afraid for my life and not one wave breaks alone, it’s a jumble of unidentifiable liquid.  That’s the surf I get out of quickly. 

I remember finding myself in a ten foot swell once.  The waves were perfect and clean so I was determined to get out the back to catch what looked like perfect waves.  I struggled through them for a long time, the surf life-savers came over in their motorboat and asked if I needed to be towed in.  I thought I was fine but when I finally made it out the back, and got to the crest of a huge wave, I felt like I was on the top of a two storey building and deciding to jump - I couldn’t do it.  I bailed back off the wave and swam slowly ashore, swimming into waves as they broke, hoping I wouldn’t die as I tumbled through them like a sock in a wash cycle.  

Check out my local spot - Piha.