Caught inside? How to Survive the Impact with a Board and Paddle

Caught inside? How to Survive the Impact with a Board and Paddle

You can’t duck dive it, you can’t wrap your arms around and turtle it, and sometimes you can’t even flip it over. Getting caught inside with approach sets is part of the reality of stand up paddle surfing, and for many surfers it’s down right fun. Stand up paddlers are an interesting crew and for some reason even after taking the royal water whipping of a lifetime, they still come out grinning, and will probably retell the experience with the same excitement that they use when describing the wave of the day. If you haven’t been there yet it’ll come soon enough; the day when you’re caught inside faced with the reality that the next wave looming on the horizon is approaching fast and the lip is going to bear down own you. In this article, you’ll learn how to prepare for impact and come out with a smile.

First, lets set the scene. You are one of half a dozen surfers in the water and eyeball that rogue set approaching. You know, that series of waves that seem to be almost double the size of the normal set waves. Spotting the set, you paddle for the horizon. You guess that there are about 6 waves in the set but you’re not sure because the nearest waves blocks your view of the horizon. One wave passes, and the next one is lined up perfectly for you. If you don’t take this one and next one is any bigger you know you’ll be in trouble, so you smile, turn and drop in. The ride is screaming fast, steep, and eventually closes out blowing you off your board. When you surface and turn your head, the next wave is towing over you and already feathering at the top. There’s no way you are going to be able to hold on to your board, even if you wrap your leash around your paddle. Now what?

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By: Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine