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| 22447 |
Re: Henri
Beldin:
Re: “I hear that some of the more daredevil surfers like to ride the waves right before a storm hits.”I worked on Oahu for a while, long hours, 7 days a week. When I finally got a day off I didn't know if I'd get another. I was determined to take advantage of it. I wanted to go surfing... well, boogie-boarding. I don't know how to do either, but riding a boogie board has got to be easier. Little kids do it.
I drove to North Shore, Sunset Beach, which is known for big 12' waves.
Trouble is, it was overcast and a major storm was blowing in. The waves were rough. A sign on the beach said something along the lines of 'enter at your own peril' but there were a few surfers out there... A lifeguard who saw me made a quick assessment and asked if I knew what I was doing. I lied of course.
So, I went in and got about 100 feet out before the first wave broke on top of me. That's really what it did. Rather than breaking in a long, predictable manner, these waves broke simultaneously across about 200 feet.
I was underwater for a good 20 seconds. All I could see was foam swirling in all directions and I couldn't tell which way was up. I *did* have a styrofoam board strapped to my ankle though, and I held onto it for dear life. It brought me back up. About the time I got a gasp of air, another wave sent me under again. I wasn't able to dive before the waves hit like you're supposed to.
I knew I was in over my head (ar ar ar) after the first hit, but every time my board took me up and I got a breath, down I went again. I hardly made any progress but EVENTUALLY made it out. I bet I was hit by 15 waves.. If I'd lost my board, I wouldn't be here today.
I finally made it out, about a quarter mile down the beach from where I'd entered. I saw the lifeguard had been watching me like a hawk.
I trudged back to my car and felt like I'd been through a war. I also felt like an idiot.
BTW. The waves weren't 12 footers that day. They were 20 footers.
Gold is $1,581/oz today. When it hits $2,000, it will be up 26.5%. Let's see how long that takes. - De 3/11/2013 - ANSWER: 7 Years, 5 Months |
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