|
Surviving Wipeouts
Plans
and hopes sometimes don't turn out as we expect.
Dashed upon the shore like a breaking wave, life can
change instantly. In a sudden twist of events, everyone
sooner or later suffers a wipeout. Some surfers refer
to particularly bad wipeouts as "riding the sparkle
wall" between life and death. You're either going
to make it or you're not. Experienced watermen know
to remain calm, keep their eyes open and go with the
flow, always maintaining hope. There is always another
wave.
The deeper a person is pushed under water, the darker
everything appears. Deep down, with pressure on the
ears, for the most part being underwater is eerie and
silent. Many people who love surfing fear the uncertainty
of wipeouts and the unknown. Some surfers close their
eyes during a wipeout. Perhaps they don't want to see
what is happening. Others curl up into a little ball
or the fetal position. Imagine being surrounded by water,
curled into a little ball with your eyes shut just like
a baby.
It is better to keep your eyes open during a wipeout
for several reasons. As a breaker explodes, it sends
powerful blasts of energy downward. This energy doesn't
disperse evenly.
Those
who have been underneath waves of significant strength
and kept their eyes open will tell you of having seen
whirlpools of fast churning water. Or, they tell of
being in the whirlpool of fast-spinning water and seeing
only white bubbles. Many times surfers are able to avoid
a prolonged wipeout simply by seeing the underwater
explosions and avoiding them.
Gravity below water is neutralized, which sometimes
confuses swimmers. After being tossed, turned and rolled,
some surfers who keep their eyes shut while under water
report actually swimming the wrong way only to hit rock
bottom. Keeping your eyes open during a wipeout can
help you easily spot which way the light source is coming
from. It's a good idea to keep your eyes open during
life's wipeouts as well as in surfing wipeouts.
Large waves come in a series, leaving a smooth ocean
surface churned up with bubbles and frothy foam. Sometimes
this leftover foam is thick, 4 feet high and all over
the place. Surfers who come to the surface breathing
in without first clearing a clear path of air end up
choking on salty foam. They don't see the next wave
about to hit.
Experienced surfers clear a space that may be small
but with enough room to breathe while locating waves
and the shore. By staying calm and clearing a breathing
place, we can avoid choking on wipeout residue.
If
a surfer or swimmer struggles against being dragged
underwater, chances are his or her muscles will get
tired quicker and valuable oxygen will be used up sooner.
The moment one starts to go against the flow is the
moment when confidence and hope are flying out the window.
Never allow this to happen. No matter how intense a
wipeout is, believe in yourself. Believe you will get
through it. Wipeouts are life's way of building character,
strength and insight.
To a large degree, the wave has control during a wipeout.
Under the water, being tossed and rolled spun or pushed
down like a plunger, there is little one can do except
go for the ride. There is no other choice. One accepts
fate while at the same time attempting to influence
the outcome with positive thought and action beginning
with hope.
Wipeouts are a part of surfing and life that cannot
be avoided. But they enable us to grow. If you ever
find yourself wiped out, do what the surfers do: Accept
it with courage, get through it with open eyes and steadfastly
hope for a positive outcome, a brighter tomorrow. Get
right back on the surfboard, because there will always
be another wave.
See you in the surf.
The
Willis Bros. are surfing experts recognized for surfing
the worlds largest waves and teaching thousands in Hawaii
and California to surf.
back to top >>
|
