You are joking aren't you? Or are you in Fiji? Two foot was the best anywhere in Victoria today or have you some secret spot??? Two ways I know of in that situation are to either go in with a wave and then paddle back out with the rip/in the channel (easiest and laziest option), or aim the board directly at the whitwater and stand up quickly at the back of the board as its about to hit you and spear it over the top of the white water(like you were trying to kill some dirty rotten drop in Mal rider/shortboarder). You still get crunched but the board doesn't drag you anywhere much so as soon as there is a break you can try to paddle for the shoulder. I think there are some links from a couple of months ago showing how to this. Hope this helps!
PS I just realised you didn't necessarily mean today, sorry!!

This will help to hold on a bit longer.

Scotty I have watched the video several times now but it hasn't increased my lung capacity one bit.

Hey Clockout, a couple of things I found. If the whitewater is over chest high and with a bit of grunt you usually can't paddle over it. Chest high to a bit over head and you can usually kick the board over it like someone else mentioned - this is good when there are crew behind you as the board shouldn't come back at all.

Once it is say a double overhead (6 foot) wave that has broken in front of you, paddle up to it as hard as you can and at the very last moment dive as hard and as deep as the depth allows you under the whitewater. Use your paddle as an anchor when you get dragged.

Don't ever turn sideways or try and ride whitewater this size prone - you will get wasted IMO.

This 'dive late, hard and deep' technique works a treat if the wave is unbroken but about to slam down on you - you dive into the wall and under the pitching lip. Just don't dive so deep as to hit your head on the bottom.

Also if you are paddling up the face and the lip is gonna get you, jump up and over the lip but make sure the board has a slight bit of angle so the nose doesn't hit you in the chest.

ALWAYS look behind you when you are paddling out or well before bailing and always paddle away from other crew that may be directly behind. On a SUP you really need to have an acute sense of where the other people in the line up are located at any given time, especially when it is larger surf.

Hope this helps.

Use a shortboard

billboard said...

If you aren't too sure what to do in those conditions then you probably shouldn't be out there in the first place.

We all have to learn at some point, and the way we learn is by getting out there and practicing, sometimes in situations where we are pushed and challenged. As long as we not putting other people in danger.

My main local is a beach break, so getting out through white water is part & parcel of everyday supping.

On the bigger days, the shortboarders get out back a bit quicker, but most other days, the SUP gets out back faster.

Once it gets over a certain size, jumping off & under is the only solution. As goatman suggests .. use the paddle as an anchor. I hold my paddle over my head with the blade sideways to act as a brake, so I don't get dragged tooo far.

Then it's just a matter of ducking & diving and watching for a lull in the sets where I paddle like hell (in prone position, paddle under chest) to get out the back.

On days like this, once out the back, it's gotta be a pretty good wave to not pull out before it closes out!

All good fun...

goatman said...

Hey Clockout, a couple of things I found. If the whitewater is over chest high and with a bit of grunt you usually can't paddle over it. Chest high to a bit over head and you can usually kick the board over it like someone else mentioned - this is good when there are crew behind you as the board shouldn't come back at all.

Once it is say a double overhead (6 foot) wave that has broken in front of you, paddle up to it as hard as you can and at the very last moment dive as hard and as deep as the depth allows you under the whitewater. Use your paddle as an anchor when you get dragged.

Don't ever turn sideways or try and ride whitewater this size prone - you will get wasted IMO.

This 'dive late, hard and deep' technique works a treat if the wave is unbroken but about to slam down on you - you dive into the wall and under the pitching lip. Just don't dive so deep as to hit your head on the bottom.

Also if you are paddling up the face and the lip is gonna get you, jump up and over the lip but make sure the board has a slight bit of angle so the nose doesn't hit you in the chest.

ALWAYS look behind you when you are paddling out or well before bailing and always paddle away from other crew that may be directly behind. On a SUP you really need to have an acute sense of where the other people in the line up are located at any given time, especially when it is larger surf.

Hope this helps.

Some great advice their , the more you put youself in those situations the better you will get a handling the inevitable floggings. Like already said be aware of others around you(i find this not a big issue as generally not to many out when its sizable anyway) , get a bombproof leggie and dive deep.Getting back on your board prone style is a lot quicker than trying to get to your feet and paddle before the next set comes.Look for rips , deep gutters ect to make life a bit easier.

If you find yourself in that **** situation and you have guys behind you, get off your board early and turn your board towards the beach (presuming you have time) then dive under. If not, once the wave hits you, your board will turn around taking out anyone in a 3m radius to your left or right, If your board is already in that direction it should only donk the guys that are stupid enough to sit directly behind you (you know the ones, the ones that are always in your way when you turn around i.e longboarders)

Gav

when you're about to be caught out BIG time is it better to say

"f**K this for a game of soldiers and take the leggy off" n dive deep..

or take a big breath and go for an alltime underwater drag

I agree with Piros.


But geez some of you guys like to attack others don't you.
But hey always good to see billboard cop a flogging
Its ok Billboard your no pioneer champ and that longboard
remark was so so untrue gav

laceys lane said...

i didn't know your paddles had airbags for emergencies

oh yes now your talking like a longboarder haha

goatman said...

Makaha said...

I agree with Piros.


But geez some of you guys like to attack others don't you.
But hey always good to see billboard cop a flogging
Its ok Billboard your no pioneer champ and that longboard
remark was so so untrue gav

Pot calling the kettle black Makaha.

well i've seen the light goatman now is that a bad thing or
do you want me to get all funky again

goatman said...

Please hold the 'funky'

done

Rob what you are say is very true I started using Creatures 10ft for big stuff & have copped a flogging ever since , normally I use an 8ft .What Brand are you using ? I'm abit gun shy about the 5/16 bit.

Piros said...

Clock out said:-
honestly I don't remember the last time I was held under the water for so long and so many times in one session

9 & 10ft leggies are the cause of this as they can stretch out to 20+ft and then only come back to 12 to 15ft .The longer the leggie the more your board will stay in the wave and not let your board release. Once your leggie is over stretched it becomes thinner and will fail eventually. I use a 7ft x 5/16 Da Kine and I said previously my board won't tomb stone. Which means the board pulls out of the wave very quickly and you don't dragged back.

I have broken over 20 leggies , all different brands and this is by far the best. big wave mal leggies I find are the worst for Sups.