bananalover said...

Whenever I'm in trouble people always ask me if I need help before I realize how much trouble I'm in and that I do need help. Then when I realize I need help they've already packed up and left!!!

Never be afraid, or embarrassed to ask for help, There's nothing worse than being stuck in a situation that you cannot control. There is not one person on this site that would not drop their sail and guide you through it.

Sloth said...





This didn't end particularly well. Lost rig, long swim, Dad not real happy with son.

Great photo though!

Stuck quite a way off Cave Rock in Chch, NZ with no wind and an 75 litre board. NW wind just dropped out. The locals had all gone in as they saw the southerly clouds approaching!!.
Drifted for 30mins trying to swim with the rig, hopeless. Took the battens out, rolled the sail around the mast, (just like the old days) attached the boom to it and ditched it. Started paddling the 'surf board"

By this time a howling southerly was blowing offshore, ie where I was trying to make it to. I was going sideways not forwards and heading towards the headland.

In my mast protector(remember them) I carried spare rope and a square dayglo coloured flag about 60cm x 60cm which I could attach to my arm and wave which i did every 10mins.
After about another 60mins i heard a siren in Sumner. 10 mins later the lifeboat had come out and picked me up just before I headed around the headland.

Someone had seen my flag thro binoculars from a house that overlooked the bay!!
I was emabarrased to say the least. The guys in the lifeboat were great and made me stay wrapped in towels for about an hour at the station.

I felt warm out on the water and back on shore but within 5 mins I was shaking uncontrollably. Hypothermia!!! That was scary.

A thank you note and donation were delivered to the Sumner Lifeboat the next day

btw they found my rig about a half a mile from where they picked me up.

sick_em_rex said...
... I had a weird moment where I remembered a Houdini movie where he was trapped under the ice ...

Most people have their own lives flashing before their eyes as they die. You get to spend your last seconds reliving a crappy movie with Tony Curtis in it.

Just came in on the back of a wave at Long Reef and was turning my gear around when the following shorebreak knocked me off balance with the wave running up the sail, flattening me underneath it!!! The weight of the water and sand was squashing me into the beach. I could vaguely see fellow sailors looking down at me but I couldnt move. One hand was actually flopping around trying to lift the trailing edge of the sail. I just had to wait until the water drained off and the guys yanked the sail off me. Scared the crap out of me but gave everyone else a bloody good laugh.
Lesson learned, watch the ocean at all times!!!

mineral1 said...

sboardcrazy said...

nick0 said...

also ..

Ugh.. so far none up the northern end but i have a bad habit of jumping off as I come in to fin depth.. they sound nasty..I suppose a thick bootie wouldn't stop them?

Sue, DONT JUMP OFF!!!!!!, thats how I broke my leg in November, landed in a hole in the sandbar. If anything fall off body flat, dont land on your legs in shallow water while moving

Ugh..