From surfing to survival mode in the blink of an eye

The other week I posted about finally getting my surfboard fixed and going out for my first surf since before lock down. A couple of days ago I finally had the time again and the surf was looking ok so I took another chance to hit the water.

This was about 10am in the morning and the weather was already really hot.

I am lucky to be surfing in November in the tropics, nothing but board shorts and rash guard needed.

I took the walk town to the beach with my babe filming, I handed off my phone strapped my leash on did a few stretches and headed down to the water.

The tide was low so the water level was quite low on the beach and the waves were breaking a ways out. This beach is a little funny as it goes from shallow to deep then shallow again before it gets deeper out near where the waves break. I made my way out and paddled the last little bit out beyond the breaking waves. It was good to sit out there for a minute in the calm ocean and enjoy my surroundings.

Before long I got down to business and started scoping some waves. I made an attempt or two before I got a decent one and popped up. It was a little soft and was white water before long so I dropped off the board to paddle out again but when I came to the surface my foot felt a little light and I realized my board was gone. The leash had broken.

I was out a good distance but I knew that I was not too far from the sand bank. Or at least where I started but during my ride I went a ways to the surfers left. When you are on your board and then it is gone you feel a bit naked and very heavy in the water. I am a decent swimmer but not super good, I don't really do any long distance open water swimming or anything like that and I was left right in the break zone.

It took me a little while to get my bearings and see where the shore is, where my board is and start swimming. It did not seem like I was making much progress and I was hoping my board would go straight into shore. But I noticed it was kind of staying in one spot off to my left and not really moving. I was also swimming pretty hard by this time and not finding the bottom. I was swimming for what felt like a very long time and me and the board got closer together. I was starting to get a little tired and a little worried that if I could make it in and if I made it in would I even have a surfboard again. At that point with the waves breaking on my head I had to slow down and asses the situation a little bit.

At that point I was getting closer to the board and I was getting tired and very worried. I would allow myself to go under when a wave came and touch the bottom and spring back up to breath and swim again. At this point I was about 5 meters from my board so between some waves I swam hard for the board. I grabbed it right before another wave was about to separate us and held on tight with just my upper body over the side of the board for the wave that was going to hit me. After surviving that strike and still holding the board I got on it and took a second to rest before I started paddling in. The area that I had reached a bit of a hole and rocks on the bottom so there was no luck of being safe and standing up yet. I had to paddle in but I was now clearly in a rip because catching any of the mushy white waves was impossible also with my arms burning at that point. But each wave pushed me a little closer in. Finally I was able to put my feet down and walk in the rest of the way. I can say I was very relieved. My girlfriend was watching everything from the beach and was very worried and didn't know what to do either, actually there was nothing that she could do. This was also her first time watching me surf which didn't help.

After the fact I was able to asses the situation a little better. This is a picture of the area from my room window. You can see the place that I ended up in the break in the palms to the right. It is a known low area or hole with a lot of rock. And is usually also a rip tide because of this.

****Back Story****
In this same area about a month ago a big group of swimmers that started swimming down the beach slowly drifted here from a cross current. Myself and the hotel security went down there to try to get them to move back down the beach for their own safety and also not to disturb our guests at the beach. Right when we started talking to some they pulled one boy out of the water and up to the beach. He was heaving but breathing and I had to keep the other guys from beating him on the chest as they laid him just on his back. I put him in the rescue position and checked his signs, as he was breathing I tried to give him a chance to rest and check his cognition. He nodded that he could hear me and said a name Jeffery. We were trying to figure out if anyone knew him or came with him to take him to the hospital so we were looking for Jeffery. We did not find him but one of the guys eventually picked him up to take him back down the beach to the hospital. We suspected it was also possible that he was swimming with Jeffery and he was now missing. Our fears were confirmed when a body was found in the next village over the next day.

Continuing with my story I found that my leash had broken at the plastic part. I have had two fail before one at the metal swivel and one at the small rope that connects it to the board but this was a first for me.

I was very lucky that I did not suffer the same fate as the the boy a month before even though I am probably a stronger swimmer. A hole and a rip is no joke but then I also got a hold of my board again which really helped to turn things to my favor.

I learned a few things though.

1. After a year and a half of not surfing I am really not surf fit.
2. I should do more open water swimming to help with my confidence. I should be able to swim out to the line up and swim back without too much struggle.
3. Surfing alone is always kinda scary but in Ghana I am almost always forced to surf alone.
4. Not panicking and keeping calm helped to save me.
5. To always keep an eye on my shore markers and keep out of that low spot and rip.

Thanks for reading as I am glad I am here to write it for you. I will be back on the board after I get to the city next week and get a new leash.

Pictures and video by @dzigbordi and Iphone 8 Plus