safety on big surf


 Safety on surf After many lives were lost in a sequence of tragedies on big waves, the surf industry started to make flotation vests that would enable a surfer to surface before the next wave hits. Sounds simple! There is only one problem. The surfer needs to pull the cord under the water. “Blow the vest on his own “ Easy? Sounds easy. The reality is that the surfer needs to be in shape, fit, trained and have some luck as well. Two stories will follow! Both at Nazaré. The biggest and heaviest wave in the world. French-Brazilian surfer Eric Rebiere was talking to his partner during the session. More a discussion than a talk. Why? Details of how to drive. The main thing about surfing the worlds biggest waves, is that the driver is as important as the surfer. He is the one that selects the wave and hopefully puts you at the perfect place on it. The right spot at the right speed. And if you don’t fall, the driver is the one that picks you up before another wave reaches you. If you fall, it is a totally different scenario. The surfer can surface anywhere and even if someone has a radio to hand and a perfect view from the top of the cliff, it is rare the the driver will have time to figure out where you are and reach you before the next one hits. And what happens is this: “You feel the speed of the jet ski on your board. You know your going fast and you can take any wave you want. Your last moments doubt to go or not go is when you still have the tow rope in your hands. As soon you let go you have two options: find more speed in different zones of the wave with more risk or follow the same line the PWC driver placed you and hope your lucky enough to have the speed to avoid the wave breaking on you. On this specific case I didn’t have a chance to choose my line. We came from way deep and fast. Board was flying! The irregular surface combined with the speed was making the board vibrate a lot. My concentration was on not falling and making sure my stance stayed strong and held. It Looked like the take off was almost ending and it was time to change the line to the wall when the hit came. Such a heavy impact that it is hard to describe. Body goes all over and you don’t roll.  Not like a small wave. You get spit out to the sky at the same time you loose body coordination. Your still in this mutant washing machine when you realize that you need to pull the vest. How? Not sure. Wait? When? You focus on your arm strength against the wave strength as you try to reach the vests little string cord. You know its somewhere, but where is it? Somewhere. Time goes. The Wave still has the same intensity. Same powerful body washing machine. And you don’t know to be afraid of God or ask for his help. LOL. You finally reach the string on the vest and you pull. Nothing happens. Your still rolling and going deeper up and down. Seconds feel like minutes and you think that the vest hasn’t worked. If it had, you would be up and not up and then drawn back down. In a second there is one last punch and a small break from the wave. You feel a hand forcing you up fast. Really fast. As you shoot up out the water you realize that all 4 CO2 canisters have blown. Your fully inflated and can barely breathe with the pressure of the vest on you. Its over! The driver will pick you up No! Nobody will pick you up. Your somewhere nobody can reach you. The second wave may not break where the wave of the set breaks. If you picked up the wave at the normal spot and not way outside as it was a huge one. Your right in the impact zone for the second one and you will need a second strength to face the 540 000 horsepower of energy the wave generates!  https://www.oceanenergycouncil.com/ocean-energy/wave-energy/ Wave Energy - Ocean Energy Council What is wave energy? Wave energy is an irregular and oscillating low-frequency energy source that can be converted to a 60-Hertz frequency and can then be added to the electric utility grid. The energy in waves comes from the movement of the ocean and the changing heights and speed of the swells. Kinetic energy, the energy of motion, in waves is tremendous. An average 4-foot, 10-second wave ... www.oceanenergycouncil.com All your training is now what counts, that and your mind. Where does your mind go? In my case I asked God to keep me safe and bring me back to my kids. All the images of my kids started to show up and even fully inflated like a ball, I had to hold on. A third one came, fourth, fifth.. I lost count. Before I could see the shore I knew that I couldn’t swim there. The PWC showed up and my hand couldn’t hold the sled. I took more “little” 10 foot waves on the head. Another PWC stopped by and I had to roll into the sled. All the life guards were waiting, as always on giant days. It was finally over. Oxygen. Rest. And if nothing is broken. Go back for more! One of my best friends was really prepared for those mutant impacts, but he didn’t have the same luck as me. He reached the back of the PWC before another wave hit him after finishing his ride, but after they hit a “lump” of wave that is all over the Nazare inside, he hit his head and passed out. He couldn’t inflate his vest and they pulled him to the beach 10 min after. For me God saved him. One thing is for sure our sport requires increased attention on creating better flotation vests and stronger and more eco-friendly personal water crafts.

Nazaré Wipeout

Nazaré

One of those things that you might think twice to say yes. But as I always did on big surf, since back in the days at Romulo’s house in Hawaii.

I just say yes and go.

I get say that for me this event was a personal victory.

Get over a really complicated time in my life , where I need to deal with a sharing guard for my kids that became a wild lawyer situation with an investigation to myself till this day , based on things that the mother of my kids is been saying.

Thing that when I had a resolution in my head in how to act with all this. Life became simple. Values became strong.

For sure I had put more sport in my life, but 1,5 month ago before event start, I hurt my shoulder fighting Jiu-Jitsu and was tuff to keep doing everything.

Had a great sport psychology sessions with Maria Augusta that really gave my sone set up points.. points to start and be motivated.

When that avalanche hit my back. I was on this moments that life stopped.

First impact was something unreal strong. Send me all over !! Second I couldn’t believe, I’ve never saw the size of the brown/white water like that in from of me.

I just said : God, my life was good but I still want to come back to my kids.

As soon I had think of them ( my kids) the monster impact hit me and even if was as strong as the first one, I was calm. Really calm in fact. 

Daisy to reach the sand.. I only thought about go to the sand have a break and breath.

No strength at all to pick up the sled. And after many tour I could.

PWC came after many waves and that really killed my energy.

Had a breath on the beach. Some oxygen and went to the harbor to change CO2 for the inflation vest.

Went back out, but my energy wasn’t the same. 

Had to try ! Need to try and let’s see what I could do going back. 

And for sure, the strength on my legs wasn’t the same.

Got 2 and drove Sancho to the end of the contest. 

Big congrats to the girls.

Maya Gabeira and Justine DuPont were killing it and charging!! Surfing as good as the men crew.

Part 2

My feedback for this 1st edition is that was a really good edition if our Alex Botelho and Hugo Vau , didn’t have their accident.

Sure Alex was on a way worst situation and I doubt that if was somebody else , could survived.

Alex is a strong kid and really used to paddle monster Nazaré and get smashed all the way to the beach. Think this is what really made posible to got all that time he was unconscious and filling his lungs with salt water .

Alex is recovering now and out of risk.

No damaged ! More important thing.

Thank you to his lovely lady Celeste and Dr Axel to give me news from him.

Now, on my eyes, what should change :

1 : security first

On a contest that is called “ tow” , for the security gets on a high level, I think the team should be a team where both really need to back up his partner, to make sure they have all set up on this area. Training a lot and on no space for mistake.

We all know that every teams only go out with 2 PWC for training.

1 spotter 

So , first change could be teams of 3, where all need to surf , drive and rescue or 2 surfing and one rescue as usual. But their full year team. 

The WSL could only deliver 2 to 4 really good drivers with experience at Nazaré and one of than with a swimmer behind.

In case needs to jump as Alemão de Maresias did with Alex, not able to pick him on the top of the PWC.

2- teams

Should be teams represent their sponsor and sponsor that are putting all needs for surfers train all year for that day.

What will change is the possibility to teams being more and more together.. training together and get on the level of the moto gp.

Saw many webs going against the event and the dangerous this is.

Come on!

We ready to go!

What we need is more support from sponsors to be more and more prepared.

3- competition format 

Think heats with a clear score is the best way to go.

Expression session with a video that not everyone was in. Is a difficult way to make a champ. To support and coverage all team with the attention they give.

4- technology 

For end up I think a safety drone or even the live drone, should have a different color and a way to make smoke or another sign that make sure the drive get to the surfer , he could know where the surfer is and if is a tuff call .