Going out in bigger surf

[marty_n]

After yesterdays epicness haha surfed 2 spots that were just massively maxing out. both between 6-8ft and definately not where you wanted to be caught on the inside. wore a few sets on the head, but all in a good days work.
Time for beach now

[josh_boogs]

Beaches: I have surfed 6-8ft beachie and it was the most horrible surf ever, no channel, lots of water moving around, a long way from shore. I feel comfortable at around 4-5ft
Reefs and Points: 6ft is pretty good as long as its not dry and a decent channel.

[Wonderbread]

Points I will surf anywhere up to about 6 or so foot without being afraid as long as it's not something like snapper and there's 100 guys all going for every wave and sharp noses everywhere all aimed at my skull.
Beaches I don't really feel comfortable in anything over a clean 4 foot unless I've got other people to encourage me to go and give me that safety in numbers feeling.
Reefs are a bit of a hard one I think, because there are some reefs I will surf into 4 foot+ but there are others that just have really sketchy sections that I wouldn't even touch in 4 foot ( looking at you indies )

A fun experience, caught a cracker of a wave out at froggies one time during real low tide + sand pipe turned on and did a huge roll and on my walk back out a bomb set of about 3 foot came through in ankle or less deep water. I opted not to duck dive and instead grabbed onto the part where my leash meets my board, jumped in the air and curled into a ball. Was actually really fun to get shot like a bullet by the foam.

[captain_awesome]

Reefs are a bit of a hard one I think, because there are some reefs I will surf into 4 foot+ but there are others that just have really sketchy sections that I wouldn't even touch in 4 foot ( looking at you indies )

should of mentioned this, my max would be something around point cartright in no more that 6ft on the bombs, but say somewhere like yaroomba, where the deepest part was waist deep last time i was out (when it was consistently breaking) and it has water moving every where with 2 rocks sticking 1-2ft out of the water on either end my max would be 4ft, which is what it will be in the next couple of days, which will be a confidence building experience for me.

I'm also starting to keep my self under for longer after a dumping in a shorie closeout so i build up confidence also

[ScottyT]

I havent really been out if the waves are 6ft+ but i would as long as theres a decent channel

[tysonwills]

i've been out in 5-6 ft but was packing shit because i'd only just started on the boogs.

since then only been out up to 4-5ft but i'm very comfortable. just timing is key. when there is a flat patch i just run in as fast as i can and paddle my arse off to the take off. Have a bit of a rest and all good to go.

But when there are good channels i'm sure i'd be comfortable in 5-6 ft, much the same with points

And reefs haven't surfed enough to really know where is stand.

beachies and wedges are the main waves in my resume

[captain_awesome]

since then only been out up to 4-5ft but i'm very comfortable. just timing is key. when there is a flat patch i just run in as fast as i can and paddle my arse off to the take off. Have a bit of a rest and all good to go.

I find it easier to go in the water whenever, then paddle as far as you can with out bing hammered, sit the duck diving the sets (I usually sit 30 or so meters from the impact zone, if its big surf, find that i dont get pushed back as much) then paddle my arse of when theres a break in the sets

[Lidwarrior808]

Beachies = Solid 8ft+ with the odd bomb set coming through it was preety hectic out there with just me and 2 mates for 45 mins or so no channels so the paddle out was super hard and most of the waves were closeouts. Preety sucky as well definetly something I dont really want to do again unless there is a channel and the waves are peeling lol.

Points, Reefs = 6-8ft was not too bad first time out at bronte because we were on holidays just me my dad two surfers and some old surfer dude out. The old guy was just going anything that came through it didnt matter what the wave was going to do wether it closed out or sucked up he was charging it.

[doclach]

Points, Reefs = 6-8ft was not too bad first time out at bronte because we were on holidays just me my dad two surfers and some old surfer dude out. The old guy was just going anything that came through it didnt matter what the wave was going to do wether it closed out or sucked up he was charging it.

haha - If the winds are good, Bronte is super fun at that size. Some of those "old guys" have been charging those waves since they were groms themselves, was surfing with a couple of them this arvo. Their kids are insanely talented stick riders. those blokes love it when it's super sucky too - you'd be surprised what they can make - even if they can't. like you said, they'll just charge anyway

[Lidwarrior808]

Yeah it absloutely blew me away the stuff he was doing on a shortboard . Back home all the old surfers ride mals and dont go out if it gets above 4 to 6 ft

[doclach]

Yeah it absloutely blew me away the stuff he was doing on a shortboard . Back home all the old surfers ride mals and dont go out if it gets above 4 to 6 ft

Ha - these blokes don't even bother coming out until it's at least 4 foot (you get fussier as time goes by). I've been out with them in solid 10 foot+ and you can't wipe the smile off their face and there's no pulling back (which is also a credit to their fitness as that place is no breeze to paddle out in that size). Sick post man.

[sundaytripz]

Yeah it absloutely blew me away the stuff he was doing on a shortboard . Back home all the old surfers ride mals and dont go out if it gets above 4 to 6 ft

Ha - these blokes don't even bother coming out until it's at least 4 foot (you get fussier as time goes by). I've been out with them in solid 10 foot+ and you can't wipe the smile off their face and there's no pulling back (which is also a credit to their fitness as that place is no breeze to paddle out in that size). Sick post man.

the idea of bronte at 10ft+ terrifies me

[Goliath]

Bronte 6-8ft wad the hardest paddle out ive ever done, but it was worth it watching some bombs coming through giving off perfect barrels over the rocks, cant forget that day!

[beaverloop]

To regurgitate what many others have already said

Watch the surf for a while before even thinking about going out. Try and 'time' the sets, see how many waves in a set, how long between two sets.
Watch the ocean surface, look for obvious currents/rips and the predominant direction of any sweep/current/rip.
Check what the tide is doing
Watch where other people in the line up are positioned in relation to where the set waves break. Use a landmark or 2 to triangulate/ work out where you would position yourself once in the line up.
If you think it is big/heavy/strong current ask yourself this question.

When my fins get ripped off and my board is ripped off due to my leash snapping, would I be capable of swimming to safety unaided, without my fins and without my board?

If the answer is "not sure", check a smaller break.
If the answer is "yes, I can swim for 45 minutes against a serious rip to safety" then have a very good stretch and concentrate on your breathing whilst you stretch.
Watch the surf whilst you a getting ready as if a rouge set comes through, you want to know where it is going to wash through.
Watch if any other surfers/bodyboarders are entering/exiting the break and imagine that area with less water or pounding surf. The last thing you want is for the already large swell to be getting bigger and you have no plan of how the f@k to get in because the shorebreak is now either a death slap or the inside reef is a seriously dangerous cheesegrater with power.

Paddle out, watch a few sets from a bit further out and soak up what is happening in the line up.
Say hi to some other crew.
Look for the landmarks you identified onshore to spot yourself/maintain your position in relation to the best take off point you have previously identified.
Catch one of the last waves in the set and get used to going a lot faster and having to paddle a lot more.
I think this next point is critical. If you are feeling really tired after catching a few waves, go in. You don't want to be really fatigued and cop a set on the head and have to swim to the beach minus fins and board if you are cramping and cold/knackered.
After more time in bigger waves your style will change to harness the higher speeds and power of the wave. Don't be afraid to re-evaluate how you ride bigger waves.
Repeat above steps next time there is a bigger swell.
Above all, learn from each surf on those increasingly rare ? larger days and enjoy.
Hope this somewhat answered your question 2.3 years too late.

Biggest waves I've ridden by far was around Guillotines / Gallows in SW WA. Margarets Mainbreak was 20+ foot on the sets , WA surfer Peter Hayes rode a wave from Surfers Point to the rivermouth shorebreak. Yallingup was linking up with between the Point and Rabbit Hill .Three of us, 1 boardrider and 2 bodyboarders had this bombie to ourselves breaking left about 1 km off the beach. Caught 10-12 waves, just big phat monsters. Surf was cut short when my mate snapped his leash and it took us 1.5 hours to swim in using my bodyboard sideways. You may as well not bother with a leash in waves like that. We never recovered his board. Pretty freaky day that one.

[robbo911]

jeezus hectic story^^

Lost a flipper and board once when some stick dropped in on me, you never realise how hard it is to paddle back without a board and using one flipper is just ridiculous. With 2 flippers ill be fine in anything that i would venture into, but without flippers or a board I'd be pretty boned if i was copping some sets on the head. Im heading off to Indo in July and Hawaii and Cook Islands next year so im working on my fitness heaps, particularly my swimming as would not want to be caught unprepared in a hectic situation