Oceanic Experiences

PfhorRunner

I just got back from a surfing trip to Westport, Washington. Friends and I decided that we'd take a little trip down to the coast, rent some wetsuits, a couple boards, and have a grand time! Well it was fun for the first half of the day. It was my first time surfing and I honestly didn't know what to do, I watched my friends and copied, as how most things are learned. On the third wave I caught, I stood up! Hazzah! It was amazing, the feel of it, just flowing along; I definitely can see why people started doing it.

Anyways, about the third time I stood up, there was this other kid that was behind me on a boogie board that I didn't notice, and I had to try to turn to get out of the way. I caught the front of the board into the water, and essentailly face planted into the salt water. I pop my head out of the water, and just as I take a breath, I feel this tremendous pain on the right portion of my scalp, and next thing I know im under the water again. I gathered my strength and got back on the board, and slowly drifted back to shore. My buddies rushed over and we went to check me out because I was bleeding what seemed like profusely down my face. After a good washing, and an examination, turns out it was just a long, but fairly shallow cut. About two and half inches long, but not deep enough to "need" stitches, though it would have probably helped stop the bleeding sooner.
What actually happened was when I popped my head out of the water, the wave caught the board at a weird angle and slammed it back down into my head, Tail fin first. It was hard tailed, and not so sharp, so it kind of bludgened me. I'm alright, I have a bit of whiplash, and its a bit tender, but the bleeding has stopped.

Anyways, Sorry for the excessive story, but i was just wondering what type of experiences you've had with any of the five great oceans that take up 70% of our highly polluted world? Good, bad, ugly, opinions, anything!

flaagan

Ouch!

I've done surfing in Hawaiia and around the Santa Cruz, CA area... Hawaiia's so much nicer; not just because of the warmer waters, but the other riders aren't wave-stealing jackasses. Used to boogie board almost every summer when I was younger.

I've had more fun on lakes over the past few years. On an scout trip to Canada we canoed a ~75 mile loop amongst some interconnected lakes in north-central Canada over the period of ~ 2 weeks. Last summer we had a family reunion at Lake Powell: two huge house boats, a couple of tow boats, and a small armada of jetskies.. those jetskies were a blast.

aesir

I love oceans, and visit them often. When theres some good waves going, I usually end up almost drowning. It seems to happen often...

snemmy

somewhere between age 8-12 when my family would go to Myrtle Beach, SC i had lost my boogie board after falling off. it washed up on shore, i was standing in about hip deep water and a wave hit me from behind. i did rolled forward, head ran across the bottom and i ended up back on my feet gasping for breath and completely astounded at what happened.

and ive lost a hard plastic Godzilla toy i loved to the ocean. im sure someone has found him by stepping on him by now. and i also lost a little plastic great white squeeky toy that i cut the squeeker out of so he could eat my GI Joes. my two favourite ocean toys gone ;_;

havent been to the ocean in 12 years

danr

specifically oceans? Not interested in any of my many mindblowingly fascinating stories - three-eyed smugglers, whores on jetskis, swarms of swimming pigs and so on - associated with bog standard sea?

hawken

I need to get out of Tokyo and to the sea!

Coming from Cornwall in the UK, it's hard not to visit the beach nearly every day.

sledgy

Yeah surfing is the shiz. I spent 8 months in FL at the Sebastian inlet doing nothing but surfing, working part time, and partying. I probably should have been studying art or something then but I wouldn't trade it. Had to move back to CO once the real heat of summer hit. Been back a couple times since. I wouldn't mind hitting some of those bigger waves in Hawaii or AU once I get more experience but it's tough being a mountain boy and hitting the waves

Joao Sapiro

i avoided surfing since 90% of the people that bragged about beeing surfers were assholes , still those 10% were some friends of mine that convinced me to do jet ski eheh , was fun, since i didnt fall !

Lee3dee

wait......wasn't Oceanic the same flight on LOST?

sledgy

That's true there are little cliques of surfer posers that will exclude you if you're not from the area, don't buy brand X gear etc. It's true of any social activity where "clubs" form. Who cares...they don't own the ocean.

PfhorRunner

[ QUOTE ]
Who cares...they don't own the ocean.

[/ QUOTE ]
Exactly, and in the end you'll both be swimming in each other's bodily fluids at some point in your life, so does it really matter?

Flaagan: Never been to Hawaii, but would love to. First things first though: Getting good enough to stand up without hurting myself. I don't want to go to Hawaii and crack my skull open.

/me thinks about buying a new wetsuit as well...

Josh_Singh

If I ever meet any of you guys, I'll tell you my shark story. I just don't feel like typing it right now and it's better told in person. BUT IT's a GOOD ONE!

milla

From early childhood my dad used to take me and my sister out in his little lancer inflatable boat, but the beach we launched from was a surf beach. We had some hairy experiences getting out through the breakers in that thing, especially a few times when the motor stalled, and we had to swim the damned thing out. Needless to say we all wore lifejackets and fins whenever we launched it. One time it flipped...

Not going to bore you with details, but I had an exciting childhood