Well to say the lest I’ve had a very relaxing few days here in Puerto Escondido, waiting for my new tyre to arrive. It is a few days late, nothing that I wouldn’t expect in a Latin American country, but I’m now ready to hit the road and venture into the hills and canyons of Mexico.
Yesterday I think I probably had the closest moment to death of my life. Sitting on the beach with my cup of PG Tips, which I’ve done every morning here straight out of bed, I decided that I couldn’t be in such a renowned surf spot and not get my hair wet! As I sipped away at my cuppa, I was watching some pretty awesome surfers!
The waves were so big and fast that there were quite a few being towed into the waves behind jet skis and those that managed the 12ft drop were getting huge barrels and then pulling aerials and other pretty impressive tricks! They would then all have to swim in to shore, walk down the beach and paddle out in the rip because the waves were making it impossible to paddle out.
I also noticed that no one was using a leash for the sole reason that being in the washing machine of those waves with a 7 or 8ft Gun pointed like a spear at each end was a bad idea.
The amount of times that the lifeguards had to go out and rescue these surfers and the fact that half of them crossed themselves and then looked to God before getting back in the sea should probably have been a danger sign, but it only got me more excited! I skipped breakfast and went out to rent a board for £4/hour. I have never ridden a gun before so I decided on a 6.1 short board, which if anything would be easier to duck dive under the waves. I paddled out very easily in the rip but as i got closer to the peak, I immediately felt so insignificantly small along side these surfers who looked like Greek statues (except thank god they were wearing clothes!) and these waves that not only were far bigger than anything I’ve surfed before, but also seemed to have the whole power of the ocean behind them.
Sitting there for a few minutes, not catching anything, I was mesmerised by these tow surfers and was caught off guard as all these other guys started paddling like we were being circled by sharks. Well that’s already happened to me on this trip and I think the fear from that was smaller than what I saw on the horizon. I paddled out as fast as I could but was no match for the others along side me who glided in the water. I then had that moment of jealousy where you see one person comfortably over the wave as I was still with in the destruction zone. The wave came closer and the feeling of dread and adrenaline overpowered me as the wave was just starting to break and I luckily managed to duck dive under it but the power and might of all the sea behind it dragged me backwards into the raging water.
I can’t explain how long I was held under but it felt like ages and when I finally managed to get up, get some air, let my eyes adjust and orientate myself, the next set, just as big, hit me. It’s happened for three waves and halfway during the second I remember thinking ‘I’m going to die’. Well I’m not dead and writing this from beyond the grave but I could well be! And happy that I have been out at this notorious surf break, even if it was only to get washed up on the beach unlike my image of stand up barrel!
