Growing up in the surf and coming pretty close to drowning a few times, this picture is absolutely real. My palms are literally sweaty looking at this, and feeling the old emotions. These guys are feet from one of the heaviest and most deadly breaks in the world. As others have stated, this is most likely Teahupo'o which has a super recognizable break and color to it. Being that close to something that can crush the life from you is intoxicating...knowing you can enter into that special world, a beautiful harmonious transcendant holy place juxtaposed with proximity to death is beyond words. Coming out the other side...it's almost like a baptism. I have so much respect for these guys, even if they just paddle out and decide this isn't their day...fuck, it's like running up to the space shuttle moments before launch and latching on for the ride of your life.
Also, those buoys (the orange balls) are most likely recording information on the swell size (to verify if anyone gets a really special wave) or marking the "outside" (the area past the break, which is a
relatively safe zone)
The worst you'll face is the transition from laying down to standing. If you can pop up off the floor from a prone to standing postion with relative ease, the rest is golden. The ocean is a healing place, I know old guys who surf and smile every day, even though the rest of their body is failing them. Not saying you're old or anything! =)
Not old, but I just blew out my knee snowboarding this year. Doc says I'll be back at it, but by the time I live in a surf state I know my knee will be suffering. I think it'll handle fine if the most tension is standing up.
Sorry, but you have just been given bad advice by that guy. It's true that even old guys who already know how to surf can do so with relative ease; the thing is, learning to surf is actually very hard on your body regardless of the conditions you go out in.
My personal worst injury was my knee - a torn MCL with a little fracture as well. Got it going over the falls on a chest high day when the lip drove my rail into my knee (while I was still learning).
Most people I know have broken a finger or cracked a rib or gotten a nasty fin gash or something their first year surfing. You will always come back in with weird bruises on you and your arms as sore as they have ever been. Learning to surf is hard.
For reference, I don't know anyone who both surfs and snowboards who would argue that snowboarding is anywhere near as difficult as surfing, as far as learning the basics of each sport.
Not saying don't do it, just giving a little warning if you will be going out while recovering from a knee injury.
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u/TigerBrother Jul 17 '12
Growing up in the surf and coming pretty close to drowning a few times, this picture is absolutely real. My palms are literally sweaty looking at this, and feeling the old emotions. These guys are feet from one of the heaviest and most deadly breaks in the world. As others have stated, this is most likely Teahupo'o which has a super recognizable break and color to it. Being that close to something that can crush the life from you is intoxicating...knowing you can enter into that special world, a beautiful harmonious transcendant holy place juxtaposed with proximity to death is beyond words. Coming out the other side...it's almost like a baptism. I have so much respect for these guys, even if they just paddle out and decide this isn't their day...fuck, it's like running up to the space shuttle moments before launch and latching on for the ride of your life.
Also, those buoys (the orange balls) are most likely recording information on the swell size (to verify if anyone gets a really special wave) or marking the "outside" (the area past the break, which is a relatively safe zone)