"I can't believe my eyes" ,said the blindman.

General Discussion
1

…For those of you that don’t know much about me…(which is not important)…

…I can say this,In the genesis of this site,I…“envisioned” just what is happening here…in cyberspace… we

…call,“Swaylocks”.

…It’s as if a small group of people came together,and cast there stones in the pool of life…

…only to create ripples growing…

…growing…across the planet…into waves of enormous

size…this attracted like minded people…to form a unity…a bond…

…tiny ripples…into…Big surf…

…The work I see…the effort that is given…the joy it brings…to you…and me.

…I never asked to be in the position that I am in…

…I just am…

…to help,to learn,to share…and from this an un-toward effect…a contraindication of sorts…

…friends…from all over the globe and all walks of life…

This is still only the beginning…no matter what happens to any of us…Please keep the faith,and quality of life that exists here…don’t let our hard work…be forgotten…

“Bless it is he/she, in the name of goodwill and charity,sheperds the weak through the valley of darkness,for you are truly your brother’s/sister’s keeper,and the finder of lost children”.

…because of YOU… surfing has added another chapter to it’s history…

“Catch the Joy”

He/she who catches the joy…and rides it…lives in eternitie’s sunrise…

…FOREVER…

2

herby

i dont know much about you

but i really really like you!

thanks mate i love reading yours and ambroses posts

and your boards are inspiring

3

I add my “amen” [‘true’] to that !!

and my thoughts and prayers are with you as you battle the demon big c…How are you going , mate ? [as YOU said , “keep the faith” , eh ?!]. Your kindness has brought tears to me eyes on more than one occassion , I can tell you .

RESPECT !

ben

4

Paul,Ben,…you guys are Aloha…Mahalo.

5

…Some people never want to know…

…Some never see the light …until a split-second before they die…

…all you have to do… is ask…and you shall receive…

…many years ago, alone,as a very sick,hospitalized, child…I asked…and I received.

…I bask in the warmth of his light…and he holds and comforts me…

…Love and Honor…

…Faith…have Faith…as I do.

6

Cool Herb, thanks for keeping the stoke up. Yep, I have had a similar situation, things revealed, and still being revealed . . . It’s good to hear from you.

Sometimes seeing beyond what your daily life is . . . its hard. Some people never realize what is outside of them, greater than them, below them. Like you said, they realize and see it when it is time for passage.

Others are presented with the gift, and realize what it is, but cannot hang on to it. You have to ask, how to use it. But not force it . . .

Like catching a wave . . . you have to paddle out to catch it. You can sit on the beach and expect it to happen. But if you’re already out there and paddle like mad, tense up, think about it too much. Sploof! You wipe out or miss it. Seek it while being open to read the ocean. Similar to chasing the light . . . As Root of Jesse said, the galaxy is millions of light years across, yet isn’t big enough to contain the light. But the light fits perfectly inside a child’s heart.

7

herb

maybe you can help me

ive got the fear of drowning,. cuz i did when i was a kid.(got pulled out semiconcious)

its holding me back.

everytime i get held down for longer than a few seconds

i get adrenaline rush and have an anxiety attack.

it sucks cuz ive let some primo waves go because of it.

8

…if not,

…Horror has a face,

…you must make friends with horror,and mortal terror,

…if not,

…Then they are truly,enemies to fear.

…if

…death looks you in the face,

…and smiles,

…all you can do,

…is

…SMILE back !

…an,

…act of blind terror,

…can be,

…mistaken for courage.

we’re all scared…

…but we,

…love it more,

…Love conquers all.

9

not a joke

never mentioned it to anyone before.

thanks

10

Herb,

your words inspirer,and your insight and help is always appreciated.

Thanks again for all your help to all on Swaylocks

Mark

11

Try this,

when you are confronted with this problem …think bed time,and the ocean is your bed,covering you with it’s blanket…it works for me in 4x + overhead…and I’m still here.

12

a little cold over there but push rocks.

training tool of champions

swim alot too.

learn to sleep doing the deadmans float

helps in case your boat goes down or your small plane crashes

having started well before the concepta of a leash (we called them ding strings back then)

you got to feel real at home taking a bunch on the head

even learned how to body surf the white water on some big ones to get your board before it met the rocks

do all that in shark infested waters helps too

comfort comes from familiarity

just don’t do anything stupid

free diving shallow water blackouts have killed more than their needed share…

13

YUP ! My dad said he would stop taking me diving if I didn’t start using my watch.

…he had to pull me up to the surface on at least 2 occurrences…and all I had was a dopey grin on my face…kinda blue lookin’ too!

14

I can relate we are all scared. Been knocked out in the water three times and rolled in the white water tell I passed out once.

Most of my fear comes from the lack of control. Once I give up and relax I am okay. Fear is healthy, but we can keep the monkey brain quiet. My method for big waves.

#1 Fully commit to going early-before you have to go.

#2 Don’t make any decisions until you get to the bottom-go strait or turn.

#3 Keep your center.

#4 Look at where you want to end up-focus.

#5 Remember this is for fun- go in if you are not having fun or are tired.

#6 When you are under water curl up and find your happy place-relax.

#7 Some days you feel like a nut-some times you don’t.

Bad picture but thats my 10’ at the bottom of the wave.

Take care Ian

15

Thank you Mark,

Hey,I must of scared the crap out of people up my way…lately,after the rains fewer and fewer people surfin’ these days …even the hardcore crews tell me that I was a “sign” to them,to stay out of the toilet…at least until it’s flushed.

YOU KNOW IF SOME SERIOUS MEASURES ARE NOT TAKEN SOON(not just jumpin’ around like a bunch of kansas city faggots,but REAL SOLUTIONS)…THIS PART OF THE COASTLINE WE BE KNOWN AS,"THE GHOST COAST ".

16

and remember what Marge would say , ‘Silly’ …

“BART ! Have you got clean underpants on ?”

…“well , I DID have … but not NOW , mum !”

well, paul … I hope THAT helps !

bent

17

http://www.heartofgoldmovie.com/indexflash.html

I

Heart Of Gold

I want to live,

I want to give

I’ve been a miner

for a heart of gold.

It’s these expressions

I never give

That keep me searching

for a heart of gold

And I’m getting old.

Keeps me searching

for a heart of gold

And I’m getting old.

I’ve been to Hollywood

I’ve been to Redwood

I crossed the ocean

for a heart of gold

I’ve been in my mind,

it’s such a fine line

That keeps me searching

for a heart of gold

And I’m getting old.

Keeps me searching

for a heart of gold

And I’m getting old.

Keep me searching

for a heart of gold

You keep me searching

for a heart of gold

And I’m getting old.

I’ve been a miner

for a heart of gold.

18

wow guys thanks alot

i love the blanket idea Herb

today i tried just staying under a bit longer even after the wave had passed

it was only head high.

i can actually hold my breath out of the water for over a minute

and in the bath for 40 seconds or so.

but if its a wave i “panic” in around 6 seconds

i might try just staying under a bit longer every time i wipe out.

and do the curl up to sleep thing.

19

Hey Silly…go for more swims. I had a friend dealing with the same thing as you, only when we were rafting guides. He wanted to know why I didn’t care if I flipped a boat. It all seemed fun to me…

We went to the beach and left the boards on the sand. Swam & swam, just floating in the impact zone. Diving, keeping our eyes open, getting rag-dolled.

Got back to the river, same thing. Found some holes to bodysurf in. Pretty soon, he wsa comfortable.

There’s a beach near me, inside a little cove. Big, close-in storms close out & onshore-destroy most other places, but not this little beach. Its a soft sand bottom, very steep beach, like an island setup, rather than a continental one. Great place to go for a bodywhomp. Waves break close to shore, hollow, protected. Kids’ll paddle out and panic when they see me - “Are you ok? Did your leash break? Did you lose your board???”

You should try it some time. Eventually, it’ll seem fun :slight_smile:

Here’s the spot, from the back, from a cliff above. Check the spray off the lip, just below the black cliffs. Look a little like your area? Hard to get a sense of the size of the wave, but its big. Yeah, I checked it out first and then went for a swim. :slight_smile:

20
Quote:

We went to the beach and left the boards on the sand. Swam & swam, just floating in the impact zone. Diving, keeping our eyes open, getting rag-dolled

This type of activity is good for many things, assuming you have a good beach for it. I have done it when needed for years without really being aware of it, just remembering how nice it can be. The act as a concept dawned on me in 1997 when California had all those good south swells. At some points the water would just be packed (this being relative - packed back then on nice swells is like everydday baseline nearly a decade later). Nobody ever seems to get enough. I had a bodyboard in the back of the ancient station wagon along with my board, and I took it out to a beachbreak section that I thought had a few feet of fun available.

Wrong-O. Just a closeout. But the sun was out, the water pretty warm, no real wind…can’t stay on the beach. So I put on my fins and took the bodyboard out. What I wound up doing was playing with the pitching wave. Playing chicken with virtually no consequence. See how late I could kick up the face of the wave. At worst I’d punch through the pitch, on bigger waves got sucked over the falls a time or three with a death grip on the bodyboard because like oneula I came in before the leash and genetic memory is tough to change…the brain knows the bodyboard isn’t like a hard standup board…

Anywho, remember how nice a wave looks as it rises up before it breaks? Textures, colors, the color of the lip at it pitches and folds? Sometimes you can see fish up there, maybe anchovies herre in Southern California. You have to spend a little time on that. The focus was totally away from catching and riding waves. I suppose it looked pathetic from the peanut gallery, but it was a real kick in the pants.

Maybe doing something like this, having a floatation device like a bodyboard and the fins on the feet, might be helpful for dealing with anxiety situations…which is exactly what I was having with the crowds I suppose.