5ft! Are you kidding? So what would the reef pass breaking at 6-8ft be like? We had a couple of days of warm up surfs, then hit Bank Vaults. We were two non-pro paddle boarders firmly in pro/semi/pro/extremely proficient surfer territory but with no idea if these waves are makeable on a SUP, though we knew too well what the consequences of not making them were. There were quite a few surfers out. We progressed further and further up the break towards the point to give the surfers some room, and where the waves were a bit bigger. As the confidence grew we were taking some pretty sizeable waves but not making any; either jumping over the back, trying to punch through, or just getting smashed. Nick tried to get on one wave, not quite realizing he was going for a massive close out. Despite paddling like hell he missed it. An Aussie surfer turned round and said “ that would have been total suicide”
Soon after I took off on a decent size wave and tried to pump down the line, realizing it was going to shut down. I looked up to see if I could jump over the back and saw the only option was to dive through. I made it without being taken over the lip and left the board break side expecting a mighty pull toward the reef. The leash went taught, then nothing. I was left paddle in hand, leash dangling, not far off the point at Bank Vaults, with a choice of a two hour swim to the boat, or a quicker swim in over the razor reef through heaving barrels to find the board.
I swam out of the impact zone and discussed it with Nick. Between us we had no idea what lay on the inside. A Kiwi who we knew that was out there with us chimed in. ‘Go for it mate; I’ve been smashed on that reef a couple
of times – it’s not too bad’. So it was decided to try and swim over the reef. We should have realized that was perhaps not ideal as John had never made one wave at Bank Vaults. It was always ‘I just get smashed’. He seemed to have no problem surfing with broken ribs. ‘Mate, spot a lull in the sets and I’ll go for it. ‘Go NOW’. Full commitment ensued. I realized just how ineffective swimming with one hand holding a SUP paddle is whilst knowing that a solid double over head set is just about to push you into an Indo reef.
I manage to scrape through the impact zone without serious damage and get to the “sanctity’ of the reef. Trouble was I realized as I stood up crunching through the coral in knee to thigh high white water that I had 400m to go. Every 10th step my foot went through up to my knee, I was praying the white water was not going to knock me over and lacerate my shins, or worse, snap them. Two things saved me: ION Kevlar booties and an upturned, Slim Jim paddle as a third leg! I found the board on the beach and walked twenty five minutes down the beach. Choice was back to the boat or back out there; MTFU beer came to mind so straight back out to the point it was. We had a few more great waves. Nick made two crackers – no mean feat backside and I took the wave of my life up until that point, on the way back picking up a big one early from out beyond the normal take off. I rode the outside section, raced into the normal take off with a couple of serious lay down bottom turns, went through the critical section and got spat out into the channel towards the waiting boat. What a way to end the day.
