This is it!

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When I pulled into the Noordhoek car park it was jam packed with ous all gagging for their share of what mother nature had thrown at us and I didn’t quite blame them as Dunes was doing its best impression of a North Sumatran point break! I went down to The Hoek to have a look at what was going on down in the corner and to my surprise there was not a soul there. I checked it out for 10 minutes and after seeing about 80% of the waves spitting and being pretty makeable with a clean line-up my decision was made….get suited up!

I got through to the back at about 10:00am and spent the next 25 minutes fighting the rip and wind to stay on the peak until eventually I got my first set wave which closed out but was so round I was smiling the whole way through it. After about half an hour Wilder and another stand-up paddled out and we were all getting some fun ones as Aden and the other guys started paddling out to get a couple on the low tide.

BODY SLAM: Brendan surfing in September 2011. Photo Wilkinson Photography

The wave that took me out didn’t seem like anything too special on the day and with the amount of paddling we all had to do just to stay on the peak and in the right place to catch the sets let alone actually catching them there was no way I was letting it pass me by. Because of the late take-off and the lumpy conditions I had to bottom turn really hard and late to try get out of the impact zone and unfortunately the end section caught me plum on the head and back.

I’ve had heavy beatings in the years that I’ve been in the water, as we all have, but this was something I’ve never quite experienced. The force of the lip hitting me smashed my face into my board and really knocked me silly.

I’ve had heavy beatings in the years that I’ve been in the water, as we all have, but this was something I’ve never quite experienced. The force of the lip hitting me smashed my face into my board and really knocked me silly. My first thought was that I’d shattered/chipped my front teeth (still can’t believe that my fins and board weren’t pulled off on this wave!?). When I came up I knew I had a concussion as I felt very light headed, my eyes couldn’t focus and no matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t move my arms and legs properly. I lost my board after the first set wave caught me on the inside and after that I was really struggling to keep my head above the chop and white wash.

Usually we would just get onto our boards and use the rip to get us past the impact zone but I think the concussion and not having a board was a big problem for me here because I kept trying to fight the rip and bodysurf the foamies to get me closer to the rocks to no avail. I know it sounds so cliché, but in all honesty after a while I had this thought going through my head saying “this is it!” but I knew I had to keep trying. I can’t quite explain the feelings and emotions that you get in a situation like that as it’s not really fear or panic because you are seriously just doing whatever you can to keep your head above the water and get yourself to land so there’s just no time for anything else.

I started raising my hand when I knew I had no chance of getting out of there without help from someone and after the last set wave had passed I looked to the line-up and saw Aden and Wilder paddling towards me.

I started raising my hand when I knew I had no chance of getting out of there without help from someone and after the last set wave had passed I looked to the line-up and saw Aden and Wilder paddling towards me. Aden asked if I was ok and as far as I can remember all I said was something about having a concussion.

Aden gave me his board and the guys tried to paddle me into the beach but the rip was just too strong and I suppose I’m not the lightest of people so we ended up catching a small inside wave onto the sand bank. Aden was brilliant, he kept telling me to hold onto the board and that everything was cool and I didn’t have to do anything. With me being me I felt pretty lazy being pushed and pulled everywhere but I suppose there wasn’t  couldn’t do much in the state that I was in anyway.

CURVE BALLS: Brendan surfing in September 2011. Photo Allan Horton

Getting to the sand was an EPIC feeling and once I was up on the rocks Aden went through a couple of questions to make sure that I was alright and so he could work out what injuries had led to the whole situation. I was very disorientated and could barely walk so I just lay on the rocks with the guys for a while chatting and watching the waves before going back to the car park to get out of my suit.

Later in the afternoon I went passed the hospital around the corner from where I stay to get checked out and have a CT to make sure that there wasn’t any damage done to my brain and that I didn’t swallow too much water that’d lead to secondary drowning later on (another recommendation from Aden).

Although I’m out of the water for a few weeks and a bit bleak about that, I’m incredibly grateful that this happened when it did and not when I was out alone but also to be around to enjoy the winter swell’s that are coming and that would not have been the case if it wasn’t for Aden Kleve and Wilder Shultz and all their effort in getting me out of the water….THANKS GUYS!!!