So Paul this is how I recall the story...we arrive somewhere in malibu in the dark before daybreak, with the hopes of catching a seabass. Me, Gregandrew, stinkymatt, roby, minh, were the first ones to arrive. We get unloaded and set to launch...it's still dark, and the surf is pounding. Since we cant' really see what were up against, but I can hear it....and it sounds intimidating...so I figure no pain no gain....So here we go, me and greg push off into the darkness....OH shit! the waves are bigger than I anticipated...wait...wait...paddle like crazy..!!! wait...wait..slam!!!!! I took a big one to the face..! Ok now kayak wont' move because its filled with water and I get pushed sideways....ok now straiten out here comes the next one...SLAM! Filled up again, spitting out water, but still ok...but considering a new hobby...Slam!...Ok am I going to survive this? ....Slam!!!!....I see greg finally make it past the kill zone....Slam! one more time and I'm able to survive, and I finally make it past the kill zone. I turn on my radio to see if the other guys made it and....not so much stinky matt got flipped. Oh well lets go fish!
So we finally get out to the seabass grounds and nothing much is happening. We start making squid and then the rest of the guys start to show up, but were short. "Wheres minh?", "oh he broke his paddle on the way out and went home"....little did we know he was just the first casualty. The seabass that day pulled a no show on us, but the log barracuda were plenty. We hear from jorge across the radio, hes finally here, ok see you guys in a minute....not so much....Finally John "Buttchaser" shows up after spending months fishing La Jolla for nothing. On his first drop he catches this fish.
So after loading the front hatch with limits of LOG BARRACUDA, i'm ride'n kinda low...we make the decision to go in. Me, John, stinkymatt, roby, greg, are right on the edge of the kill zone. We notice all the surfers out there...I decide to go in....whoa!!! that was a huge swell!!!! I make it over and greg can't believe I made it over...Ok no pain no gain...again...I'm following a huge set in and I notice that all of my forward momentum has stopped and I'm now getting sucked out fast...Oh shit!!! It's an 8 possibly even 10 footer! HOLY Crap! I'm thinking of what Sammons said in one of his videos...you can brace into a wave no matter how big it is.....so I turn broadside to the wave and tuck in, I lean as far a I could into the wave as I crashed right on my head...I remember telling myself..."goodnight!" SMASH! Everything went black. I'm now underwater with my waders, no lifejacket in giant surf, I'm screwed. I can't touch the bottom and I'm completely underwater. Slam again, by another wave, Im able to swim up and take abreath while another waves slams into me. After a few seconds...seemed like an eternity, I can now touch the bottom. I make my way into shallower water just in time to see my kayak wash up on the beach upside down. People are on the beach pointing out into the waves, yelling "look out!!!" I turn and theres another giant wave coming twards me unfortunately I cant move because now my feet have become water balloons, and I cant move very fast. I get knocked down by the wave. It happens at least 2 more times before I can make it to shore....that was not fun. I take a look at the damage...Im missing a rod...one of the rod leashes broke and the rod went by-bye. (Calstar 800m with a daiwa saltiga 30T...that's close to a $1000 dollar set up.....
.) I take a look next to me and somebodys kayak washes in upside down.... Some one asks me hey is that your tacklebox out there? I turn and look...I said no that's just robys bait tank...as he is furiously trying to swim over to it. A couple of seconds after that stinkymatts kayak washes in upside down soon followed by Buttchaser John's...then I turn to my right and see Greg Andrews sliding in perfectly like there was no surf at all...I'm thinking WTF?
So I learned that yes, like Jim Sammons said you can brace into any size wave but will you make it right side up and all of your gear intact?....uh not neccessarily.
Well this is the story from my point of view and my recollection, if I missed anything the rest of the crew can fill in the blanks.