I could picture the headlines ...
"Windsurfer Drowns in 50cms of Water"
or
"Medical Breakthrough -- A Man That Can Breathe Under Water"
The scene is Dutch-Inne in a strong NW wind, lotsa waves and slop and a windsurfer who hasn't sailed since March.
Feeling pretty good about the wind and waves but the fitness ( or lack of ) is starting to show after about 30 mins so I decide to go in for a rest.
Sail in to shore, jump-off in the shore break and somehow end up under the sail with harness re-hooked up and pinned to the sand.
Now after trying to push the sail up I realise that 4.7 m2 ( sail size )x about 20cm ( approx depth of water ) of surging sea water = close to a tonne of wieght so abandon that idea and try to unhook to no avail - somehow the line had twisted and with the shorebreak washing in and out I was starting to think FAARK !!
This is getting serious and I take in a mouthfull of water which doesn't contain any air so that didn't help.
Next plan was to try and push the leach of the sail towards the mast so I could at least stick my head above water for a gulp of air -- that DID work and probably saved me from an embarassing demise ( after all who would believe that someone could die in such shallow water - I DO ! ) But I'm still stuck mostly under the sail.
I quick yell for help to an unidentified guy who was just launching got him scurrying back to help -- Thanks mate -- but just as unexpectedly as it hooked-in the harness unhooked itself so all he had to do was help get the sail and board out of the washing machine.
It's amazing how easily a fairly simple stumble nearly turned into a major faaark-up.
Lesson learnt -- respect the shore break and as I fast approach 50, try and stay a bit fitter before sailing in these winter fronts.
hahahahah!!! the image i get from that story, similar to when you take a fish outta water... Just lays there gulping for air, unable to move!
Poor thing?! are you ok?!
Thanks for sharing that. You did not panic which probably saved you from getting trapped. I personally am not going back into the surf until I become much fitter and my skills improve. Based on my current progress that will be never. I miss it too.
There was a thread on here somewhere from last year, about a similar incident.
Its amazing how long you can hold your breath if you dont panic, and how long a short amount of time can feel if you do panic.
The guts of the thread was that you should practice unhooking, or removing your harness completely etc in a pool or in relatively calm water, just in case something like this happens.
Remember DONT PANIC
I do feel your pain tho as its farking hard to not hit that panic button.
All's well..... no gear damage and no body damage except for a few aches.
I gave up for the day though. T'was good while it lasted
That's one of my (many) tricks (or creative means to trying to kill yourself).
Fluffed a gybe (or hit the bottom) on the eastern Safety bay sand bar, pinned under the sail with the boom across my chest, the sail was out of the water and the wind pushing it down pinning me to the bottom. Had to grab the mast and drag myself out.
Just another brown trouser episode in the life of a red muppet
Oh well what ever doesn't kill you give someone something else to laugh at
Scary. Hate that type of stuff.
All well and good for some people to say that it is easy to hold you breath for 30 seconds. I agree anyone can do this all nice and refreshed in a pool, but when you're already buggered and you don't get a good lungfull before something like this happens - 10 secs and you're going dark.
The red Teflon fur is strategically chosen as it's easy to hose of any skid marks
Prolimit have had a quick release on their harness for quite some time... works well, I've got one.
Have only been in that situation with a non-quick release harness so I don't know how easy they are to undo when panicking... I do know that it was very scary and it really brought home just how easy it is to slip away from this earth.
I bet I will though
mate your lucky your still here, a few seasons back we had to drag a guy out the surf who wasn't paying attention and got smashed under his rig in the shore break, he was pined under his sail with his mast across his chest, he was unconsious swollowing heaps of water everytime a wave broke on him, it took 4 guys to lift the sail off him with the amount of water and sand on it, while myself and one of my mates dragged him from under his rig and up onto the beach, we where seconds away from reviving him when he took a breath of air, coughing up heaps of water, he was lucky we where on the beach having a rest, 10 minutes earlier or later everyone would have been sailing and he prob would not be alive.
I never sail alone if the surf looks at all dangerous, i just get visions of that poor fella, who had a tanned skin, turn completely gey and lifeless washing in and out the shore break.
Yes I think it can happen to anyone.Its sometimes that freak wave that suddenly rears upand you are left lying on your back, mast across your leg,sail full of water also being dragged back as the water recedes down the beach and it feels like something has got to give and its going to be your leg. Somehow something changes and you drag your leg out as the next wave hits....phewww
And then there is the time when you lose it.and you find yourself coming up under the sail, still hooked in but the harness has shortened, and you come up under the sail and it is firmly "glued" to the surface......no air supply.
Your life begins to flash past you....realising you have got to go through the procedure of getting out of your harness...step 1........find tag on side of hook frame...have I got the right side....suck in so I can get some slack on the release clip....but then suddenly a gust manages to get under the sail and flings me and the sail on to my back facing the sky.....a great sigh of relief.....
that was ten times worse than doing the helicopter emergency survival course where you get sunk in the pool ,still belted in, then rotated 180 deg and only then allowed to release your belt buckle and make your "orderly" escape out the door or window.
I think having the thought of it happening is one of a windsurfers greatest fears..I know i went out and bought a new harness which had the best release that I could find at the time.
I've gotta say that the cause of the problem was the usual ones -- not paying much attention and being knackered. Always brings me undone in the most unexpected ways. It's amazing the number of ways I've tried to kill myself over the years -- motorbikes ( on and off road ) and this latest effort take the cake though.
I must have swallowed a fair bit of sand or shellgrit 'cos a couple of times today and yesterday I've coughed some gritty bits up that look like they come from Cottesloe Beach????
It's all good fun though until someone loses an eye!!!
Happened to me the other day, my hook got hooked on the boom and I couldn't swim out of it. I had to really tell myself to chill otherwise i was gonna drown. i was able to hold the sail up enough with one hand to get my mouth just out of the water, still swallowing heaps cause it was really rough, and slowly slowly undo the straps of the harness with my other hand. it was really scary. I'd read the threads about getting trapped in your harness but it had never happened to me.
I am seriously considering getting a harness with a one hand quick release option.
Is there a good one out there?
Can feel your panic.
Has happened to me twice. First time was in the shorey at Long Reef. Really small surf but a wave washed up the shore, knocked me flat and pinned the sail on top of me. I could see guys standing on the beach but couldnt move. Had to wait until the wave receded and I could push it up enough to grab a breath, then the boys lifted it off me whilst trying not to fall over from laughing.
Second time was in deep water, got catapulted and harness line twisted around hook. I couldnt get to the side for a breath and was basically pinned to the rig. In the quickly coming panic I managed to feel the bottom with my toes, give a push with everything I had and got a gulp of air. This let me untwist the line and get out. Scared the absolute **** out of me.
I was so tentative for awhile after that and still hate catapults. Funny thing is last two sails Ive had Ive been flung both times.
Funny, I was lying in bed the other night mulling on how hard it would be to get out of my newish Da Kine seat harness in an emergency - the night before predicted 30kt winds (which didn't eventuate!). I must have a good imagination as that sort of vision can give me the cold sweats. I lay there wondering if there were any good quick release versions available. That "kin pin spreader bar" thingo doesn't look super quick or foolproof to manage in a panic situation.
