Greg Long came very close to dying at Cortes Bank on December 21, 2012. After arriving at the underwater seamount 100 miles off Souther California’s coast with Shane Dorian, Grant Baker, and Ian Walsh, Greg dropped in too deep on the second wave in a five-wave set. He made it to the bottom, then was buried in the whitewater, being driven deep with three more monsters behind him. His inflatable suit failed and he was held down for three waves before losing consciousness just feet below the surface.
After his lifeless body was pulled from the whitewash of the fourth wave by D.K. Walsh, he regained consciousness on the boat. What followed was life-changing. On a trip to the Peruvian Andes, Long searched for what his life had become. He found it.
The photo above was posted to his Instagram along with the following words:
Since nearly drowning at Cortes Bank a little over a year ago, I have since wondered if I could go back out and surf there again. Yesterday I answered my question. It wasn’t the biggest ever but 8 hours in oil glass perfection surfing alone, it was still the most mentally challenging and memorable session of my life. The greatest respect and appreciation to everyone who was a part of the trip and to my friends/safety team who were looking after me throughout the day.
Photo: Ghost wave author Chris Dixon 2010 session
