It’s easy to watch clips of big waves and think to yourself, “that doesn’t look so bad.” What those clips almost never show, however, is what it takes to get out to those waves. Or what happens when you’re caught inside at one of those waves. The reality is that if you’re going to surf waves that are big enough to require a step up (or even just surfing in general, really), you’re going to learn a few lessons the hard way. And no matter how many times you learn one of those lessons, there’s always a chance it’s going to happen again, no matter who you are. Case in point: these guys at big Uluwatu during a swell a few months back.
For all the amazing rides you see at big Uluwatu, there are countless more struggles and challenges that happen between those magical moments of actually riding a wave,” wrote Surfers of Bali on YouTube. “Here’s a great example of how quickly a surfer can get washed in almost to the beach. From that point it’s a long paddle back out to where he began. He’ll have to deal with a river-like current and more sets on the head before making it back to the lineup.”
