Great points Ding. Every time I get through nasty surf I consider myself lucky.
+1. All it takes is one wave at the wrong time/angle and you lose everything you've worked for over the last few minutes... Or worse (capsize/damage)
It can definitely be interesting....made more so by trying to get through it after the start gun has gone off. Kirk Newkirk is one of the best in this regard. As I understand it, during that Jensen Beach Worrell disaster, he sailed out through the surf successfully twice. I think they broke a rudder on the last sandbar and went back to fix it...went back out and sailed the leg. Loehmeyer is also an expert and showed us his skill during the Jupiter Beach mess during a Tybee 500. We were all exploding and he just went out and sailed out of the surf, turned left, and went to Cocoa like no biggy.
