It was a very, very close call today. Windgusts over 40 knots and windsurfing in a wrong and strong current.
One time I fell, tried to restart again but, while hooked-in, I was drawn to a breakwater (jettie) which had a standing-pole at the end (for warning boats and swimmers). Within one second I felt myself completely tied to this pole. Something was pulling me down and I couldn't move again. With my head underwater and my feet didn't have any ground because the current was pulling my legs horizontal.
So,the clock started ticking at that moment. I started wrestling but nothing seemed to help. After half a minute I realised that I was going to drown and my mind said that this was the solution: let it go. Then my wife came in my thoughts and I decided to fight the rest of this minute.
I made a swing with my legs around the pole and finally I had ground (stones) beyond my feets. So I tried to push myself up and that didn't succeed either at first.
They say that in a real emergency situation, people can have enormous incredible force. I can prove now that this is true. I managed to push myself only my head above the waves. Where I immediatly had to learn not to breath in when the incoming waves were overflooding my head.
To make a long story short: I made it. Could return with surfboard, had to sacrifice my rigg. And I teared one of my upperleg muscles.
In hindsight:
In wintertime I don´t wear my legknife with windsurfing because there are no swimming lines then. But even if I had one, I don´t think it would have helped me. First it was questionary if I could have reached the knife. Second I had no feeling what was up or down, I was completely disorientated. This makes me wonder if my legknife, which I wear always on my cat, is really an emergency-aid. It could be ofcourse but I know now that there are circumstances in which it is useless. Beside that, you don't start stabbing your knive close to your body when you are disorientated.
Second, later I found out that my leash line appeared to be the wrong-doer. I think this line (which I always use because I can't swimm anymore) was one of the reasons I was hold down.
I use this line already more than 20 years with windsurfing because of my torn shoulderlabrums and I will not surf without it. Even with catsailing, especially in wintertime, I use such a line. But it makes me wonder....
The leashline, which I could break off, was fixed to my board via a strap made of a piece of a car-belt. See the picture beneath:
Did I have so much "death-force" or was I helped by the gods with the rip-off ??
Last edited by northsea junkie; 12/24/1310:10 AM.
ronald RAIDER-15 (homebuilt)
hey boy, what did you do over there, alone far out at sea?.. "huh....., that's the only place where I'm happy, sir.
-- Have You Seen This? --
Re: I nearly drowned today. Merry Christmas!
[Re: northsea junkie]
#267991 12/24/1309:31 AM12/24/1309:31 AM
Wow. I was in the shower this am and the wife flushed the toilet (on purpose I might add) and that's the most exciting water experience we get this time of year (its seriously -12 here right now)
Leash line on a windsurfing board? That's something that's usually frowned upon because there's a lot it can tangle on (like getting wrapped around the rig or your legs when waterstarting) and a windsurfing kit typically won't drift quickly if it gets away from you because when the rig drops into the water, it acts like a sea anchor. The most important thing is to make sure your u-joint is in good shape because if the u-joint fails and the board and rig separate, then the board will definitely take off downwind faster than you can swim. Personally, I would ditch the leash. If your swimming skills are weak or marginal, wear a float vest. They're a lot less bulky than a full on life jacket, but they provide adequate flotation, added impact protection, and they won't interfere with your harness hook.
sm
Re: I nearly drowned today. Merry Christmas!
[Re: northsea junkie]
#268021 12/26/1303:50 AM12/26/1303:50 AM
SM, I fully understand your reasoning and in normal situations its true. I know that I'm perhaps the only windsurfer with such a leash
But, be assured that I have my reasons. They have to do with some complicated physical defects of me and with the xtreme circumstances in which I sometimes surf.
The leash I use already more then 20 years after an adventure in wintertime when I lost my board plus sail crossing from the Mainland to Texel. There were gusts so heavy that my wishbone was ripped of my hook and my hands. By some exceptionally chance the sail and the board created together some horizontally kind of wing and I saw it flying away from me above the water. Far away from me. The current overthere is one of the strongest of Holland, so it seemed impossible to catch up my gear by swimming.
I was almost forgotten this the last decade but that was also one of these close escapes, only it was not under water. And also then I experienced this impossible power you can have when things are really bad.
So, I will not dispose of my leash, I wear a full life jacket already for 25 years (after I lost conscious in a hit against my board during washing) and I ofcourse I have a safety around my mastjoint.
Sailing in general is always pondering about pro's and contra's of certain dangers and the precautions you have to take.
ronald RAIDER-15 (homebuilt)
hey boy, what did you do over there, alone far out at sea?.. "huh....., that's the only place where I'm happy, sir.
Good to still have you here Ronald! You are like the Chuck Norris of Dutch cat sailors to me, there's no stopping you.
As a pastor I do happen to believe in divine intervention, but I also believe in physics. I'd say the board probably got caught square to the current as it was flogging around and that eventually tore the strap. The buoys out here have 30ft wakes 2x a day and I'd almost swear I saw a rooster tail on one... My bet is that the current which almost killed you paradoxically also saved your life. That and your fighting mentality. Hang in there man!
Dennis, with regard to spiritual things; it's always difficult to discuss that with an expert in devine matters like you as pastor.
But first about the the current issue which you mention:
At the end of a breakwater there is almost always a circular type of current. Imagine a vortex, but then larger. It will suck you and never let you go because it will circle you around and around.
Rest the difficult matter of devine intervention. Brucat mentioned someone was watching me. I think he's right, but its more complex than it seems.
Dennis; you and I have talked in some posts before about the spiritual side of sailing at sea. I've explained then that I believe in an intuition which you can develop and which, amongst other things, can help you in reading the wind and sea conditions.
With regard to what happened a few days ago, I think I blamed my intuition or presentiment by not paying attention to it during surfing when I moved myself in this dangerous situation. I know, ofcourse there was also bad luck, but its always the combination of those two things
So if you go one step further and call presentiment a guardian angel, then she has punished me; she gave a minute which I will never forget, simply because I was forgotten her.
And helped me after all!
Last edited by northsea junkie; 12/28/1303:41 AM.
ronald RAIDER-15 (homebuilt)
hey boy, what did you do over there, alone far out at sea?.. "huh....., that's the only place where I'm happy, sir.
Re: I nearly drowned today. Merry Christmas!
[Re: northsea junkie]
#268049 12/28/1302:51 AM12/28/1302:51 AM
<Warning: religious content, don't read if you are offended by such matters>
Don't worry NSJ, I'm an easy-going type of guy, certainly not the dogmatic bible-basher you may have in mind. In spiritual matters I believe personal experience is most important, not text-book knowledge. Sure, that can help you to find words to describe your experience, but it can also get in the way by casting in stone that which can barely be spoken.
Luckily I have never been sucked into one of those vortex thingies but I know that a couple of people die each year in NL from these types of accidents. They say you should swim down to escape them, but that's a bit hard if you are tethered to your board or rig. I can imagine tough people need tough lessons in order to learn sometimes... Its hard to walk the thin line between what we perceive as intuition and reality sometimes. We all fall off at some stage. I like those last two paragraphs of yours, I do believe that's the way it works. There's this famous psalm that goes "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me" Sometimes its good to get a wake-up call from heaven, even if it hurts like hell at the time!
Re: I nearly drowned today. Merry Christmas!
[Re: northsea junkie]
#268050 12/28/1310:00 AM12/28/1310:00 AM
As a pastor I do happen to believe in divine intervention, but I also believe in physics. ...
I Like that quote !!
A better back-up plan than relying on Divine intervention,is be a bit More aware of your surroundings.
That's coming from a guy who fell 450ft into the side of a cliff on a HG ; then died & got CPR'd back to life. Yea, it probably was Divine intervention, but still a back-up plan, that i don't Count on being there in the future !! I like to visualize an Exit strategy now, even when a red-light turns green , i won't count on people stopping like i did when i "Thought" i was immortal, like most young people do, (I was in my early 20's when i broke that glider & died). Actually got a picture of it, while i was falling, but don't know how to post it.
Bille
Last edited by Bille; 12/30/1303:02 PM.
Re: I nearly drowned today. Merry Christmas!
[Re: northsea junkie]
#268130 12/30/1307:16 AM12/30/1307:16 AM
Bille, I flew a HG a couple of times but never quite quite got the 'hang' of it...
Try the "switch to full reply screen" button then use the "file manager" button to upload your picture.
Yea, i did that by editing it into the post above yours ; still no picture , so i won't bother with That again !!
Why is adding a picture, so much harder than in other forums ? Hit Preview, & ya get Nothing ...
It's just the software..."Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.5.6p2". It's a little behind the latest revisions of the UBB software but not that far. There are other more popular softwares out there but the task of transferring all the forums/threads/people to a new software package is a pretty serious undertaking.
Yea, i did that by editing it into the post above yours ; still no picture , so i won't bother with That again !!
Why is adding a picture, so much harder than in other forums ? Hit Preview, & ya get Nothing ...
it works..... sort of
the issues seems to be the parameters of added pics, they are nearly always set as a small view only yet enlarge if the post is quoted as your doing the reply..... the toggles that set the image displays aren't right , only admin can tune that
if you click reply and then scroll down so this post is visiable then you get a full view of the pic....
yup something's not right....
Last edited by PIRATE; 12/30/1305:34 PM.
Yar, & this ere post be done without a sin'le drop o' rum passin' me lips
Kingy started with Impara Cadet #3 / Mosquito #245 & now Mosquitos #1182 & #1740
Re: I nearly drowned today. Merry Christmas!
[Re: northsea junkie]
#268176 12/31/1306:36 AM12/31/1306:36 AM
After being for more than 20 years on the water windsurfing and now catsailing, I've also learned that the wind and the water are very powerfull, and should be treated with respect. These type of situations (in my experience) are not contributing to selfconfidence and "happy sailing"