dafish said..
If you kite you should be able to swim at least a kilometer with ease. That equals about 500 meters in rough surf. Should be no excuse for that. I got caught out last year in a great bay swell where the wind shifted offshore and died. Full pack down, no whining, and one hour to get myself, (and all my gear) back in. 300 meters is not right and a waste of resources.....unless the rider was hurt. That is a different story.
Without a life jacket, lost board and kite, i would bet a lot of money that about 1 in 50 could swim 1klm in calm conditions, let alone in the surf.
Ask around, most people say i could do it if had to which is crap, if you have to, you are generally in the ****, scared, burning up energy cos your heart is doing 150bpm. If you dont swim/surf regularly 1k is a long swim, average swimmer 20mins in a pool, 30mins +/to 1 hour or much more in the wrong conditions.
Its a good test, go to the pool and do it 40x25m without stopping, love to hear how many can actually make it and not be totally farked.
