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Originally posted by Mark _australia

Yeah as I said in the "scariest moments..." thread, I felt like I'd won lotto when my toes touched sand!

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Mark I read your post...you're right it was very reminiscent of my experience at Margs.

It raises the question of whether it is better to wear a buoyancy vest in large surf? Sure you won't be able to duck dive the big ones, but at least you can stay afloat if you get separated from your gear.

I've noticed that some tow surfers wear buoyancy vests when they're towing into huge waves...might make sense for windsurfers to do the same?

Leech I like the sound of that. Where can I get one?

It's been on my mind today with the sou' wester already tippin' 30k.

(Something about getting closer to 40 and wanting to be around to see my kids grow up...I'm feeling mortal).

I had a shocker the other week... sailing trigg point and getting a little too cocky.

Got too close to the reef and got hammered by successive waves and had nowhere to go other than straight onto the reef which was only about 1 foot deep. Can't duckdive the gear in that situation! You can only pray for as little damage as possible. Got hurled around over the reef for what seemed like an eternity, my gear snapped in multiple places, but I had to abandon it and save myself.

I've always heard about lots of people drowning on that reef and never really known how but I have a new respect for the place now. I was finding myself sucked into the holes in the reef and constantly dunked by waves, even though they were only small I was finding it hard to breathe.

Managed to make it to the shore but was feeling faint for quite a while

i had a bad experience due to this.

was at mooloolaba.

wind died and i dropped off the plane.

i pumped onto a swell heading towards the shore to get the board going again. accedentally sailed right into the impact zone without realising.

when i gybed the swell pitched and i got hammered. ended up under the sail with my feet still in the straps being pushed towards shore. twisted the ankle and had to struggle out from under the sail.

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Originally posted by holgs

Tried Leech's suggestion yesterday of keeping the feet in the straps while hanging on to the boom underwater. It felt like it could be a good way to break a leg or snap an ankle. Maybe it just feels like it but nothing can happen as long as you don't loose grip of the boom ?

Does anyone else keep their feet in the straps underwater ? Anyone had a bad experience with this ?

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I take no responsibility for broken legs or snapped ankles