https://maps.app.goo.gl/LbgmFB9wo8B2tJPR9
I had a close call here on Labor Day 2023. Huge waves surf advisory. I normally do a snorkel swim from Big CDM over the little CDM and back. And if there's good waves over at little cdm I do a little bodysurfing before I return.
This was my second swim for the day. In the morning the waves were big as well but didn't seem to be so big - they were not a major challenge.
In the afternoon however I caught a wave coming into little CDM and lost one of my fins. This slowed me down cuz I was looking for my fin. Found my fin but by the time I did the next way was coming in and I had to do a duck 🦆 dive. Also had my snorkel and mask off in one hand and now I'm holding onto one of the fins as well, making it more difficult to swim with only one hand available.
Normally the big waves 🌊 come only a few two or three and then there's a break before the next set. But this seemed to be like a 10 or 12 wave set. They just kept coming and they were all big ones too. I'm not exaggerating. At first I was trying to go back OUT to get beyond the break. But with my hands full and only one fin I couldn't get out there.
Two or three more waves came over and I'm holding my breath. So I realize I need to go BACK IN TO THE BEACH. Three or four more waves come over my head and I'm getting tired and unable to hold my breath for long anymore.
By this time the lifeguard is starting to show some concern. He's standing on the beach but not in the water yet and he calls for the yellow boat to come. I think he could have come in the water a little bit earlier. He never actually did. The yellow boat arrived just as I was getting to the beach 🏖️
And I finally managed to scrape my way to shore literally VERY SHORT ON BREATH and holding onto my mask snorkel 🤿 & fin with both hands at this time. As I almost crawled onto shore I realized I had a crowd watching. It's kind of creepy because NOBODY shows any emotion- they just watch you like it's a TV show. Like you're on YouTube or something.
Would have been nice if somebody had said "Glad you made it. We were worried about you" or something. Needless to say I walked back to Big CDM to get my towel this time, for the first time ever.
Makes me appreciate being able to BREATHE again.
Thank you God 🙏✝️👍
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