I shouldn't have been out, but loved going out too much to notice. There I was, at Makena beach, home of Maui's most notorious shorebreak. At Makena, on big to getting bigger to really big days, the waves start forming way out in the bay and begin cresting, then stop cresting, and start doubling up and the thick lip would start forming. THICK lips that would slam down with so many pounds of pressure, just breaking anything that got right under them- backs, necks, surfboards, bodyboards, hands and fingers. And if the impact zone wasn't enough on these big to all of a sudden bigger days, the risk of going over the falls and getting sucked under for too long was very available too.
I was out on a big for me day, boogieboarding, and hadn't noticed it was turning into a getting bigger kind of quick day. I was out there kicking around with my fins and bodyboard with a leash and had been avoiding most of the set waves by quickly kicking out toward the ocean trying to make it over before they started so I wouldn't have to ditch my board and dive under, risking breaking my leash. I had been trying to get the smaller waves of the day (5-6 ft. faces, big for me) and had lucked into a few 4-5 ft. ones. (faces, fun size for me) and should have realized earlier that this would not be how the rest of the days' swell would come in. I had not caught anything for about 10 or 15 minutes and noticed the line-up had sort of thinned out and I seemed to be out in front of them just going over the sets that were ending up as good sounding 10ft. Plus slammers when they finally slammed into the shallow water. I had been in this situation before at other beaches, out boogieboarding having to get over the tops of sets that looked too big for me to ride. But at Makena that day, they just seemed to be coming in at such a rate and intensity that I had never experienced.

I could hear the loud 'YEEEOOWWW!' of the hardcore locals that would drop in on these and escape injury and dive back out for more. This was a medium day for them and they were amped on the increasing swell. I was scared and wondering when the sets would let up so I could try and paddle and kick like hell through the impact zone to the shore. I stayed out in front of the line-up and looked back at the guys out there waiting for the next set. I began praying. I always did this when I was out and couldn't get back in when I wanted to. After 7 or 8 years of bodyboarding I had done this quite a few times. I felt better after doing this. It gave me sort of a second strength, of course everybody only prayed when were in any sketchy situation like this. I also prayed every time before I went into the water, right before I jumped in. I knew the ocean might be the gnarliest force of nature there was and if there was an ocean god, I definitely believed. I kept kicking around out there and my legs never got tired. It never occurred to me until now, that if my legs got tired, then, I would have really had a problem. I kicked around and wondered how far away the real deep water is and looked back and saw the outer lineup of guys staring out towards me waiting for sets. They knew what I was doing. I hoped if they lost sight of me someone would do something. There were no lifeguards at Makena then but maybe by now there are. Enough waiting. Time to plan my escape. I turned toward the beach and began kicking after waiting about 20 seconds after the last set came through. Calm. I paddled and Kicked back through the outer lineup and turned sort of left to where I felt that the impact zone wasn't as bad. Okay, now this was IT! This was where if sets start coming in I'd get pounded. Kick! man KICK! oh man did I kick. I kept kicking and turned up enough water behind me to resemble a small outboard motor. I looked back and saw the lineup all moving to the left, shit! Waves were coming in! I began paddling with both arms along with kicking. I looked forward and saw the water moving back towards the ocean, getting sucked out to form the next grinder. I felt I wasn't moving. I looked back, there it was! About 3 or 4 guys dropping in on about an 8-10 ft. face with alot of ocean behind it. Kick! Kick! Kick! There's no getting over or under this. I got to where I would be when the lip hit the surface. I wasn't underneath the lip, but was close enough the violent whitewater picked me up and put me through one of longest spin cycles I had ever been through. I took the mandatory deep breath before the ride started. It started. I began getting tossed under the surface in about four feet of water like a rag doll, break the surface, take a big breath, back under, hit sand bottom (luckily sand) and just kept getting tossed over and under the water. About 3 times I would break the surface but still feel the powerful whitewater around my legs and get pulled back down. I still have my board attached to the leash on my wrist. I am in about 3 feet of water and place my feet on the bottom and realize I have control again. I start swimming and paddling and get hit again with another. Never turn your back on the ocean. This time I wasn't ready and didn't take a deep breath before going umder the water, I swallow alot of water and get tossed around just like before, but this time the power of the water has put me in shallow enough water so I can try and stand and get air. This happens. I pull my board back to me and sort of crawl out of the water, beaten, and feeling quite lucky, almost sort of high, like an adrenaline rush. I sat down on the beach mystified at the sheer power of the ocean, catching my breath and staring out at the sets. I already want to go back but didn't. I keep sitting there and staring out at the waves break and hearing a muffled 'YEEOOOWWW!' from inside a deep barrel.

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