Living Water by Matt Beacham
I was out recently on a beautiful little stomach high barreling day. After this one left, I started paddling out on a shallow side section of the inside sandbar. This day was primed for easy paddle-outs, but on this paddle I was met with a slew of waves.
I was on a 9’4’’, which means you have three options in getting through an oncoming wave of consequence if you are not wearing a leash.
Option #1: When you see the wave approaching, speed up your paddle, then do a push up on the board and lift the nose just slightly above the foam. You will usually go vertical with your surfboard and use all your strength to correct it flat against the power of the stomach high wave.
Option #2: As the wave approaches, you sink one rail of the longboard by bounce-forcing the right or left rail underwater in a push up position. This is a pseudo duck dive and it works in some scenarios if you have the arm strength and body weight.
Option #3: The turtle roll!! The turtle roll is so sweet. It works without a hitch 95% of the time on smaller days. As the wave approaches, you flip the board, hold your breath, and let the wave pass over you as you are upside down. I know, it’s so Top Gun.
So, on this day, at this moment, I met a few waves head on with different techniques. Then I met a few more. Then I began to think, “Hey, this isn’t normal, I’ve met like 10 waves in a row and I’m not even on the main sandbar.” A couple more and I began to notice that no waves were breaking anywhere else but in front of me. After a couple more at the apex of power and not going anywhere, it became a bit comical. At this point I realized that no waves were breaking a football field length on either side of me, but I was taking these little peaks on the head.
It was at that moment that God began to chat with me. It’s not the first time he has spoken to me about this. The word was: “Don’t choose to be under the power of sin, or be unwilling to admit that you are wrong, because it looks exactly like this.” I’ll chew on that for a bit.
"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." - James 4:17
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