>>>>>>>>>>>your worst wipeout<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I fell 22' from a 2 story house at work a few years ago,I was flapping my arms like a hummingbird and had time to say "oh shit" before I hit the ground.Luckily I was in really good shape at the time,I landed on my feet and immediately fell on my ass,but got up and walked away without the slightest of injury but my nerves were a little racked.I've only surfed florida so no real surfing wipeouts to date,ran out of air a few times after being pushed down deep but thats about it.

nothing fancy from me, 1. a three wave set triple pounder with a gasp for air between the first two up north shore decades ago, n and ne swell kept bumpin into each other for two days. We were deep on the right side of Waimea, then I was to the rocks, paddled around and crawled up on the beach at three tables then sat there and sat there some more. Same thing here in japan once but s and se, great typhoon waves though. Blew and tumbled me to the rocks but got back out and had a great session. 3 Broken board and long swim against the Haleiwa channel at Puaena, 4 ripped leash plug and long swim to the beach for my board here in Japan last year. Outgoing tides both times.

Best wipeout ive seen was tc up north.

Pascuales, Colima.  Solid overhead.  Place is seriously heavy.  Took the first one of a set on the head on the paddle out, got separated from my board, board got seperated from my leash.   Held down like never before or after, I was actually relieved when I got bounced off the sandbar because it gave me a direction to push off from to reach the surface.  Came up, got a breath, got nailed again, thrashed, rashed on the sandbar, rinse, lather, repeat.  After the third wave I got a chance to catch my breath a little.   I was solidly in the "work zone" still, and had to swim out to try to get under the next waves rather than take them on the head again.  That was a crappy decision to have to make.  By the time I finally swam in I was completely exhausted.  In all my surfing, it was the only time I seriously had some fear about making it back to shore.

Photo from that morning, non-set wave:

Worst wipeout was getting poked in the eye by someone else's board.  Going down the line at Rat Beach... see another guy coming towards me from the next peak down the beach... I grab the nose of my board and kickout... only to see him panic and launch his board right into my eye.  Concussion and paralyzed iris.  My pupil was wide open for thirteen years from that.  Then one day, it started working again.  

Many (many) wipeouts over the years.

The closest I've come to thinking it may be the end was in Hanalei some years ago.  Titus was calling it 25' Hawaiian.  The faces were about 40' or so.  I was living in Paris - going to art school - at the time, and hadn't been surfing much... except for trips to see my family on Kauai.  I wasn't in the best surf shape.  I knew the waves were big, but they get much bigger after the long paddle out when you can actually see them up close.  I was riding a new 8'10 gun - too short for the conditions, but that's what I had.... plus I was sporting my art school ultra thin look, so I didn't need the same amount of foam I do now.

After what seemed like the longest paddle out ever, I placed myself outside, thinking I'd just bob and collect my thoughts.  All of a sudden a massive set wave appeared beyond the lineup.  I was in the death zone with no possible escape.  I looked around and realized the low tide was going to make the pounding even more sketch, since I could see almost dry reef in the boneyard.  I reached down and stripped off my leash, thinking I'd have a better chance on my own.  I said "good luck, I hope to see you again" and pushed my board away from me before taking a breath and heading as deep as I could.  

I took the pounding of my life.  I thought for sure I'd be smacking into hard coral and becoming fish food.  I could feel coral fingers as I brushed by them, but magically, I escaped with just a few very minor scratches.  

I swam to my board and paddled out again... only to have the exact same thing happen!  Crap... I was still a bit numb from the last pounding, so I wasn't as freaked.  Same washing machine rag-doll through the coral.  Again... no major impacts.  I was still alive.  Back to my board for the second time, and I hadn't even (voluntarily) caught a wave yet.

This time I paddled way the f*#k outside.  I didn't want anything to do with the death zone.  I didn't even want to catch anything except my composure.  I thought I'd bob around for awhile and shake the feeling of the near death experience(s) I just went through.  

All of a sudden... another outside set-wave started jacking, and I'm right there... not way outside like I was thinking.  There were a couple local heavies watching and hooting, and I had no choice but to turn and drop in.  It was a "push the tail in, pop forward, take two strokes, and freefall" kinda deal.  I remember my board and I didn't really seem connected until I got towards the bottom.  Somehow we became one, and I made what was probably the bottom turn of my life.  I focused down the line at the bowl that was pitching in front of me.  You could have driven a Mac truck through there and come out dry.  The ONLY way out was through the biggest tube I've ever seen.  I drove up the face and positioned myself high so I'd have a shot at it.  I made it!  

After that it was a cakewalk for what seemed like miles.  All I could see in front of me was an endless perfectly formed - and huge - face.  I love big waves because there is so much room to move around.  The sweet spot grows along with everything else.  That may have been the single best wave in my life.  It washed away the feeling of death I experienced moments before.  

I paddled back out for three more with a whole new attitude.  After 45 years of surfing, that's my standout day.  I went home with a new perspective on things.  I survived a near death (two) experience, and came to terms with the sea.  It was clear there is no "conquering" to be done.  I knew that was a losing attitude.  My level of respect for the ocean, waves, my life, other surfers, and pretty much everything on earth went way up that day.

I like that one Kendall...