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We all know and dread that fear of the unknown. Whether it’s the fear of some kind of impending pain like when you’re at the dentist or the fear of a new job or living situation, not knowing what is going to happen can be a lot more stressful than whatever pain or hardship we actually endure. It’s the anticipation that kills.
A recent study has confirmed the same thing. Researchers found that those study participants who were told they had a 50% chance of being shocked experienced significantly more anxiety than those who were told they would definitely be shocked or that they would not be shocked at all. However, what’s maybe even more interesting, is that those who were more stressed by uncertainty were better able to guess if they would be shocked or not. This suggests that stress could be helpful in informing people’s assessment of risk.
When applied to the context of surfing, this data seems to add up pretty accurately. Think about how stressful it is to paddle out for the first time when you’re just learning. You have no idea what it will feel like to be tumbled through the whitewater. You don’t know what it will feel like to drop into your first wave. As a result, you feel anxious, even about the fun parts; even though surfing is one of the more relaxing sports in the world.
Similarly, once you know what to expect, even when the surf is more dangerous, you tend to find it less stressful. For example, the spot you surf at every day can feel less scary when it’s 10 feet and blown to pieces than another wave you know nothing about at 6 feet. Even if you experience the worst case situation: you get caught inside, you get absolutely worked, your leash breaks, and you get washed through the impact zone, you may feel relatively less stress. It’s familiar. You’ve likely already experienced those things individually or all together, and you know what’s coming. Comparatively, if the same situation happened at a spot you had no familiarity with, you’d feel much more distress. What’s going to happen and how you’re going to react is uncertain.
Along the same line of thinking, don’t you tend to make better decisions in stressful, uncertain surfing situations than in relaxing ones? When it’s double overhead and thumping, you think through every move: whether it’s paddling for a wave, positioning yourself in the lineup, or assessing how to set your line on a wave. It seems like usually, when you know you are in a stressful situation, you make it out just fine. On the flip side, when you are completely comfortable on stupid, little small days, you get hurt or break a board. Without stress, you are more careless about our assessment of risk.
To sum it up, science just confirmed what surfers (and most people) already know. The uncertain is both scary and stressful, yet the stress the uncertain induces can help us find our way through it.
