If you surf even half-way frequently, you’ll have been caught inside. It’s certainly not the best feeling, but it’s part and parcel of surfing. When the waves get big and the reef is shallow, getting caught inside can be a pretty awful feeling — shoulders gassed, lungs burning, and the sets just don’t seem to stop. By the time they finally do, it feels as though you can’t paddle anymore, even though now is the time to do it. And so, of course, you paddle. Paddle with those gassed shoulders and burning lungs. Paddle with your head down, your gasping breaths echoing off the deck of your surfboard. And then, with any luck, you’re outside. Outside just in time for the set of the day. Those gassed shoulders suddenly have new life. Either that or you blow the take off and wind up caught inside again.
Koa Rothman has been hurt and caught inside a million and one times, so he decided that he’d have a sit down and walk the more casual surfer through what happens when you’re caught inside on a big day over a shallow reef. It’s basically what you’d expect, but… well, try and avoid it.
