3 Secrets to Surviving Big Wave Hold Downs

Koa Smith is no stranger to wild rides, and the wipeouts that come with them, whether at home in Hawaii or at some of the heaviest waves around the world. If you're wondering how to stay positive when things get real, he's a great resource.

Editor's note: If you're serious about enjoying heavy water, check out the BWRAG program.

3 Secrets to handle big wave hold downs

1. Body positioning

Koa's first tip is to be mindful of your body position and how to ball up for safety. He says the key is to find the right balance of staying compact to protect yourself and not using much energy, "Whenever I fall on a big wave, I instantly go to this strong, solid foundation. It's a mix of not flexing too hard, and not tensing up. But you want to be guarding your head and you want to be solid."

We're lucky that water is more forgiving than concrete but it's still important to protect your head whenever taking a big spill.

2. Focus point

The trick here is to keep your mind calm while chaos is all around, again, to conserve oxygen. You can actually simulate this easily with land-based breath work. Do some breath holds while relaxed and mark you time. Then try and hold your breath as you think of all the stressful things you've got to do (bills, deadlines, quotas, KPIs, ROI) and see how just how much it impacts your time.

Koa credits big wave legend Russel Bierke with sharing a simple technique that works well, counting. Instead of letting your thoughts run wild, find a focus point, like counting 1-2-3, that will help soothe the mind and conserve oxygen. Seeing Russel's wipeout below, I wonder how long he counted for on that one.

3. Enjoy the ride

This one may be easier said than done but if you can find a way to bring joy into the situation, you'll be in for a much smoother experience. Now, if you can hold your breath for 3+ minutes then having a laugh for 30 seconds underwater is possible. For most people, its unthinkable.

The point is that --if you truly want to surf big waves--it's up to you to demystify the fear of being underwater, have fun, and trust that you'll come back up and will be breathing soon enough .

Koa says, "Think about it as fun, as you're counting, and in a solid position, and it makes you way less afraid to fall."