Bodysurfing Sandys and Halona Blowhole

Filmed on Oahu, Hawaii at Halona Blow Hole and Sandy’s Beach. Shots of body surfers and boogie boarders getting barreled, wiping out, and having a great time surfing Sandys.

Ironically I almost drowned making this video as I got pulled by the rip tide to a spot where waves were breaking the heaviest without noticing it at first. I started having trouble swimming back to shore because of the heavy rip current and camera in my hand. I was running out of energy and breath. The waves were pounding heavily and the rip tide kept dragging me further out. At this point I was not filming anymore because I needed my camera hand to keep afloat. I was on the verge of panicing, but I knew that it would be the worst option. Luckily I made it out by staying calm and conserving my energy by swimming on my back until I got to the impact zone where the pounding surf pushed me back to the beach.

I was pretty exhausted and happy that I didn’t need to call the lifeguards and that I didn’t drown. I’m also happy to share this video with everyone, especially those who are not able to get out there and experience the magic of the ocean first hand and those who might get caught up in this situation in the future. The most important lesson when facing an extreme situation is to not panic, stay calm, believe that you will overcome, and to devise and act out a sound strategy of survival.