wow, thanks for all the great advice. i'm especially fond of bill's suggestion that i flop to the ground to simulate a wipe out and am greatly looking forward to doing that on my strolls around the neighborhood. the people here think i'm a nut already, this will cement my reputation, thank you very much.
where i'm going is the maldives. the breaks themselves are pretty heavy but they're reefs, i believe, so there must be channels to hang loose in while i catch my breath and try to calm my nerves. then again, it might not be all that hairy. i went on a peru surf trip last year and anticipated a good pummeling but the waves broke and peeled with such machinelike consistency that even on the biggest day i felt fairly comfortable. but then i ended up in tortola, at kane garden bay, on a big day and got the trashing of my life. it just seemed to go on forever. and i knew i was being pushed toward rocks. and the fear rose up. and that's the last major wipe out i took, so it's the one upper most in my wee memory banks. and there it lingers.
so, obviously, i do have to work on some of the psychological aspects. meanwhile, you've given me a number of great ideas for ways to get at least somewhat more comfortable with hold downs. and for that, once again, i thank you.
