113 How To Surf Bigger Waves + A Guide To Surfing Big Waves 39451v

Are you drawn to bigger waves but unsure how to prepare for them—physically, mentally, and emotionally? In this solo episode, host Michael Frampton takes you behind the scenes of his first big wave experience—a 4.5-meter swell at an outer reef—and breaks down exactly what it took to be ready. If you’ve ever fantasized about chasing bigger sets but fear the consequences, this episode offers a realistic, no-BS look at the process. Learn the step-by-step training that prepared Michael to survive and thrive in serious surf conditions. Discover the tools, breathwork, and physical prep that separate survivors from statistics. Get a raw, firsthand story of what it feels like to be caught in a rogue triple overhead clean-up set—and paddle back out. Hit play now to learn what it really takes to surf big waves safely and confidently, whether it’s a double-overhead local break or an outer reef monster. Key Points Today's episode focuses on how to surf bigger waves, including big waves, with host Michael Frampton sharing his personal experience and steps taken to surf a four and a half meter swell at an outer reef. Michael Frampton recounts his journey from a self-taught surfer in New Zealand to surfing big waves on the east coast of Australia, guided by his surf coach and mentor. After six months of preparation, Michael Frampton received a text confirming he was ready to surf the outer reef, detailing the challenges faced during a massive rogue set of waves. Michael Frampton describes the intense experience of being caught in massive triple overhead waves, emphasizing the physical and mental challenges of surfing such conditions. Despite the difficulties, Michael Frampton managed to recover and paddle out, gaining a new appreciation for those who regularly surf big waves. Step one in Michael Frampton's preparation involved acquiring a big wave gun and familiarizing himself with the board in various conditions. Michael Frampton attended a breath hold course run by Nam Baldwin, focusing on underwater preparation and stress management techniques for big wave surfing. Comprehensive strength training, gym work, and consistent surfing were integral parts of Michael Frampton's six-month preparation for big wave surfing. Understanding the surf break, including diving to explore the underwater terrain, was a crucial step in Michael Frampton's preparation. Michael Frampton emphasizes the importance of knowing one's limits, being patient, and trusting instincts when preparing to surf bigger waves.  Outline Introduction to the Episode The episode focuses on how to surf bigger waves, specifically big waves. Michael Frampton, the host, shares personal experiences and insights on surfing big waves. The episode aims to help ionate surfers catch more waves, surf with more speed, style, grace, and gain confidence in the water. Personal Experience with Big Wave Surfing Michael Frampton recounts a personal experience of surfing a four and a half meter swell at an outer reef on the east coast of Australia. The experience involved a clean-up set with massive triple overhead waves. Michael describes the challenges faced, including being dragged underwater and the physical impact of landing at high speed. Steps to Prepare for Surfing Bigger Waves Step one involves getting a big wave gun, the right equipment for the types of waves to be surfed. Step two is attending a breath hold course run by Nam Baldwin, focusing on underwater prep and breathing techniques for managing anxiety and stress. Six months of breath hold training and nervous system management training were part of the preparation. Strength training, gym work, and regular surfing were essential to maintain fitness and agility. Understanding the surf break itself is crucial, including diving to see what's under the break and discussing with experienced surfers. Patience and knowing one's limits are emphasized, with a rule of thumb being if one is not comfortable swimming the conditions, they should not surf. Resources for Further Learning For more details on the topics discussed, visit surfmastery.com and check out the Wave Catching Academy. Free PDFs, blog posts, and a back catalogue of the Surf Mastery podcast are available for additional information. Transcription Today's episode is all about how to surf bigger waves—even big waves. Uh, welcome back or welcome to the Surf Mastery Podcast, the podcast that helps ionate, lifelong surfers to catch more waves, surf with more speed, style, grace, and to gain wisdom and confidence in the water. I am your host, Michael Frampton, and in today's episode, you're gonna learn all about how to surf bigger waves. Let me tell you about how I recovered from a cleanup set in a four-and-a-half meter swell at an outer reef. You know, ever since I started surfing, I've always been drawn to bigger waves, but it was never really a reality, sort of growing up as a self-taught surfer in the part of New Zealand where I was. But then, of course, I found myself living on the East Coast of Australia, and there was an outer reef that I'd seen break, and a friend of mine—my surf coach, my mentor—regularly did, and I decided I wanted to surf it. So he thankfully guided me through the process of preparing for that. And I —gosh—after six months of prep, leading up to these winter swells coming through, I got the text saying, "You're ready. It's on. See you out there." And I managed to get through the shore break, and just as I was getting to the takeoff zone, to the lineup, a massive rogue set came through. You know, the horizon started to go dark, everyone scrambled and paddled, and about five massive triple-overhead waves came through. Thankfully, they broke a bit further out than us, 'cause I can't imagine getting a lip of one of those on the head. But these huge—I just —just massive walls of white water just steamrolling through, dragging everyone hundreds of meters in, underwater for a long time, just being ripped apart. When waves are that big, literally the water is trying to rip your limbs off. But I managed to come up and recover from that and paddle out the back, do some breathing, regain some calmness. And I the first wave I paddled into—I under-paddled a little bit, got caught up in the lip, it threw me three-quarters of the way down the face. Landed. Felt like concrete when you're landing at that speed. Instant saltwater enema through the wetsuit—never clenched so hard in my life. Managed to recover from that as well, paddled back out, and then got three of the biggest waves I'd ever surfed in my life. And what an experience. Gosh. And a new appreciation was gained for those that regularly surf waves like that—and of course, a lot bigger. So let me take you through the steps that led me to that day. First of all, I was a pretty experienced surfer. I'd regularly surfed, you know, double-overhead waves, so I wasn't a stranger to decent-sized waves. And I had a mentor who guided me through it. These are the steps that I took. So, step number one was to get a big wave gun. You need the right equipment for the types of waves that you're going to surf. And then I surfed that board a lot—in all conditions: small waves, onshore waves, all conditions. Just really got familiar with that piece of equipment. So that was step one. Step two, I went to a breath-hold course. It was run by Nam Baldwin, and that was—we covered two things. There was underwater prep for surfing big waves specifically, but also breathing techniques for managing your anxiety and managing your stress levels. And then got to practice those learnings with a group. So there were six months of breath-hold training and nervous system management training that went into the preparation for that day. There was a lot of strength training, a lot of gym work, keeping strong, fit, agile—as well as a lot of surfing. So I was very surf-fit, paddle-fit. Step number four was understanding the surf break itself. It wasn’t the kind of break that broke in small waves, but there were a few swells where it kind of broke a little bit, so I got to surf it. I also did some diving—got some fins and a mask—and went out there and, you know, looked underneath. See what's under there. So really understanding the break was another important step. There was a lot of preparation and planning. There was a lot of discussion with surfers that had surfed that break. Like, where did they paddle out? What do they do if their leash breaks? And of course, I understood my limits. I wasn't doing this alone. So, be patient. You know, surfing is a long game, and preparing to surf bigger waves doesn't necessarily mean that you have to surf the next time that it's big. Trust your instincts. Know your limits. A good rule of thumb here is: if you're not comfortable swimming the conditions, definitely don't surf. Even brand new leg ropes can break. If you want to learn more about some of the details about what I talked about in today's episode and others, go to surfmastery.com and check out the Wave Catching Academy, where we go into a lot of details about all this stuff, plus a lot more. There are also free PDFs available at surfmastery.com, as well as blog posts. And of course, there is a back catalog of the Surf Mastery Podcast full of interviews and tips. Please share this episode with a friend if you enjoyed it, and give us a rating and a review—it would be great. Until next time, keep surfing. 113 How To Surf Bigger Waves + A Guide To Surfing Big Waves For the ionate surfer—whether you're a weekend warrior, a surf dad, or an older surfer—this podcast is all about better surfing and deeper stoke. With expert surf coaching, surf training, and surfing tips, we’ll help you catch more waves, refine your paddling technique, and perfect your pop up on a surfboard. From surf workouts to handling wipeouts, chasing bigger waves, and mastering surf technique, we’re here to make sure you not only improve but truly enjoy surfing more—so you can get more out of every session and become a wiser surfer. Go from Beginner or intermediate Surfer to advanced. 2fn2z