Ass-kicking waves in Mexico
April-2010

On Madera beach in Zihuatanejo is where I spent most days. The beach is small with a lot of local kids playing football or surfing. In April the waves got bigger and bigger. My grand kids had come to visit and seemed to enjoy the beach and the waves. Later in the afternoon I had had enough of playing the good grandmother and told their mom, "I was going out to catch a few waves. It had calmed down and the waves weren't huge by any means. As I walked into the water my four year old granddaughter went whizzing by on her inner-tube. I looked back to make sure she was safely on shore. That's when a huge wave hit me, breaking over my turned head. It knocked me around but I recovered in time to see another one coming. I dove under and as I came back up, there was another one coming at me. So again and again I dove down. This happened for four of these break-ass waves, and I was hoping that was the end! If not I, was sure it would have been the end for me. I caught my breath and staggered to shore. There stood my daughters with big smiles on their faces and telling me what a beach-bum I had become. I guess they didn't notice my white face and the spit and snot coming from my nose and mouth. I was just glad to be able to walk ashore.
Back on the beach several friends were telling me what a great job I had done with those huge waves. I told them all, "Thanks for coming to save my life, I was damn near drowned, and you're all sitting here thinking it's cool."
I packed up my gear and went home to recover. It took me several trips back to the beach before I venture into the water again, and even then I was a little more cautious than normal for me.