The surf was already pounding as he jumped into the kayak and tucked his legs in. He started furiously paddling, heading directly into the waves coming ever closer to the breakers. A moment’s thought and he had pressed the record button on his helmet cam, barely breaking stroke.

Slipping the skirt up over the lip of the kayak in one deft move two strong pushes forward and he broke the massive approaching wave, diving through the middle as the water rushed through on all sides and over and past his head. He swept through a second wave, soaking him and the entire length of the boat. All he knew was to keep the bow pointed perpendicular and keep pushing forward.

100 yards from the shore and beginning to strain he had found his way to the rolling sea. There was a strong breeze and it caught the top of the waves and sprayed foam into his face, but he didn’t care for he was alive and free.

A quick but ultimately pointless wipe of his glasses to clear the mist away and he carried on up onto the top of each roller, turning around and catching a glimpse of the wide sunny beach, and down into the chasm, the space between the waves where only he and the sky existed in the universe. Over and between again and again he played as though this were an amusement ride built exclusively for him in this moment.

Exhilarated he climbed one wave and fell down the next. What fun.

While cresting one more time he noticed his wife waving him down. It was time to come in.

A twist and a shove and he was once again bound for shore, waves passing under him from behind. A push at the top of a wave sent him surging forward as his boat and the sea became one motive force.

When he reached the breakers he knew to be careful and started reversing his paddle motion over the white water coursing around him. He knew that the round hull of the boat could catch wrong and turn him rolling all sideways into water. This wasn’t his first time and swimming into shore was his least favorite thing to do.

A few final strokes through the foamy surf allowing the boat to skitter itself onto the beach and he was done. A quick exit and a drag through the sand, he stowed his gear with a wide toothy grin and whooped with laughter.

He could finally breathe.