How to Execute a 'Rock Jump'

There's few things more glorious to watch in surfing than a failed rock jump, or “rock off” in the biz. By now I hope you've seen the footage of some guy getting his hopes and dreams dashed in front of, what I can only hope is 394 spectators on the boardwalk of Manly.

If not here it is.

Rock off enough, and it's not a matter of if it happens to you, but when.

Now, solid rock off game is an essential part of any surfers repertoire. It saves your arms, and if executed correctly and with the minimum amount of fuss and prancing around on the rocks, makes you look like you're a seasoned professional and actually know what your doing.

The idea is. You choose your point, hopefully outside of the break, pick your line with the least slippery shit, wait for the end of the set (something old mate forgot about), then you make your move to the edge and time it with a smaller surge to cover any rocks that might be lurking in the foam, and away you go. Easy! Although, once the wheels are in motion and you're committed, like going all in at the Casino, it's hard to back out of.

As easy as it seems, sometimes nature throws a few curve balls your way though. Like a 3 footer out of nowhere, as happened above. You're picking your way through, making good time, you look up, and the horizon has darkened just a fraction... You know what's coming. The guys in the lineup know whats coming. And sure as shit, the Peanut Gallery on top of the cliffs know what's coming as well. You can almost feel them jabbing each other in the ribs. “'ave a look at this dickhead!”

Where there was once confidence and bravado and the hope of a quick entry into the lineup with dry hair, has now been replaced with terror, uncertainty and a sure beating as your impending doom rears itself to its full height and bears down upon you with, what seems at the time, the entire ocean behind it. All of it destined for your shitty little outcrop of rock on which you've chosen to make your last stand.

The scene is finally set for one of the greatest shows in surfing.

Here's a professional big wave charger getting his arse handed to him at North Point, WA.

There's little you can do in a situation like this. It's not going to be pretty, so I figure skins costs nothing to heal, boards do. And chicks dig scars... So I usually go for one of two choices. I try and find something I can hide behind. A rock (or mate) and hopefully it'll cushion the blow and I'll skip the worst of it, or I go for the arse-slide-over-rock-with-board-in-air option. Each are just as un-elegant as the other, and I'm not sure how effective either are really...

Here's a few tips that I've learnt over the years in between dashings though;

• Wear shoes as little as possible out of the water. Sounds all hippy and shit, but it toughens up your feet and might just let you drop that U-Turn and get the hell out of there. It also gets you in touch with mother earth... man.
• Watch the locals. Look at how they do it, and do the same. If you're not sure, just paddle.
• Take your time. Watch the sets, and time it right. Another 15 seconds isn't going to ruin your session. Losing a fin will.
• When you make it to the edge and you're unsure of what's below the surface, rock off with your board fins up. Same goes for if you're walking out over reef or boulders like low tide Ulu's. Fins and boxes are expensive to replace. This also may just save your fins if you're getting dragged over the rocks like Old Mate.
• And last but not least. If you do fuck it up and get your arse dragged across the shelf. Go again and paddle out anyway. It hurts a lot less than walking back past the Peanut Gallery...