Cal Poly Student Jade Morgan Gives Insight Into Big Wave Surfing

To surf big waves you must be an ultimate waterman, have mastered the art of surfing, and be both physically and mentally prepared. It is crucial to be really in tune with the ocean. In a crisis situation, the last thing you want to do is panic. What do you do when a 32-foot wave is about to land right on your head? You dive as deep as you possibly can. You’re going to want to swim to the core of the earth because that’s about 410 tons of water, equivalent to 310 small cars about to land right on you.

Cal Poly Student and big wave surfer, Jade Morgan, has mastered the art of surfing. Each surfer has their own unique style that acts as a form of personal expression when riding a wave. Morgan’s surfing style is phenomenal, he is experienced to surf all types of waves ranging from spitting barrels to giant waves. He spends countless hours in the ocean ​​and travels to a variety of places around the world.

The infographic below shows the top 10 biggest surf locations in the world. Coming in at #2, Mavericks Beach in Northern California.

Jade Morgan caught his first wave there in 2016. He states, “I just fell in love with it, instant addiction. It felt like a whole new form of surfing you’re riding totally different boards and taking a whole different approach.” Mavericks has a very unique underwater topography and mixed with the right swell create extraordinary waves.

Surfer Jade Morgan testing the limits and air dropping into a bomb of a wave.

Naturally, when you have tons of water coming down on you, your adrenaline is through the roof. The key is to practice how to keep calm in that situation. Mental preparation and physical training go hand in hand. One way Cal Poly Student and big wave surfer, Jade Morgan, trains for big wave surfing is by building up stamina with underwater breath-holding. Breath-hold training teaches the mind what to do when under stress. Panic and struggling burn oxygen fast, therefore, moving your mind to a different place where you can run through your routine underwater keeps you calm and in control.

Here is a video of two people breath-hold training and making it fun playing a game of chess.

Jade Morgan discusses how breath-hold training helps him, “While being held down I like to escape to a happy place, I often start thinking of my morning routine and going through it again in my head to stay distracted while getting washed around underwater. Being able to picture yourself somewhere else really helps you stay calm which is really important. It’s better to take your mind somewhere else instead of counting the seconds your underwater.” Staying calm and hyperfocused on your surroundings in the water is key for everything to go smoothly.

Watch the video to see some radical surfing and find out the impact big wave surfing has on Morgan’s life.