Pea Break, Injidup Bay, Western Australia

A place where gnarled limestone reefs fringe the beach and halt the march of powerful Southern Ocean swells. I didn’t have the best start; trying to skip the paddle out by running across the exposed slab of reef only to be met by a rogue set and a rolling wall of whitewater which forced me into a hole, leaving me with bruised hips and battered pride. Before long I was the only surfer left out at overhead Peas, sniffing around the solid A-frames and becoming increasingly frustrated at being pulled off the peak by the strong current. Impatient, I paddled hard for a set wave with misguided intentions of backdooring the right. Instead I paddled across the peak and was pitched with it, as far out as I was high, straight into the flats. My left arm landed first and my body followed fast behind, my elbow blowing back sharply into my ribs. I tried to get back on the horse and catch another wave but soon headed in, rather light headed. I spent the next week hugging my chest and bracing myself against door frames every time I had to laugh, cough or sneeze.