Before 05, when I started my company, I'd go to Costa 2 weeks after Easter for the deals. A month before I'd go to a tanning saloon to get a base tan. While laying there, I'd practice holding my breath. I could go almost 3 minutes. I mentioned it to a surf mate who said that it was different when you're in white water. So I'd start thrashing about while tanning. I always wanted to go to Matapalo, hearing that it's a machine made wave, each like the other. 1st time there the waves looked fun, couple feet over head. My 2cnd wave there, came from way out, obscured by the previous wave, and I was under the lip when I saw it. I attempted a duck dive but the lip hit me on the back, pushing me to bottom, and yanking my trunks off. I didn't panic because of my practicing. I popped up, and sure enough there was an identical wave doing the same thing to me. Again and again until it let me go. There was a guy on the beach that watched me gear up and paddle out. He said "I couldn't believe you went out. I had to thank him for the heads up.