I would like to tell you about me being scared. And the dangers of swimming 8- to 10-foot Green Bush at close proximity to the reef with a very large camera. I assure you it’s a scary place at any breakable size and I was scared. But in the split second this photo was taken all those types of thoughts were absent from my mind. It may have been the only time during this session that I wasn’t thinking, “Oh fuck, I’m gonna catch this one on the head a take a first hand reef tour all the way home.”

“The Bush” is very fickle, only showing her true self to a select few lucky individuals during the season. Out of these few blessed souls there are only a small handful of chargers with enough tiger taming skills to see it through her three ring circus of fire. It is not a lineup for the faint of heart, the slippers of rail or the whoa-nelly pull backers. For those who do go down and everyone does there lies a nautical nightmare of various reef objects to bounce and pinball through. During a stumble while spinning out of control one has to wonder what part of the flesh might become acquainted with what lies below. As the wave draws off the reef with increasing violence it sends all the ocean’s energy into the lip. Here it becomes questionable whether there will be enough water still on the reef to glide safely over. This is “the belly of the beast,” “Custer’s last stand,” “The Alamo” a place where dreams and nightmares are made, confidence — along with other body parts — is either built or graded off.

With all this in mind I would like you to note the calm collected body language of Mr. Luke Hynd in this photo. There seems to be no thoughts of the above mentioned nightmares. He has been dreaming of this return to Bush moment for many nights and seems to know exactly what to do.

So you were waiting for the reef rash stories, the near drownings, etc. Well I have those stories and pictures to go with them but from now on and forever we will try to avoid those sorts of unpleasant memories. Today we take a page from Mr. Hynd’s book on how to tackle the Green Bush or life for that matter. Make every wave, get “the shot,” kick out in the channel to a cold beer with a smile on our face. That should always be the plan.—Timmy Ridenour

Watch Luke Hynd in much solder climates in his latest vid “The Set Menu” here: