Surf Vlogger Nearly Drowns After Leash-Snapping Wipeout in Hawaii (Video)
“I just almost died.”
That was novelty wave aficionado, and surf vlogger extraordinaire, Ben Gravy, following a sketchy scenario on the North Shore of Oahu from a few years back.
And now, Gravy’s back to breakdown what exactly led to this near-death experience.
It all happened back in 2022, when Gravy – a New Jersey native – went to Hawaii to spend some time with a fellow surf vlogger, Jamie O’Brien. But JOB, being one of the best to ever do it at Pipeline, perhaps overestimated Gravy’s ability at the world’s deadliest wave.
And Gravy nearly didn’t make it out alive.
“Pipeline is the world’s most famous, and probably the world’s deadliest wave,” Gravy explains in a new video from Camp Gagnon. “But, it’s the spot…out of all surfing.”
Gravy goes on to explain to the laypeople the mechanics of Pipeline – how it breaks, Backdoor vs. Pipe, the dangers, the glory, and the dreaded rip currents.
Related: Watch: Pipeline Wipeout Almost Kills Pro Surfer Koa Rothman
“There’s this suction in between the reef [from Backdoor to Off-the-Wall],” he continues. “It’s like a phenomenon tht happens. I was in between Backdoor and Off-the-Wall. I took a wave, and there was a set wave behind it. You’re never supposed to take the first wave of the set, because there’s always a wave behind it. Next wave hits me, breaks my leash, and I’m stuck in the vortex. I can’t get to the surface. I was literally about to die.”
Luckily, Gravy did not die. He went on to become one of the most popular players in the niche world of novelty wave surf vloggers.
But it just goes to show – know your limits, never test Pipeline’s fury.
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