As I’ve taught my daughter since she was a baby: 1) The Ocean doesn’t know you’re there and doesn’t care if you die. 2) Never turn your back on the Ocean. 3) Never let your surfboard get between you and an oncoming wave. (It’ll knock your teeth out!)
Good advice. It’s easy to be fooled, and pretty shocking when you’ve spent many days deliriously floating in long, gentle swell - and then it suddenly nearly kills you.