“Deadman’s” is a fitting name for this wave in Australia.
As if a 10-foot slab unloading on a shallow rock shelf isn’t enough of a challenge, at Deadman’s, there’s also an underwater boulder just inside the takeoff zone, creating a huge step that may or may not send you flying into the abyss and onto the rocks. Every wave is a game of Russian roulette, and it’s not an exaggeration to say these guys are playing with their lives every time they take off.
If this isn’t the most psychotic slab in Australia, it’s gotta be close.
Recently, when another huge east coast low lit up Australia, Koa Rothman decided to mix it up at Deadman’s with a tight-knit group of blue-collar chargers that send it as hard as anyone in the world. Literally.
As we all know, Rothman is one of the best tube riders out there. So, to see him struggle at Deadman’s just goes to show how damn hard the wave is. In two sessions, Rothman only manages a few waves, taking one wipeout that was so damn intense it basically ripped his surfboard into tiny little shreds.
“It just tore it apart,” says Rothman while holding up the back half of his board. “There are some crazy waves out there. It’s an intense, strange wave. And when you break your board, you have to swim around this point right here, and I was more scared of getting sucked into deep water, just hearing all the shark stories.”
In summary, if the wave doesn’t get you, the sharks just might. Yep, we get where Deadman’s gets its name.
Click play for 18 minutes of carnage.