Did Jason Momoa Almost Drown While Surfing in Hawaii?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Jason Momoa faced a near-drowning incident while surfing.
- He was stranded at sea due to a snapped leg rope.
- Momoa's experience led him to quit smoking.
- The challenges of surfing at Pe'ahi, known as Jaws.
- Momoa emphasizes the importance of resilience and personal change.
Los Angeles, Aug 14 (NationPress) Hollywood star Jason Momoa disclosed that he encountered a near-drowning experience while surfing in Hawaii back in 2007.
The Aquaman actor was navigating Pe'ahi, the largest surf break in Maui, known as Jaws, during an extensive paddle through Hawaiian waters in 2007 when his leg rope snapped amidst strong winds. Initially, he felt “fine” despite the massive waves crashing around him, according to reports from femalefirst.co.uk.
During an appearance on the Smartless podcast, he recounted, “I was doing this paddle, we went in at Jaws. We paddled like 13 miles down the coast. You're kind of almost a mile offshore, and then my leash snapped. We're about seven miles into it and my leash snapped, and it's so windy on Maui.”
The star expressed confidence in his training, stating he was doing well.
“I took quite a few on the head. They're pretty big, like 10-foot Hawaiian waves. But I'm probably half a mile at that point offshore… There's all this water that pulls out of a channel there, (and) you just get hit with these waves.”
The Aquaman star found himself “stuck”, and his body started to “give up” as he awaited rescue.
He elaborated, “I was stuck in this crazy spot, which is probably the outer reef and unknown to me. I was really on the outer reef and they couldn't see me. I had my paddle and I was waving it and they couldn't see me, and the waves were so big.”
“I was out there for a while, and I just couldn't see anyone coming to get me. I couldn't move anymore, and my arms and my legs gave up after, you know, I was out there for a while... My body stopped. Like I couldn't move my arms anymore, and I bubbled down. Then my toe hit the outer reef. I literally gave up, and I'm screaming inside.”
The 46-year-old actor was eventually located by one of his surfing companions, but the return journey to shore proved to be challenging.
He reminisced, “I get back on the board and we start paddling. He's like, 'You got to go out,' so we just keep paddling out.”
Momoa continued, “I have seven more miles to paddle. My feet are covered in blood, and I'm just literally (with) my ancestors just paddling the rest of this way, head down, and we get out.”
Ultimately, Momoa made it back to the shore and immediately gave up his dangerous smoking habit.
He shared, “I used to smoke two, three packs a day. I couldn't stop for my kids, I couldn't stop for my ex, I couldn't stop smoking. And the moment I came out, I never smoked again. Like, I just died. I tried and tried, but I couldn't do it again because I just gave up. Like, I gave up my life.”