It felt great to be in the water and stretching my muscles again. I got a ways out, feeling oxygen course through my body. It felt so freeing and fun, like I was back doing laps or swimming off the coast of Oahu. Then, like a flip of a switch, my body went weak. I was suddenly exhausted. Swell after swell washed over me. I’d just catch my breath and the next one would hit. I was far enough out that I couldn’t really touch the sand.