Beyond the camera's gaze, the ocean holds sway over all. Aquaman star Jason Momoa learned this harsh lesson firsthand during an arduous paddle through Hawaii's treacherous waters, where he teetered on the brink of disappearance. "We embarked on this paddle at Jaws," Momoa recounted on Monday's fresh episode of the Smartless podcast, employing the moniker for Pe'ahi, Maui's most formidable surf break. "We navigated some 13 miles down the coast, roughly a mile offshore, when my leash abruptly snapped. We were seven miles in, and the winds in Maui were relentless."
Cohost Sean Hayes inquired of the former maritime screen deity, Baywatch lifeguard, and descendant of a renowned Hawaiian surfing clan, if a "survival protocol" kicked in when he sensed grave peril. "I was well-trained, so I was composed," Momoa replied. "I took several blows to the head from towering Hawaiian waves, some reaching 10 feet. Yet, I found myself half a mile offshore, in a place aptly named 'Shitfucks' due to its powerful currents and relentless waves bashing against an underwater channel."
Momoa recounted that initially, he felt in control, until circumstances spiraled out of hand. "I was stranded on the outer reef, an uncharted territory for me. They couldn't see me despite my waving paddle amidst colossal waves," he narrated. "When I thought of my then-three-month-old daughter Lola Iolani, I panicked. I thought, 'Oh shit.'"
His ordeal worsened before showing signs of improvement. "After being adrift for an extended period, no rescue was in sight. My limbs gave out, exhausted from the relentless struggle. I felt myself sinking, my toes grazing the outer reef. I surrendered internally, silently screaming."
Fortuitously, one of Momoa's surfing companions spotted him, but their shared battle for survival had merely commenced. "I remounted my board and we resumed paddling. He urged, 'You have to keep going,' so we paddled onwards," Momoa explained. Currents thwarted their direct path to shore, while "brutal waves" claimed both their boards. "Seven more miles awaited me, my feet bloody, as I paddled the remaining distance with the strength of my ancestors, head bowed, until we finally reached land."
Momoa ultimately emerged ashore, yet the experience etched an indelible mark. "I used to smoke two to three packs a day. I couldn't quit for my children, my ex, or myself. But after that ordeal, I never smoked again. I had faced death and tried quitting countless times before, but this time, I couldn't smoke again because I had given up. I had given my life over."
The Hawaii native conquered the sea's wrath and more recently wrestled with another primal force: fire. During the filming of Apple TV+'s historical series Chief of War, Momoa ventured into Kalapana's lava fields and even witnessed an eruption of the famed Kīlauea volcano. "I knew the volcano would erupt, but everyone laughed and disbelieved me," Momoa shared with Entertainment Weekly earlier this month. "You're disturbing a myriad of spirits and mana. It was surreal, yet carried an incredibly positive energy."
