“Aquaman” star Jason Momoa recently revisited a terrifying moment from his past: a life-threatening surf accident off the coast of Maui’s infamous “Jaws” wave break. Reflecting on the ordeal during an episode of the SmartLess podcast, Momoa revealed how a snapped surf leash left him stranded amid towering 10-foot swells, battling exhaustion and sinking into despair.
Paddling miles offshore with friends and pro surfers, Momoa found himself in a dire spot—his arms and legs failing, hope fading. He shared, “My body stopped… I literally gave up.” In a moment that erased the thrill of fear, all he could think about was his three-month-old daughter.
Salvation came unexpectedly: using his toe, he found purchase on a coral reef, giving him just enough strength to survive another wave and eventually paddle back to shore.
That brush with mortality sparked a profound life change—Momoa, who had smoked two to three packs a day for years, walked off the beach and quit on the spot. “I just died… I gave up my life,” he recalled, underscoring how close he came to never breathing freely again.
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