Last week West Oz bodyboarder Sam Matheson found a battered Morey bodyboard wedged in some rocks not far from his Albany home.

Curious about the find he posted it in on Facebook with the caption: "Found this big girl this morning wedged up under some rocks in **** **** area, would love to hear the story behind the mayhem or even the owner!"

Being such a tight-knit community it wasn't long before one of Sam's friends recognised the board. He thought it may have belonged to Damien Martin so he posted it to Damien's wall asking as much.

And it was Damien's. He lost it six months earlier during a monster swell at The Right.

Swellnet then contacted Damien to get his rundown of the session and how he lost the board.

"I towed Gringo for the first hour or so, he pulled back on a few nugs and I was blowing up and he eventually got a bomb. Wave of the day! 

When it was my turn to grab the rope I had a brand new board so I wasn't overly confident because it was a little lumpy. The first wave I bounced off my board and body surfed a 15 foot wave.

The very next wave was that straight hander from the video! It looked west when it came in so I was fully committed, got to the bottom and had a 15 foot pit coming at me. I thought I had the speed to straighten out and get in the flats...but it ended up breaking clean on my back. I got pushed so deep and so quick my eyes went black and my face felt like it was going to pop.

I pulled my suit but it didn't go off! I fully thought I was going to drown. Lost my board and fins straight away. Later I went looking for the board but had no luck. It's the second board I've lost out there. 

I watched Lewy [Finnegan] get two amazing nugs straight up, so I tried to get one more. I used Gringos board and got a 15 foot close out and a two wave hold down for it!

We bailed after that. There was no-one out and it was 15 to 20 foot and pumping. Didn't have it in me to catch another wave..."

Considering how exposed the area is to Southern Ocean swell energy, and some of the storms that developed between August and February it's amazing the bodyboard stayed in the same area for such a long period of time.

And here's the video of the wave that stole Damo's board. It didn't stand a chance!