Danny Griffiths fell in a wave on White Stone in March 2017 and his advice was nowhere to be seen when he resurfaced, he told CNN on Thursday.
Despite seeking the help of some friends, the bright green counter made especially, Griffiths was forced to abandon it and “never thought we would never see him again,” he said.
However, over the last week or so, the local surfing community circulated the news that a board from Tasmania had been found in northern Queensland (about 1,700 miles away), and Griffiths was shown a photo.
“As soon as I saw it, I knew it was my board,” he said. “Even with the barnacles on top, I could tell it was mine.”
Two brothers found the board covered with barnacles.
Courtesy of Danny Griffiths
The board had been found two years ago by two brothers fishing on Magnetic Island, north Queensland, who took it home, cleaned it and displayed it at their home, he said.
Then the brothers ’parents went on a trip to Tasmania and began to tell the locals how their boys had found a locally made board.
Following the news, Griffiths contacted the couple, who agreed to send it back to its original owner.
Since then, Griffiths has spoken to a marine scientist who told him that the direction of ocean currents means the board should have traveled around New Zealand on its way to Queensland.
Griffiths took a photo navigating Pedra Branca on the board.
Andrew Chisholm
He estimates that the board spent 16 months at sea, surviving thanks to the rugged construction of high-wave boards, which are much stronger than standard models.
That means it would have withstood any collision with rocks or seabird bites, which would have made holes in a normal board and eventually sunk it, he added.
The board was made especially for surfing at Pedra Branca.
Courtesy of Danny Griffiths
Griffiths said he had the board made specifically for surfing on White Stone, a small island about 26 miles off the coast of Tasmania that can only sail once every two or four years when conditions are right.
In a strange coincidence, Griffiths and his friends had been browsing the site a couple of weeks ago and the conversation turned to the lost board.
Griffiths said he had made several spare tables, but none had felt as good as the original.
“Nothing worked so well,” he said.
However, he hopes to reunite with the lost board the following week or so and plans to test if it can still be used.