“Even Aquaman needed a lifeguard” 🌊😳 Jason Momoa relives the Maui wipeout that left him bloodied, breathless — and quit smoking on the spot. A near‑drowning, a second chance, and a promise kept. Read the full story below 👇
Jason Momoa, 46, opened up on the SmartLess podcast about how he finally quit smoking after years of struggling with the habit. The actor revealed that it took a terrifying surfing experience to completely change his perspective.
He recalled competing off the coast of Maui when he lost his board in rough waters. “I got stuck in this crazy spot — probably an outer reef I didn’t know about. My friends couldn’t see me. I waved my paddle around, but nothing worked. The waves were so massive and powerful, they almost ripped my shorts off,” he said.
Momoa described the moment he was slammed by another wave and forced to brace his feet against coral. “I was literally in the middle of the ocean, water everywhere, barely able to lift my head to breathe. I almost gave up… It was like dying and then being given a second chance.”
One of his friends eventually spotted and rescued him. When they reached shore, Momoa realized his legs were covered in blood from trying to hold on to the coral. That moment, he decided, was a turning point. “From the second I got to land, I never smoked again. I couldn’t save myself out there — I didn’t have the strength. I just gave up, like I was willingly letting go of my life,” he admitted.
What do you think of Jason’s life-changing decision? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
