I usually let myself get rag dolled or tuck myself into a ball until I feel the leash tug. Like everyone else that chimed in, come up with your hands in front of your head. If the tide is low you might consider trying to extend your hands above your head to protect it from possibly hitting the bottom. The stroke in the video is effective at depth, away from the surface of the ocean where you might encounter more turbulence. Last winter I lost my board and ended up having to swim to shore. Swimming in a 6/5/4 is pretty tough (for me). I was not making progress with the crawl, or breaststroke and seemed to be taking water on the head every time I came up or turned for air. I was already exhausted from surfing, out of breath, and starting to panic. Ended up doing a combination of the survival float and elementary backstroke. Survival float gave me an opportunity to calm down and regulate my breathing. Elementary backstroke allowed me to continue breathing while being able to glide effectively toward the shore. Once on the inside I watched for a wave and bodysurfed in. Not panicking required a conscious effort on my part, I had to stop and realize what was happening, which is not always the easiest thing to do when suddenly confronted by a situation.
