When I hit the swell I don’t fight the current, I feel it. First I scout the tide and the wind, then I spot the wave faces that the current is nudging. I line up my board so the push of the current helps me glide into the trough, not off it. If a current’s pulling sideways I’ll angle a bit into it, using its force to steer without losing speed. In the end it’s about syncing my paddle and stance with the water’s rhythm, letting the current be a friend rather than an obstacle.