Jason Momoa Says on ‘Smartless’ He Almost Drowned in Big Waves Off Maui

Jason Momoa is recalling a scary surfing incident in Hawaii … he says he almost drowned in 10-foot waves.

The “Aquaman” star was on the “Smartless” podcast with Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes when he told the story of his near-death experience while doing a grueling open-ocean paddle off the coast of Maui.

Jason says he was on a 13-mile paddle near the famous Jaws surf break with big-wave surfers Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama in 2007 when, halfway through, his leash snapped and the wind pushed his board out of sight.

The actor says he was about a half-mile offshore, treading water and getting pounded by 10-foot waves … and Laird and Dave lost sight of him.

Jason says the waves were so powerful they knocked his boardshorts off … his arms and his legs were tired and he eventually gave up and “lost it” thinking about his daughter, who was 3 months old at the time.

Momoa says his body stopped and he sank down and his foot hit the outer reef … and he dug his feet into the coral and tried to jump up to the surface to breathe and get a break … but the waves kept coming and he gave up and was “screaming inside.”

Jason says Laird saved him … paddling around the waves and coming up on him from behind with his board in tow … and they had to paddle over the waves to escape the current and continue their journey.