openwater swimming exit with high swell

When there is a high swell in open water at a beach, I understand entering the ocean is a three step procedure – walking (sideways to the waves), duck diving (after waist depth), then swimming (after around two dives, or when the floor is no longer reachable).

I’ve found then on some days I dive from shoulder-high depth, as the waves break there and are around two meters high.

When exiting, there is a complication that the head is normally in the water. Looking back slows me down. It is rather difficult to assess the size of the waves. I find that often I just stop at shoulder depth and walk from there. In a timed swim this is obviously not the best way to do it.

Do you have any good tips or guides about the exit, please? The main risk is the wave dumping me on the sand. The beach has a step at the exit, it is rather shallow there and I would prefer to avoid it.

I’ve checked at youtube, but from what I could see there is not a lot of relevant results for people without a surfboard. Most of the results come about surfing. In this question I am interested in the process without a surfboard.