A storm way out somewhere in the Pacific sent 8 to 10 foot waves onto west facing beaches in Southern California. This is not an entirely unusual event in winter. I had gone to Venice to take photos of murals but instead I went to the beach to take some photos of the waves. (Venice mural photos will be in another post later.)
A paddleboarder seemed to be taking the most rides. Again and again he came gliding in, standing, balancing himself on his board. A big cluster of surfers–or it is a flock of surfers or a school of surfers–hung out much closer to the breakwater than he did and didn’t seem to be catching as many waves as he did.
All the local TV weather forecasters and the lifeguard service advised against going into the water, but some surfers couldn’t resist, including a young woman, below.
In my novella, New Vampire in Town, Cate the Vampire tells of surfing at Mavericks, a famed big surf locale in northern California where waves can reach 15 to 25 feet in height. At the Big Surf contest going on up there right now, waves are approaching 50 feet in height. that’s big! I’ve never been there and have never surfed. I was a licensed suba diver decades ago.
Originally published January 2014
