At least there is every chance of seeing one on Sunday. A monster swell is coming this way and the Mavericks break south of San Francisco, which I rather wisely swerved on my way south is going to be absolutely firing this weekend. The Mavericks Invitational event organisd by the great Jeff Clark himself, has been given the go ahead and the contest is being run from 8am Pacific Standard Time (which is 4pm UK time) and will be streamed live on the following link:
I am hungry for Wave 17 but the swell is dying all the time, and the situation is exaggerated by the Channel Islands that you can see on the horizon here, which are located about 20 miles off the coast. They block most of the lovely Pacific waves from getting to the mainland near Santa Barbara.
I go on safari to try and find somewhere else to surf, even backtracking along the coast where the beaches are a bit more exposed but there is nothing on offer in the afternoon.
Eventually I find Refugio State Park which is beautiful and I have the place practically to myself. As you can see the sea is as good as flat so I reach for my Uke and enjoy making as much noise as I like with it without disturbing anybody as the sun goes down over the headland. As Eric Morecombe once said, “All the right notes but not necessarily in the right order.”
The forecast for tomorrow isnt looking good either so it may give me the excuse I need to go and see a movie. I havent seen one since the flight back from Hawaii and as a film junkie I’m going cold turkey. I might treat myself to the Hobbit tomorrow, but for tonight it is Saturday so it must be Beer o’clock.
I get up early to beat the crowds and head to the beach listening to the local Santa Barbara rock station The Surf 106.3 which seems perfect for the day’s adventures. I opt for this break. As I paddle out there are just two girls in the water, called Sarah and Morgan who are studying at University College of Santa Barbara. We soon get chatting and it gets me thinking of my good friend Sarah Morgan back home. (Hi!) You will also note the results of my dry-hair-paddle out because the waves are weak, small and infrequent.
However the place reminds me of the point the guys are surfing in Big Wednesday, and I love surfing here. It even comes complete with it’s own grafitti’d shack on the beach. The beach is located is next to the University’s primary residential area where all the fraternity houses and such like are located. A cormorant type of diving bird pops up next to me giving me the usual fright and making sure that the chain remains unbroken. I swear they are all in on it.
Despite the naffness of the swell, there is not a breath of wind, so the waist high waves which are maybe a bit more on the sets are super super clean. I’ve got the GoPro with me and this is probably the shot of the day. I catch loads and was actually spoilt for choice on which picture to post for this break.
This one of me taken as I belly board in at the end of the session will give you some idea of how stoked I was. It was a really fun session and I say goodbye to the girls and get out of the water just as the crowds turn up.
It has been a few days since I got wet and I am tempted into the water at a small town called Cayucos, because of the chest high waves I see breaking off the pier. There are two people out at this classic point break so I get suited up and paddle out to join them, keen to bag my first pier surf of the trip.
Looks can be deceiving though and I have to use all of my North Wales small wave experience to wring two rides out of this break. The strong wind is cross off shore and it is making paddling to build up speed a nightmare. The waves are also breaking over only a few feet of sand, mostly closing out when they do tumble over.
Also as soon as I get into the sea the other two paddle in, which leaves me in the water on my own and somewhat preoccupied once more by the angry fish. I am just about getting comfortable when a grey seal pops up next to me and is the latest member of the animal kingdom to nearly put me in the Cardiac ward. I swear the word is being passed down the coast to have some fun at the expense of the big bloke with a red board. It is not a joke I am very amused by any more. I wish they would pack it in.
Anyway I didn’t blank and happily drive on towards Santa Barbara having bagged Wave 15. I stop to use some toilets at the side of the freeway and run into a young skunk as I leave the building. He legs it and I wonder if rather ironically I have scared him off by the smell I made. The adventures of Dr Doolittle continue.
I get up before dawn and return to Steamers lane hoping to get that perfect hour after the fish have stopped feeding but before the crowds turn up. The sunrise I’m greeted by is awesome.
I wait until at least one local gets in to make sure I am not the only shark bait. It is head high and maybe a bit more. I watch this guy get a couple as I get suited up.
It all starts very well with me catching a huge one taking the drop but leaning too much into my bottom turn so arcing straight off the back of the wave. However I have been spending far too much time dwelling on the angry fish and have been forgetting that I am surfing the Pacific and Mother Nature always has the last laugh. As you can see here I have become aware that a monster set is heading my way and I’m scratching for the horizon trying to get over the top of it. Putting it bluntly I fail. The first wave of the set knocks me off my board. The second lands on me knocking the air out of me and pushes me to the bottom.
I am aware it is the bottom because I bounce uncontrollably off several rocks that are the size of me and with no air in me I am having a hard time making it back to the surface. I keep my cool and do get there but then have to take a couple more pummelings from the next two waves before I can get my hands on my board which is when this picture was taken. You will notice that the cliffs which were some way away are now directly behind me and there are more waves on the way, so I am literally between the preverbial rcok and a hard place. A couple of sphincter clenching minutes later I have managed to get myself into a safe spot so I can catch my breath.
I have been really spooked by the experience so go in and get changed. I sit on one of the benches at the top of the cliffs trying to figure out what I did wrong and only spot what I have been sitting on when I get up. Hmmmmm!
It may be time to move on after all!
Steamers Lane is just about the most perfect right hand point break wave that I have ever seen. I can watch it all day long but have to get in for a slice of the fun for myself. Endless rights off the point which just go on and on and on and on. Fantastic. The waves are head high plus a bit more and there are steps down the cliff face so I can just paddle straight into the break. From here it is actually possible to surf it all the way to the beach about a 1km away, then get out and walk back along the cliff to the point and start again.
I got this picture of the back of the break from the Santa Cruz pier. You can see how it just keeps breaking off the point. Gorgeous.
As usual I am visited by nature as soon as I paddle out. I am beginning to feel like Dr Doolittle when a sea lion pops up next to me to bark at me a few times and then disappears back under the water. I notice that most of the wax I put on for my last session has rubbed off, which isn’t ideal, but it doesn’t matter because I catch a couple of waves in the quick hour I have available this morning and they are both absolute peaches.
The first place waves break is the point next to this lighthouse which is also the surfing museum. I catch two waves here carving them up into the next break called The Slot, then through Middle Peak and Indicators. The next break along is called Cowells after the street across the road and I dont quite make it through this section as the waves peter out but both rides are EPIC!!! So good in fact that I decide straight away to extend my stay here. Will definitely be hitting this wave twice, thrice or possibly more often than that, and will attach my camera next time to try and get some video footage. Awesome just awesome!
As well as stroking sharks at the marine research institute I pick up these playing cards.
Each card gives useful advice, and I note with interest that nowhere does it say do not go in the water.
I opt for this very friendly looking wave. which is just down the coast from Mavericks, which you just might be able to make out breaking at the bottom of the headland in the distance. It is gloriously sunny, uncrowded and the waves are about chest high and super clean because there is no wind. I re-wax my board with the more suitable cold water wax and paddle out.
I have attached the camera again and this is probably the shot of the day. I am quickly on my game today and bag loads chatting to the locals who are very friendly.
I had to post this picture becasue the look on my face is worth a thousand words. I honestly cant tell you what was coming my way but I’m guessing it must have been the set of the day. Very funny!
I head south after a great session thinking that I couldn’t be happier until I discover that the little green surf machine has heated seats and enjoy a toasty derriere on the way south down highway 1.
Mavericks is one of the world’s legendary surf breaks. It breaks off Pillar Point which is a military listening station about 20 miles south of San Francisco.
It is extremely dangerous and will claim the life of anyone who attempts it without the necessary skill level (as Gerard Butler found out recently whilst filming ‘Chasing Mavericks’ which nearly drowned him). It never maxes out, will only break when the waves are 15 feet and upwards and has claimed the lives of more than one legendary surfer because the weight of the water in the waves never lets the surfer back up to the surface for long enouh to fill their lungs with air.
If that isnt bad enough the wave breaks directly in front of these rocks which are the size of houses and are known as the Boneyard. You have to paddle around them to get to the break which takes approximately 40 minutes each way.
The final icing on this particular cake is that it is regularly patrolled by great white sharks looking for lunch and there have been at least two confirmed attacks in recent years (thankfully both were not fatal.)
The wave was first pioneered by Jeff Clark back in the seventies who now runs the local surf shop. He used to paddle out on his own and hang around out there for hours. That he managed that unscathed is testament to both his skill and you also have to say his luck!
It is only just breaking when I get there and I understand that later in the day a few people are surfing 20 foot faces, however I am sure I took the correct decision when I decided to pass on this particular wave. I will push my own luck only so far!
After the disaster at Ocean Beach I stock up on supplies and now have a wax for all seasons. I am a big fan of Mr Zogs work and will always look for sex wax in the shop first.
From left to right cold water, cool water, warm water, warm to tropical and the one I’m most looking forward to using tropical.
They also come in different flavours with strawberry being one my favourite smells in the world.
No more excuses. 🙂
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