Wind of a major swell moving across the North pacific is
always greeted with excitement and anxiety. Excitement for the potential
endorphin rushes, anxiety for the potential beatings. Such a major storm
started off as a tropical cyclone in the western pacific last week, morphing
into a very intense storm west of the dateline; strong enough even that NOAA
called it the strongest storm in 3 years for the north pacific. What transpired
was a deep water, super long period swell sent filtering east through the ocean,
destination: California.
Deepwater forerunners started hitting the 750mile buoy at
around 1pm on friday afternoon. 4ft at 26seconds, which over the course of the
next 24 hours jumped to a solid 10ft at 23seconds, though from the looks of the
buoys it was very very lully, with multiple reading (done hourly) only showing
around 5ft at 23seconds. Whilst this total height is nothing spectacular, the
massive swell period equates to these waves heaving enough energy stored
underwater to triple in height at select deepwater surf spots. Such was the
case where i was heading.
Everything was aligning: winds were perfect, tides were
perfect, swell was - although somewhat lully - PERFECT!
I started the drive up north at around 9am from San Diego,
pulling out all the usual chat, starbucks coffee, heavy metal blaring at 140dB,
and a beautiful 9'6 for company on the 6 hour drive. For those that have never
driven the coast past Ventura, its a desolate, semi arid landscape filled with
point breaks and long beaches, all looking heavenly under the Californian sun. Driving
past the famous C-St right hand point in Ventura, i had timed it perfectly with
what i later heard was the first set of the swell. Driving past the point at
80mph i saw 10-12 waves all stacked up perfectly down the point, catching
everyone inside and each reeling (albeit a bit sectiony) for over half a mile! The
heart went into double time and my right foot hit the floor!
Funnily enough, given the nature of the swell, the next hour
along the coast saw absolutely NO waves, it was literally as flat as a lake.
Amazing how oceanic energy works this way.
Arrival in morro bay 3 hours later i was feeling antsy and
the heart was back to catatonic mode...whiling away the miles with the caffeine
levels flat lining. I needed a source of joy, the only option was the ocean 10
miles away. What was over the hill?
Pulling into the national park at Montana de oro, i could
see glassy conditions and unfathomably long swell lines. Heart rate jumped to
70.
Over the hills and far away, the park was packed with hippy
bird watchers and college girls going for some Saturday afternoon exercise. Bar
the hippy's, this place could be considered paradise. Never a dull moment in
the park.
Driving over the last mound i sighted the wave i had come
here for. A reef which stretches just over a half mile out to sea off of a
point, a perfect big wave peak which at times is shifty, but can still deliver
huge drops and short heavy sections before filtering into a deep water channel
on either side. Though don't get this wrong, a heavy set in the head will see
the unwitting man sent straight into the graveyard rocks on the inside, and a
harrowing minute negotiating 20ft rocks whilst getting nailed by 10ft of
whitewater.
No one was out, it was 10-12ft and glassy and perfect. After
about 3 seconds consideration i was getting changed and running the mile
through a beautiful shrub covered plateau to the cliff i had to scamper down to
jump in the water. The paddle out is dry hair from inside the cove, all wave
energy expelled on the outer reefs. After about a 20minute paddle (around a mile
distance) I reached the line-up. It was flat as i approached the peak, and
having never surfed the wave before i sat in the channel on the left, waiting
for a set. I didn't have to wait long. Big boils and undulations in the surface
prefaced the first sets arrival. The horizon went a beautiful shade of dark
blue, and i sat steady waiting to see what these long period energies would do.
12-15 waves stood up perfectly as an A frame on the reef, all lined up out to
sea waiting in queue for their chance at glory. Being out by myself i had no
way of knowing how big it was, no frame of reference on the face. Because of
this and not knowing the lineup, one wave that came through was bee-lining right for me. Id kind of paddled my
way further into the line-up and one wave started to hit the second boil
another 100m further out. A big green peak set against the oranges of the falling
sun. I put my head down and powered out to sea, the 9'6" doing its magic
through the line-up. I scratched over the wave to look down to my left at the
peak pitch out onto the boil ridden flats in front of it, finally seeing the
wave size for what it was. As the swell was only just starting to fill in, i
was pretty excited for the next day, but today it was all about figuring out
the line-up and which waves were the best to catch.
I waited over 40minutes for the next set, sitting out in the middle of the
ocean and feeling about as calm as i had felt in the last few years. This truly
was an amazing environment. My first set started stacking in from the north,
feeling the other outer reef (which isn't a very good wave) about a mile north
first. It was filling up the channel between the two reef and i had a feeling
to paddle out a bit to the north to greet it. I was right, the first
few waves bent in on the left right on top of me, i paddled over them to see a
couple of smaller waves from my vantage point 20ft up, and was injected with a
hit of adrenalin as i sighted a few very large ones behind them. Paddling at
these waves, i spun under the second one and gunned it as hard as i could. The
wave grabbed me and had me right on the top, but wouldn't let me in under the
ledge. I paddled for two extra super deep strokes and felt the most
unbelievable force jet me forward. I stood up and unconsciously heard myself
say "holy fuck" to myself as i dropped straight down. Why my mind
made me say that is beyond me, i certainly didn't commission it. Maybe it was
my way of dealing with a situation i couldn't believe in was in. Bottom turning
through the flats i looked up at a massive section about to land on me, i held
on tight and powered through the whitewater, emerging into the channel and
paddling back out to see 6 other wave do the exact same thing.
I spent the next 2 hours till sundown figuring out the boils and line-up
markers, and trying to catch 2 waves in each 20 wave set that came through
every 40minutes. In between the ocean was as flat as a lake. The duality of it
was spellbinding.
I paddled in and got a ride back to my car from the park ranger
who was carrying on about having not seen anyone paddle that reef for years. I
too these pics almost on dark as a 25 wave set piled through, causing a huge
plume of salt haze to drift along the coast.
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| Illegal reef |
Sunday
Not much can be said for this, it was almost unspeakably
magic. I surfed 6 hours with a friend of mine, amongst some of the biggest
waves ive surfed to date. 4 hours in 3 tow teams turned up and ruined the tranquillity,
noise pollution and a messy surface condition form all the ski wakes. However i
did manage to get my biggest wave of the session during one set during this
period. After waiting an hour and half for a big set out on the second boil, i
monster came in from a more westerly direction. These were the ones which broke
on the second boil and peeled along the left for longer, the section holding up
for over 200metres. A ski team was also eyeing up the left, but i
started screaming at them and gesturing wildly, and the rider let go of the
rope to give me right of way. I paddled hard against all instinct as this thing
looked like it was going to break behind me, however just inside the boil it
gave me a little chip in at the top and next thing i know i was faced with a
massive green wall stretching FOREVER into the channel. I didn't think i was
going to make it so i pulled up looking to pull through the back, however for
some reason i turned at the top and wad fired out into the channel at about
mach 8, my 9'6 positively humming with pride.
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| First sets of a beautiful day |
A tow team who'd caught a wave previous was watching the
whole thing and as i kicked out they all had smiles on their faces and were
giving me shaka's. Even though the wave probably lasted a little under 10
seconds, it was probably the most intense experience of my life. SO much energy
compacted into a seemingly fleeting moment of freedom, nothing else existing in
the world except you and 3000 cubic metres of water chasing you down.
Its always hard calling wave sizes; a big scary wave is a
big scary wave, that'll never change once over a certain size, which is different
for everyone. During the drop and all of it, you don't really feel much in the
way of emotions, your brain goes into tunnel vision mode and all other senses
and feeling are vaulted whilst you deal with the situation at hand. In the end
of the day, the smiles and shared energy from the boys in the channel was
enough of a size indicator for me. I was happy.
I paddled out slowly and caught a few more waves, but it
seemed the swell was dieing so i ordered one of the jetskis to drop me into the
bay and i ended one of the sessions of my life. My mate had gone in about 2
hour previous, so i walked up the path alone and content, a perma-smile
sketched on my face. At the car i had just pulled my wettie off, and in my
towel turned around and snapped this set come through.
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| Tow boys on a small one |
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| Big set - can you see the guy at the bottom?! |
The last big set of the day as it turned out, and the cue
for me to start the car and head for a beer.
This wave is magic, and ill definitely be returning.
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| The bombie |
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| The right on north side of the bay |
