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Heaviest Wave In Socal
- Thread starter Jonahbrah
- Start date
Zuma had one of its solid rare days the day after Christmas. Not big by any means but in my opinion it was as good as it gets...
I want to say that was December 21st 2005? I was out. Have a good amount of surfing under my belt over the globe and was scared. Big surf fucks my head up.
edit: saw the date now on the video
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Zuma is fine and all, grew up there. But I rode a 6'9" up North instead. Not regretting my decision.
said it ocne and ill say it again. bolsa. small day...weekend...summer. so many F&*#&* huge boards flying everywhere, huge sups everywhere, not a single person aware of who, where, and what is happening around them.
If you have ever surfed Mugu on a solid Hurricane swell, that might get your vote.
Gotcha. It was the same month as that giant December 21st swell in 2005, but maybe around the 26th, 27th. I remember Surfline report said 12-15 with occ. 18+. It might have been 2006.
Up until the 21st swell I had surfed some solid Blacks, but nothing truly massive (by beachbreak standards).
I actually finagled my way out to North Peak by some miracle. Waves were scattered and full of a weird lump. I saw a few heads bobbing around middles, and being nervous and alone I made my way down to find some company.
To the north and south the ocean was an absolute chaotic mess. But right dap smag in the middle, 6-8 guys were trading bus size tubes. Up until that point I had never witnessed waves like that, nor talent like that, in real life. On every set some guy was getting a 20 foot barrel and weaving their way out of it. It was the most special day I've ever witnessed at Blacks. Insane waves with an insane crew. Like world class crew.
There was guy on something around a 9'0, had a hood on, and skinny as a rail. I remember this wave coming in was so foreign looking. A single wave set from hell. It was literally like a rogue wave and broke in slow motion. I'm guessing around 4-5x overhead. Twice as big as anything else I'd seen. And the hooded man paddled straight for it with a tenacity that gave the impression he actually thought he might catch the thing. Everyone else beelined for the shoulder.
I watched in terror as the guy stood up on his board, about 15 feet in front of where the lip was about to detonate, and dove off into the abyss. I never saw him again. Certifiable hellman.
Did you watch the last wave in the video I posted? Sounds exactly like what you are describing.
That day in the video looks a bit "soft" by big Blacks standards. Not as top to bottom on many waves as it can get when swell direction/period/tide is just right.
This was, I think, the third of a set of 5 waves that nearly drowned Greg Long. Twiggy was the only one who made one all the way. Others who were smote by this set included Dorian, McNamara (obviously) and Healey.
Remember, this wave breaks over a rebar-filled concrete shipwreck too. I've been out here three times. Sure I wrote a book about it, but it still gets my vote for heaviest wave in SoCal.
Well, Cortes and the last wave in that Blacks video. That's my nightmare.
Remember, this wave breaks over a rebar-filled concrete shipwreck too. I've been out here three times. Sure I wrote a book about it, but it still gets my vote for heaviest wave in SoCal.
Well, Cortes and the last wave in that Blacks video. That's my nightmare.