Biggest Wave Ever Surfed

Back to back Bomb Cyclones send massive waves along the California Coast. I witnessed the most impressive waves I have seen in my lifetime of living in Laguna on January 6th. On January 5th we drove up to Santa Barbara in hopes to find some rideable waves. When we first set eyes on the ocean along our drive on the 101, we realized the swell and energy from the ocean was much more than we had imagined. We proceeded to spend the whole day in Santa Barbara at a break called Sand Spit. This is normally break that is very protected and blocked from most directions of swell but this time was different. In my previous experiences with this wave it has usually been in the 2-3ft range but if it was an exceptionally big swell you would be lucky to see some 6ft waves. On January 5th it was so big that people were using jet skis to get in to waves and to battle the crazy current that wraps around the harbor. Some of the largest sets i saw this evening were easily in the 10ft to maybe 12ft range. There was so much water flushing down the coast that it was not uncommon to see debris such a massive boulders, crab traps, or even the occasional stray surfboard wash through the lineup. When we first pulled in to the parking lot I listened to a much older fellow, probably double my age, say that this was the largest surf he had seen since the 80s and I am pretty sure he was making that assumption before the swell had reached its peak. While chasing the swell and finding waves during these types of storms can be an incredible experience, it is also important to be aware of the destruction these types of events can cause. Many communities along the coast were severely impacted by this swell. I think it is safe to say that not a single coastal community in California went without some damages. I am not a climate scientist but events like this do worry me for the future of our coastal communities and beaches. Climate scientists predict the west coast will continue to see more dramatic storms, like this, and accelerated erosion with climate change. Now is the time to support organizations responding to these impacts.
#bigwaves #bombcyclone #weather