Sidetracked

Inspired by the Maverick’s contest going on in Half Moon Bay, I decided to get out to the beach myself on Saturday. Not surfing, of course (My performance in much smaller conditions Sunday would serve to remind me why I’ll never be a big wave guy). But as an observor.

A friend had told me there were some guys towing in up north, so I grabbed my video camera and headed out. I won’t say exactly where it is — surfers get a little sensitive if you reveal the big wave spots around here. But there were a few others around, watching what I estimated to be 15-foot (and sometimes more) bombs.

Look here for a brief, shaky video of those waves.

While I was filming, one old-timer started talking to me about surfing big waves back in the 70s. Then he and another guy started talking about this perfect 15-foot swell that hit Morro Bay in the 80s. The waves in Morro Bay don’t usually hold much shape when they get that big. But on this memorable day, they agreed, it held up perfectly.

Then the older guy, 62, looked at the waves and said, “I wish I could still surf today.” Then he thought about the possibility of using jet skis to catch bigger waves. Back in his day, the notion of tow-in surfing had yet to be explored. “I think I would have done it,” he said. Then he looked to me. “You think you’ll ever tow in?”

If only he’d seen me Sunday. He wouldn’t have even asked.

“Oh no,” I said.

Anything over seven or eight feet just freaks me out. But, hey, I’m happy to watch others brave the big stuff. So don’t bother saving a spot at Maverick’s for me — unless it’s on the beach, shooting shaky video.

–Pat P.

Posted on January 13th, 2008 by Pat
Filed under: Surf stuff