Weather forecasters have issued warnings for high surf conditions along the California coast. Beach walkers beware; be aware; be watchful; be careful near the waves. One group that lives for such warnings: big wave surfers. That community waits all year for the information that predicts giant waves that will provide opportunities to ride their boards down the face of waves that may crest at 60'.
We coast dwellers have heard of 60' waves, but few have had the experience of seeing one of those monster waves. In one nearby location one could witness this phenomena close up: the Santa Cruz(Holy Cross) county beaches known as mavericks. This is the area just north of the town of Santa Cruz on the north edge of Monterey Bay. Monterey Bay is hardly such as there is no natural harbor and really no safe harbor from the NW swell that dominates the coast. The shape of the over shore shelf helps to make it such a surfing mecca. As the swells approach the shore, the forces attending the momentum causes a rise in height to monster proportions.
Want to watch? Go to surfline.com. Amazing videos of daring surfers will impress all who watch the action. Well worth the effort. ABC and NBC news also have videos of the waves and the surfers.
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