Last week all the rave in California was about the “storm of the century.” “There’s a giant storm coming with LOTS of wind” said people everywhere. It’s scary for some, but If you’re a surfer you know that that means there will be waves! Probably not surfable during the storm, but right before, is the time the gurus hit the water.

Of course Jade and I decided we had to check out some local breaks and guess which break was only a 2 hour drive South? MAVERICKS!!!! Now if you don’t know what Mavericks is, here’s a little video to give you an idea of what this wave can be like.

We packed up our Westfalia and headed down the coast passing countless breaks along the way. Seeing 8-18 foot waves just before Mavericks we were pretty excited about what was to come (Mavericks can hold 40+ foot waves).

After finally finding the surf break we parked and walked around the cliff that was protecting the wave from being seen. Unfortunately for us we arrived just a few hours too late. The storm was already too close and it was a great big mess out in the ocean. The waves were still hitting 20+ feet but with the high winds, only a few brave souls were left in the water. They waited for their last wave and rode it in to shore.

Trying to find the best vantage point to watch the wave we drove to the top of the cliff and parked at the edge. There was a bench situated with a perfect view of the oncoming storm so we stayed to watch while getting a time-lapse. Enjoy!

If you watch carefully you’ll see glimpses of seagulls flying by on their way to who-knows-where.

Where were you during the storm?
Did it hit bad?
What’s the craziest storm you’ve been in?