Mavericks

Off the coast of Northern California, a ginormous wave breaks during the right swell. Located about 4 miles away from downtown Half Moon Bay, the iconic break known as Mavericks generates some of the biggest waves in the world. This wave attracts many big wave surfers from around the world. Mavericks got its name from the dog of three local surfers, Alex Matienzo, Jim Thompson, and Dick Knottmeyer. These three guys discovered the wave in 1967. The dog was use to swimming out into the waves with the there guys and he swam out to them at the giant break. in 1975 Mavericks was rediscovered by a local man from Half Moon Bay named Jeff Clark. Jeff Clark started surfing this wave alone when he was 17. Mavericks remained a secret from the world until about 1990 and now it is very popular. So what makes Mavericks so big? Below the surface at Mavericks lies a massive jagged reef. The ideal swell is a large Northwest swell with long period swell (over 16 seconds). Wave size can range from 15 to 30 feet. The biggest wave ever recorded here was about 50 feet. The best months for this swell are November through March. Thats when there’s a better chance of the perfect storm to roll through. This wave has a thick lip and forms an A-frame peak giving riders a steep drop. The ideal board to ride here is a 10 foot gun. The water is very cold and can range from 45-60 degrees. The most famous peak is Outer Bowl but there is also The Left, The Cauldron, The Corner, Inside Fingers, and South Reef. This wave is extremely dangerous the waves are so powerful it is very common for surfers to be held under for multiple waves. The majority of surfers wear wetsuits that are inflatable to help them reach the surface after getting pounded. There are a lot of eyes watching the surfers and jet skis and boats do their best to help everyone out. I took a trip up north in January 2021 to watch this wave during a big swell. There were a bunch of well known big wave riders and I got to see Peter Mel catch his 30 foot wave that went viral. I also saw Kai Lenny as well. This is definitely one of the coolest waves to watch in person.