Saltwater for Breakfast

According to NOAA , a rogue wave is one that is "large, unexpected, and dangerous." It's the result of a particular kind of focused combo swell, perhaps when ground swell waves from storms interact with currents or different swells add up in constructive interference. When we are out surfing, occasionally we'll see a much bigger wave wander through on an ordinary 2-3' day. You know when something is coming, because the more observant surfers will start paddling out all of sud

December in SoCal seems to be the perfect time for some big waves. Over the past three years, the day after Christmas -- literally the same day -- has been a big day. This year, not as big as predicted, but in 2023? It was huge . It was the 10-12 foot waves at Blackies that year that blew my mind! I wrote about how we got wiped out in a surf lesson the day before the big surf arrived, because we got caught in the leading edge of the swell. These December big surf events are

When I paddled in the other morning to say goodbye to Surf Sister Ashley, I stepped off my board and into a pile of seaweed hiding underwater. After a short scream and awkward squiggle out of the gross, scratchy pile of slimy stuff, I hugged her and paddled back out. I was on my own in the water for the first time in a long time. It was a Wednesday morning with Very Small Waves with a Long Wait in between them, so not many people were out. It was incredibly peaceful. I looked