Merrr… Merrr… Merrr… The rhythmic foghorn buzzed in the early morning like a time bomb, counting down as we prepared the jet skis. Sitting along the coast, 29 miles south of downtown San Francisco, Half Moon Bay is a sleepy beach town with a not-so-hidden big wave known as Mavericks. The word on the street, “Today will be a small one, but don’t let that fool you. Always keep an eye on the outside.”
Read MoreDo You Know Your Big Waves Spots?
When I learned how to surf at 8 years old, I was captivated by the legends of barrels so big they can swallow freighters, wipeouts that surfers never returned from, and the relentless raw power of the ocean. For my landlocked 8-year-old brain, I couldn't fathom this.
Yet, as I write, I know, first hand, all of these can be true.
What my mind still can not comprehend, is how a growing handful of surfers dedicate their lives to finding and surfing these waves. So, let's tip our hats to the big wave surfers and check out the main Big Wave spots sprinkled across the globe.
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