High Surf in So Cal

[techskip]

I wasn't sure if anyone ventured out today to see it. Yesterday (Friday 7/24) and today were high surf advisory for all south facing beaches. I know Wedge was getting consistent 10 to 15ft sets. I wanted to see the water, but I was afraid to do so with the kids so we went to Seal... little Seal... quiet Seal... where an 8.5ft set crushed me! Yes you heard it here. The waves were even breaking at Seal which is actually partially protected by Break. The water was less then 10ft from the Towers, and it was nuts. Lifeguards had boats and jetski's in the water.

I had fun... no pictures... creased my body board so bad it cracked it... 6's, 7's, 8's... when we left we saw what was likely close to a 9. So... anyone else venture out? more important anyone get any snapshots?

[PrincessY]

We are getting 10-12 foot waves here in Oceanside, and the coast is on flood watch. I don't go in that kind of surf... even if the water temp is getting to be about 70*.

Walls of water blast beaches

[Goover]

This is very dangerous.

Two summers ago I was a victim of this freak accident in a shore-breaker and snapped my tibia and fibula.

Sadly, a kid just died yesterday from the waves. I could have died myself if I landed head-down rather than feet first.

RIP and stay away from the beaches.

[techskip]

Evidentally the waves were a lot bigger then I thought they were. I figured it was weird that an 8.5 would crack my body board. Someone else said it was closer to a 10, and that my heights were off... either way it was interesting. It would be multiple walls of water with hard breaks, followed by bathtub silence, then more walls of water. After catching one you had an extremely hard time getting back out... so eventually I decided to body surf.

I got pinned once, because the "washing machine" had minimal clearance above the sand when I dove under it, it happens... I also dove through one wave, landed in the trough and had another break on me... that sucked! All in all it was a lot of fun but the inherint danger was always in the back of my mind. Seal is protected so nothing was "too rough" but the downside is a nasty riptide. I know the beach extremely well... I stayed where I could touch, and buried my feet in the sand if necessary. It was truely amazing and slightly terrifying that these waves would pull others waves, and by default you, into them as they charged at the shore!

I believe the record at wedge was close to 20ft... some said 25ft. That to me is insane. If it's above 10 I am more then happy to simply sit on the beach and watch the waves... which is why I didn't think what I rode was that big.