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The Week in Swell

By Tim Henry | December 19, 2018 |

After a massive purple blob enveloped the West Coast this weekend, things are finally calming down. But there were some fireworks, first.

Reader Vikas Kapur sent us a few photos from Mavericks yesterday, as the swell ticked down a notch. This is still a frightening wave for most mere mortals. As always, we’re glad to see that no sailboats strayed into the lineup.
© 2018 Vikas Kapur

Things were especially intense over the weekend.

This photo from Dave Rogers of the Coast Guard sending it at Ocean Beach was part of a post from NorCal Wild that went totally viral on social media.
© 2018 Dave Roger/NorCal Wild

Ocean Beach was mental, which the Coast Guard saw as a perfect opportunity to do some training in the surf. “[The Coast Guard] were practicing shallow surf rescue maneuvers,” a post from NorCal Wild said.

After maxing out on Monday with dozens of all-star surfers in the lineup, Mavericks in Half Moon Bay saw cleaner, calmer and “smaller” conditions yesterday — though small is certainly in the eye of the beholder.

Someone had a go on what looks like a longboard at Mavericks yesterday.
© 2018 Vikas Kapur

“It was pretty phenomenal,” Vikas Kapur said of yesterday’s session at Mavs. “These conditions come together infrequently. About 20-plus surfers were in the water.”

Welcome to winter on the West Coast.

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