I was listening to NPR today, and they had a interview with big wave surfer Garrett McNamara. There expecting Mavericks to average at 45 to 55 foot, with some saying 60-70 foot may be possible. The only thing keeping them from going out is they cant see the cliffs to give them their spot. 70 FOOT. in the continental US. Just some foor for thought
News a guy died today surfing it. There will probably be more info later. And makua rothman beat a brazillian guy in the last minute with a huge barrel to powercarve to win the sunset world cup contest a few minutes ago. great webcasted final!
12-04) 18:34 PST San Francisco (AP) -- A big wave rider died Tuesday at the unforgiving surf break known as Ghost Trees, a Monterey County spot known for its fast-moving 20-foot and better waves. Peter Davi, 45, of Monterey, lost his surfboard and was attempting to swim to shore, but never made it, witnesses told authorities. Friends of Davi lost sight of him and later found him floating in the water unconscious. Monterey County Sheriff's Sgt. Dennis English said a department search and rescue team responded to a report of a surfer in distress, but that Davi was dead by the time the team got to Pebble Beach. "It's just extremely high surf. Waves are crashing against the rocks, kind of dangerous," he said. "It's primo conditions for surfers." According to the official Mavericks Web site, Davi was one of the early pack of brave surfers to test themselves at Mavericks after word got around about its massive waves. Jeff Clark, the founder of the Mavericks surf contest, surfed Mavericks alone for 15 years before sharing his secret with close friends — including Davi. Clark described Davi as a "rambunctious big wave rider" and the two took a few surf trips together. "He was one of the early guys that I was able to convince to come up and surf Mavericks with me. He was like blown away at how big a wave it was," Clark said. Davi's death came just days before the waiting period was set to open for the big wave surf contest at Mavericks off the shore of Half Moon Bay, where equally large swells rolled in Tuesday. The scary surf also attracted spectators who had to be chased off cliffside property in exclusive Pebble Beach, English said. California Highway Patrol officers were called in to ticket motorists who flooded the scenic 17-mile Drive. A high surf advisory was in place for the coastal Bay Area Tuesday, issued by the National Weather Service. That meant dangerous surf and eager surfers along the popular Central Coast breaks. In Santa Cruz, lifeguards had to evacuate at least four surfers from the Mitchell's Cove surf spot after high tide rolled in. Authorities confirmed they also rescued a nearly hypothermic man found face down about a quarter-mile off the coast of Capitola, the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Further north, the U.S. Coast Guard and the San Mateo Sheriff's Department searched for a fishing vessel with two people aboard off Pillar Point. Clark spoke about the dangers of taking to the waves on a day when advisories were in effect and rough swells were the norm along the coast. "The ocean is a place that really has no conscience. It's something you have to be prepared for. You live your life to the fullest, do the best you can and keep going," a solemn Clark said.
saw this posted by a local SANTA CRUZ SLED KOOK KILLS PETER DAVI It didn't quite go down like that. Pete paddled into a set wave and made it all the way to the inside close out and kicked out. His leash broke and he was held under for a little bit. Then the knuckle-head Santa Cruz sled kook came in to "rescue" him. The sled kook hit Davi's head with the sled. Pete was delerious but conscious. Then the sled kook abandoned Pete and Pete died. Peter Davi was a stud waterman! If the sled kook stayed outside Pete would be alive and well tonight. Peter Davi was also a Sicilian Squid Seiner. If we don't know you and you launch your sled at Monterey Fisherman's Wharf, your truck will not be there when you get back.
re: santa cruz sled kook... as best as i can tell, that is an unsubstantiated claim made anonymously on the SFchronicle web site. has anyone seen/heard more? there has always been tension (in general) between the surfers from moss landing south toward the santa cruz guys. i suspect it is due to sheer numbers rather than personal animosity. same reason delmarvans dont like PA drivers. nice as individuals, but the masses are asses... in any case, davi got along with both groups, so i hope this does not turn into a blame thing and instead remain a solemn remembrance... rest in peace...
any takers??? from surfline, mav's and ghost trees, the day peter davi passed away... ... http://www.surfline.com/video/video_player/video_player.cfm?id=12653
from surfline... the latest (2 days old) on davi, still no mention of a collision w/ a pwc, but i guess time will tell... http://www.surfline.com/surfnews/article.cfm?id=12639
oh, and just to clarify, i dont use surfline as a wave prediction tool. swellinfo kicks their @$$... i do like to check it out to keep up w/ the rest of the surf world. keep up the good work swellinfo, and lets hope for some waves this week!
