On Sunday, Valentine’s Day, monster waves made the news all over the state. David Allen send me a few photographs taken by his wife Jana this past Sunday off of Carmel Point. Wow!

Thanks David and Jana! Some great shots, here!

bigsurkate

Appointed appellate counsel for indigent defendants (retired.) I have lived in Big Sur since 1984, first on the north coast, and on the South Coast since 1989.

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  • Holy guacamole! Did they go up over Ocean? I remember a couple of years ago when the swash was 4 ft high in the restroom at the river mouth. These look just as big.

    I'm so thankful that Lucy got to see big waves the last time. She still talks about that storm all the time.

  • Jeff, we had HUGE waves in Big Sur. My ex got photos of the waves setting up outside Plaskett Rock, which is so very rare. Usually hey set up inside~!~

  • The surf can reach unbelievable size at times. I have seen waves break (solid green-water) over the top pr Plaskett Rock. Mark Readdie has photos of a swell at Big Creek with waves engulfing the big rock there and smashing 50' plus to the level of the highway. During the late 80's, I remember a swell that broke out on the Pinnacles a mile out off Carmel Bay, and roll whitewater across a 250 foot deep channel reaching the Lone Cypress and Pescadero Point, then shattering the windows on the "Castle Houses" on that part of 17-Mile Drive. Then there was the 80's "Death Swell" which smashed the windows of buildings on Cannery Row. The waves off Point Pinos were over 60 feet, barreling from there past Lover's Point. A legendary local surfer, Billy Brewer actually surfed a monster that day from Lover's Point to Hopkin's Marine Station. The photo of him shows the wave size beyond measure. Finally, when I was in the Navy, in 1973, our ship, the 700 foot USS Wabash, AOR-5, was hit by a rogue wave off Point Sur that inflicted a severely damaging 30 degree roll to our ship. The wave was said to go over the helo-deck 90 feet above the waterline! The Sea can be kind, and give me fish, thank you. But the Sea can also show a ferocity that is beyond belief!
    -Captain Lingcod

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