Del Mar, San Diego

It is time for a short interruption of my tour. Originally I had planned to finish it with visiting my great friend Julius in San Diego for three weeks of relaxing, watersports and shenanigans in California. However, he's now got a job and moves to London on the 24th, so I flew to San Diego on the 19th to spend at least a few days there.

The next day I had my first shot at boogie boarding. We caught a few nice chunkers! The swell was about one and a half meters, which doesn't sound like much but is totally enough! They were the biggest waves I had ever seen live. Before that, I think the most I saw was one meter waves. At one point I was watching the beach for some moments, and Julius said: "You should look out there!" - "Yeah, I was just looking..." - "No, I mean look there RIGHT NOW!" There was a biggie rolling in, I caught it, and rode it all the way home. Where usually it ends or I lose the wave, it hadn't even started yet. I was lifted ever higher. It just had no end. I was transported all the way back to the beach for what felt like about a hundred meters and maybe thirty seconds (reality: probably more like fifty meters and ten seconds), literally to where the water is only knee high. That was awesome!

I also got a taste of what power those waves have. I always had a bit contradictory thoughts about the big ones, on the one hand thinking that professional surfers, who have done that their whole life, are extremely fit physically, and competent in the water, still sometimes drown in the really big waves. On the other hand I thought, if it gets troublesome, just dive under the wave, so it just rolls over you. Where's the problem? The power is only on the surface, after all. Well, it is not. It used to feel like it with the smaller waves I was used to, those that were about one meter high. But just that little increase to one and a half increased their power by what felt like multiples. Yes, you still can dive under them, but there is much more going on there as well. And if you get caught in the wave proper, you're in for a ride! It's like a washing machine. Once I actually felt the first taste of a little bit of panic approaching, as for the first time I couldn't get up for what probably was only about ten seconds but felt like ages. But after that you know what to expect, and the next time it's fine, just wait a little under water and swim up again. But what humongous power those monsters must have that the pros are riding. Just think about the increase between one meter and one and a half, and then watch pictures of twenty meter waves!!!

The riding, though, is awesome! I'm hooked! To be propelled by that power, and being lifted ever higher, really feels great. I always was kind of addicted to that stuff anyway, catching waves and body surfing them whenever in the ocean, looking out for waves, judging them, "Oh, that looks nice, might become a good one...oh, no...wait it out...but the next one!" And I always had to stay in the water a little longer, wait for another good one.