Jay Watson Photography

Each day this week I have been posting images from the only summer swell that hit Northern California. This is the final post out of 5 total.

It brings me great sadness to let you know that I didn’t get to surf during this swell. That’s right man. Our Only Summer Swell came and went while I was busy working which explains why so many surfers ditch work when the waves are good. The ocean is fickle and good conditions in Northern California during the summer do not last very long. This brings up a lesson in life for surfers and non surfers. Live life while you can and don’t wait until tomorrow. If you miss an opportunity, don’t kick yourself. Grab your board and get ready for the next set of waves. There will always be more so enjoy your next ride!

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Summer Swell, Capitola, CA. © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, Steamer’s Lane. © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, The Hook. © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, Steamer’s Lane. © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, Capitola, CA. © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, Capitola, CA. © Jay Watson Photography.

“Surfing Sucks! Don’t Try It. You’ll Hate It.”

Each day this week I will be posting images from the only summer swell that hit Northern California. This is the 4th post out of 5 scheduled.

One of the more unique elements about skateboarding and surfing compared to any other sport is that you can be standing on the deck or sitting in the lineup right next to a pro. When the waves are good in Santa Cruz people come out of the woodwork who you have never seen before. They are like sleeping giants who wait for swells worthy of their arm strength. “Our Only Summer Swell” rolled in on Thursday July 23rd and by Saturday morning the heavies were already resting and drying out their wetsuits. By the time I was shooting there were still a few scrappers left in the water. At the tail end of the swell, parts of California’s northern coast were perfect for long boarding until early Wednesday July 29th. That gave the log riders 4 more extra days of stoke.

All of the images from this series show a diversity of surfers, a variety of boards, and each spot is within a short drive of each other. This makes Santa Cruz, CA a very special place on the US map.

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Summer Swell, Steamer’s Lane, CA. © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, Steamer’s Lane, CA. © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, Steamer’s Lane, CA. © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, Steamer’s Lane, CA. © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, Steamer’s Lane, CA. © Jay Watson Photography.

Each day this week I will be posting images from the only summer swell that hit Northern California. This is the third post out of 5 scheduled.

This entire group of images is from Steamer’s Lane in Santa Cruz, CA. This wave is a legendary point break gem that rises with a decent southern swell and holds when northern exposed spots close out. No matter how cold the water temperature is at Steamer’s, there is always some hothead out there who needs to be cooled off.  This day was no different. I saw a knucklehead in the lineup try to punch another surfer. The ocean responded and sent the knucklehead into a well deserved wipe out a few waves later. Bruce Brown would have made a nice voice over on that one.

Surfers avoid the long paddle out from the beach by jumping off a nearby cliff and paddling out to the lineup. The veterans take the easy access route by walking on the cliff that runs past the break. They slip past the barking seals, and then make the short free fall into the ocean. The younger groms must not like the longer walk. This cuts into their surf time. They practice their rock climbing skills with crab-like maneuvers, and use their grommet toes to scale the wall closest to the break.

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Summer Swell, Steamer’s Lane, CA. © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, Steamer’s Lane, CA. © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, Steamer’s Lane, CA. © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, Steamer’s Lane, CA. © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, Steamer’s Lane, CA. © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, Steamer’s Lane, CA. © Jay Watson Photography.

Each day this week I will be posting images from the only summer swell that hit Northern California. This is the second post out of 5 scheduled. People talked about this swell for days online. We heard it was coming and it sounded good by the time it hit Southern California. Unfortunately it was so good there was a death at the Wedge in Newport Beach, CA. You can get a sense of the size in this video clip here. Santa Cruz got the best of this swell up north, but the legendary longboard spot of Cowell’s remained dormant. Due to the swell direction, it missed Ocean Beach in San Francisco altogether, leaving one northern friend online to say “So much for this over hyped southern swell.”

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Summer Swell, Steamer’s Lane, CA. © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, Capitola, CA © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, Capitola, CA © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, The Hook. © Jay Watson Photography.

Summer Swell, Capitola, CA © Jay Watson Photography.