Chloe Newton
Staff Writer
In the past few weeks, the waves in Southern California have been huge, measuring as high as 15 feet according to USA Today. Many surfers in the area including our own Mira Costa surf team have been been affected by this.
The cause of the swell is Hurricane Marie, located in Southwestern Mexico. Although the hurricane has been recently downgraded to a tropical storm, it is still continuing to affect Southern California.
“The surf is not that big now,” Mira Costa surf team head coach Tracy Geller said. “It was a series of storms that generated a swell that lasted only a couple of days.”
According to the team and coaches, some days the conditions were very rough and difficult. The team had to analyze all the different factors that could affect them before surfing.
“Beach breaks often do not have a defined channel to paddle out in, so timing when to paddle out is crucial,” Geller said. “When they are in a dangerous situation I tell them not to panic and thrash. Just stay calm and wait for it to release them.”
Although the swell did not last long, the team gained a lot of experience when it affected them. The big waves gave them a challenge that will help them later on in their surfing careers.
“The big waves are affecting my surfing in a good way,” member of the Costa surf team Robbie Itzinger said. “They give me more experience and preparation for the future.”
Due to the big surf, there are certain things the team is doing differently. With instructions from their coaches, and their own experience, the team was able to keep up with some of the top surfers in the area.
“I told the team not to worry about catching waves at first, just get out there and learn where to sit,” Geller said. “Soon they were able to figure out which waves to go for and which ones to let go by.”
The team has been very aware of the dangers of surfing such big waves and are being cautious about which waves they go after.
“I am more on edge and more aware of what’s going on,” Itzinger said. “I pay close attention to where the peak is and how the waves are breaking.”
There are many risks when the surf is big. Some team members and parents were concerned about whether they should be going out or not.
“It can be hard to overcome a fear when you are not exposed to it often,” Geller said. “I told them that it is important to get out there and just get used to being around all of that energy.”
According to the coaches, surfing in these conditions can be very difficult especially for younger surfers with less experience. Luckily, they were able to be exposed to the large surf that is rare in the South Bay.
“The waves the last few weeks have been pretty heavy at times especially last week,” assistant coach Mike Quinn said. “I have to give the team credit. They all went out and most of them did great.”
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