as i recall, late dec. '63.....was 17....surfed lunada bay (near dominator) on thursday, when swell starting to build....made one 10' wave and called it a day...my buddies weren't so lucky--picked their boards off the rocks....lol....surfed the breakwater the next day--made it to bottom and starting turn--got hammered by 8' or so wall....finally got my board back at 2nd st. (longshore current like a river) .....had to help an 11-12 yr old kid back to the beach, he was panicking....redondo breakwater got slammed with 20' waves that weekend....thanks for the memories.... ;o)
@barnfresh60 This swell was what got me into surfing. Surfer magazine had just hit the stands. That was it. Had to get a board. I used to hitchhike with it from the Valley to Malibu AFTER SCHOOL! But in those days, you could hitch with only your trunks and borrow a board at Malibu without much trouble. And also bum change for lunch. Note in this footage how you could park at Rincon on the seawall. You could sleep there with no problem from cops. Hammands had a huge lawn. Great times.
I'm not sure if it was this exact same day, but one day in late 1963 me and my friend drove from San Diego to Manhattan Beach (near Redondo) in my '50 Chevy sedan delivery to visit two chicks we knew who lived there. We had our boards with us and headed down to Hermosa Beach (a couple miles from Redondo). The surf was even bigger than this and with better form. Consistent double overhead. Sunny day. Glassed off. We were too scared to go out! We sat on the beach and made excuses.
Guys had balls no wet suits in winter, place does not break in summer. 50s to 60s at best for water temps. Grew up there in the late 60s and 70ss. Go Water And Power. John Teuge was a good friend. (Big Jim) I am still alive
I saw waves like these at Torrance Beach in the summer of 1968 ... Myself and two buddies watched them most of the day, then decided to try to body surf ... big mistake, we all almost drowned.
@James biderman. Mabe tom morey didn't invent his boogie board yet . Belly boards existed long before. All the latest srf moves bodyboarders been doing for years. Who was the first to ride chopes, ours & cyclops. A lot of the knarliest waves in the world were discovered by bodyboarders. Have some respect next time. Know your roots!!!