2023 went out with a bang in California, when it came to surf.
A massive swell hit the coast on December 28th, igniting big-wave surf spots like Mavericks for the “biggest day in years” according to locals, wreaking havoc on coastal infrastructure, and sending sneaker waves to wash away surf spectators on the sand.
It was an angry, historic, and in some cases epic day of swell.
On the other end of the California coast from Mavericks, down in San Diego, the waves were bombing as well. But that didn’t stop a whale watching boat from going out, braving the giant surf, and barely making it back to shore in one piece.
The clip above comes from Mission Bay, San Diego, during that December 28th swell. Per CBS 8 San Diego , here’s one man’s account of the wild ride:
“We kinda like slammed into the side. That moment where the boat goes to the side, that’s probably where we got slammed. We got knocked up a little bit.
“One of the crewmembers was like, ‘alright everyone inside. Take a seat. Things are getting a little more serious.’