San Diego has had plenty of big waves this past week. Monday morning the Ocean Beach Pier was closed and so was Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach. In La Jolla, the swell was more focused and waves were running four to six feet with solid eight-foot wave heights.
While San Diego has been seeing big waves, nothing compares to the surf at Mavericks in Half Moon Bay, where the waves have been 40 to 50 feet.
Peter Mel is a local and legendary big wave rider. On Friday he caught what many are calling the wave of the decade.
"Maverick's is famous for its massive waves... it's one of the best spots on the planet. This place is so special, it's so deep, these waves just jack up and that's what creates these massive waves."
Here's how Peter Mel described the ride.
"I turned around and started paddling. You can see I kicked and scratched. I stood up and realized that I was really deep and was going to have to traverse [a] shallow part of the reef, the most dangerous to be. I was able to get around the corner and go underneath it ... I was committed, a little fear was there. Once I started to ride the wave, I saw how open it was, it turned to me, it looked like a huge room over my head. You can see my hands come up, I'm just enjoying it, then the wave spits all that steam comes flying by me... it's just such an amazing ride."
A ride like that takes a lifetime of work
"It's been 30 years in the making, I've been surfing there since 1991. To have that dreamy moment happen after putting in a lot of time and effort. An introspective moment that felt really good."