Non surfers (I am one) don't realize just how powerful waves are. I was living in Huntington Beach sometime in the early 90's (it was just before I deployed to Iraq/Desert Storm). The surf was huge. I used to boogie board and thought it a good idea to go out. There were broken surfboards up and down the beach. I paddled out and caught a huge wave and just by dumb luck I was at the right spot at the right time and had one hell of a ride. I could not believe how fun it was and how fast I was going.I was stoked and paddled out for another one, big mistake. I was pummeled by the next wave and barely survived, I thought I was done. I popped up and saw what looked like a 100 foot wave heading straight for me. It seemed silent just waiting for that wave which I was absolutely sure was going to kill me. I really thought I was going to die. That was one of the three times in my life that I really thought I was going to die.

Starts like Middle peak Lane, ends like the Wedge.. what a show!

Grown 9 to 5's being groms. How can you not love surfing! Thanks for bringing us along!

Great video! As someone that has lived in Seal Beach- This wave has broken many times within the last decade. Keep up the excellent content!

Thanks Brad! I grew up Surfing Seal Beach south side back in the 80s it only breaks few days in winter. 13th street was the spot we called it pipeline training because you will get slammed!! thanks for all the epic videos this past two weeks

I thought your MASSIVE surf pounds San Diego was great, but I think this decade's piece is one of your best from a story, description, and video perspective. You have your finger on the pulse of SoCal surfing. Thank you!

Brad, always love your videos. The ocean makes me so happy and you do a great job of bringing it every single time!

Enjoyed this so much, my heart beats with excitement just to hear those waves . I miss the beautiful beaches of California . I could feel the excitement of each surfer and your filming and narration is perfect. Thank you ❤️

I’m 61 now but I remember body surfing waves this big on the south side of the pier. What’s funny is I remember a camera guy with a tripod talking pictures. I remember going down the face and a back wave would be coming out and launch me in the air. Best days!! In the summer I would skate board down on my Harbour board with red rider urethane wheels I got from Jax’s at Bellflower & Spring. Spend 8 hours down there everyday, bowl of chowder for $1.06 on the pier. Pizza by slice on occasion. 😂😂 great memories!!

We've always called it Cloudbreak. It breaks every few years or so. Not like this, though. Nice footage.

Love the natural wave sound feels like paddling out and in lineup-great work!

I grew up learning to surf at the River jetty and Surfside in the 60's and my mom had a crafts shop on Main Street in the 70's called The Cricket. I had two Harbour surfboards, one was a lime green Banana model and the other a 10' Trestle Special, so there's a soft spot in my heart for Seal Beach. Now, I'm an old man watching your video from the Thai jungle. Thanks for the memories. PS I never saw this wave break back then, like it is here. Rare indeed.

The narration is a trip - it's like an essay for English class...

That’s the most exciting thing to happen to Seal Beach since Ben Gravy surfed South Side.

Great to see average surfers getting sets instead of the ubiquitous pros. Mahalo

That was nuts. Glad to see such nice BIG rideable waves.

Love seeing the perspective you got compared to where I was filming from. Such an epic day. So glad we got to see this in person. Been waiting for the last 5 years to see it lol

Great video! When word got out that our little Mayberry by the Sea was getting these monsters, Kelly Slater, Kai Kobayashi and other professional surfers came down to ride them. It was epic. The storm sand berm on the beach was a perfect viewing platform and was lined with people taking in the amazing sights.

Epic session! I've never seen it break, though I've spent many an overhead day at Swami's. I used to be a cook at Walt's Wharf there on Main in SB. 1973-74

Back in roughly 77-78 (as in 1977-1978) Seal Beach south of the Pier went off just like this!! I was about 13 years old and had been surfing for about 5 years. It only broke 1 day and it was complete mayhem!!!!! So completely cool!! I dont remember Squeal Beach poppin' off like this since then. Could have, but a couple of years after, we were all driving and would have been at the Cliffs (HB) anyhow. Thank you for the post. BTW, this wave looked exactly the same as what it did back in the day.

Wow, this was a blast from the past for me. My Huntington Beach buds and myself used to surf there on the rare days that it broke back in the 1970s. We used to call it warm water jetty and it was a long, long paddle out but we were rewarded with the same long shouldered waves that we’d share with sometimes up to four riders at a time.

PHENOMENAL footage!!! Thanks for capturing & sharing!!!

Great video Brad. There's nothing better the lucking into a fun novelty wave.

The real novelty wave is when the oil rig breaks. I've only seen it break 2 times in 30 years.

Thank you for showing the Body boards. It was so fun to do but you are right, when the wave sucks all the water back and you land on sand, on a Body board...SMACK! FLAT on your stomach...yikes...been there. Still fun...

Happened upon this cam same day watching from Florida and couldn’t believe my eyes. What?? Why have I never seen this before? You answered my question.

That can't be RayBay?? We used to surf between the jettys on the further north part of the beach. climb onto rock and jumped in seeing multiple sting rays under our boards. It never broke big. I learned how to surf there when i was 11-12 years old 1968-69

You know it’s big when Esther’s is breaking. If you know, you know

South side of the Seal Beach Pier, a reverse Wedge, I surfed the big swells there since the late 60s. My friend Dave and I used to surf the jetty by moonlight! I remember catching waves breaking outside the end of the jetties both south and north of the pier.

This is amazing content! Your informative narration combined with the capturing of a rare event really made for an intriguing affair. I’m a surfer and still learned a lot from your narration. 🎉🎉

Great Video. Kept catching myself leaning into those beach barrels. Good narration.

Great pictures and thanks so much for not spoiling it with silly music. Love that sounds of waves.

Excellent video and narration. If you ever want to experience sand coming out of your ears and tear ducts for three days straight, surf the shorebreak.

Brad that was awesome! Once in a lifetime Ive never seen seal beach go off like that!!!

Great vid! I remember catching a bomb here like 10-years ago, but this swell definitely topped those waves.

Just WOW! Looks absolutely MAD, mate!!!!

Awesome footage and story Brad! Thanks for the share \!!!/ I was lucky to have a job I could schedule my shift for Jan, Feb especially for the low tide at 1330ish ;0 caught it in 82-83, again in '87' 88,1992, 2010 but only off the outside jetty twice. Wow thinking of it know I was fortunate to be so chemically dependent on big Southside Seal Beach. A lot of good surfers out their, Morgan, Sauers, Adler to name a few \!!!/

I learned to surf just down the coast at Huntington Beach "cliffs" at the end of Goldenwest Ave. Yeah...I've never seen SB break like this except for '78 and '83.

2:42 LOL ... I'm from Venice Beach/County-LIne and it's obvious these boys haven't seen swells this well before, ever. 🙂 Reminds me of California people trying to navigate heavy rain on the freeway.

Rad vid, rad story. Thanks for sharing.

Beautiful outside waves. Would love to have been out there on my longboard. Btw, great commentary Brad.

Great video,top notch 👌

I grew up Bodyboarding in the early 80’s at Seal Beach, the waves were massive on the Southside of the pier for sure. Shout out to Harbor.

great footage!! Some of those guys had zero business being in the water

Truly amazing! Thanks

Great Vid!! LOVE the commentary!!

GREAT VID BRAD!!💥🙌AUSTRALIA!!💚💛

The outside would be a great “big wave” for beginners. Super mushy, long rides, and easy to duck dive.

Surf Anderson St and The Hole , but I have only heard stories about Cloud Break from old timers.. Thx for sharing 🤙

Orange board guy put a smile on my face haha

That's nuts! When I was little my mom took me to Seal Beach because of the "lack of waves"!

I lived on 2nd street in the 90's and southside waves were hitting the bottom of the oil rig outside. Waves would break from the rig to the peir. Glad to have seen that, because like you said, I think this is the first time since then it's gone off! Great video!

DUDE! IM THE SECOND GUY! I ATE IT THAT DAY BUT SO WORTH IT! THANK U FOR THE AMAZING VIDEOS!

Beautiful🏄🌊

Nothign short of amazing...one might say a 20+ year swell is....EPIC!

tamaracks and south ponto was HUGE. suprised there wasnt more people surfing it there! when a decent swell comes through you can expect 10-13ft faces wave after wave...this last epic swell was getting 20+ft faces..and I got a few waves of my life... im also bodysurfing using fins and a food tray from Taco bell lol....tamaracks breaks into shallower water like how the wedge is and you got to be ready! I heard though all over SD breaks were insane! I stopped by blacks to witness the absolute beast waves..there were easy 25-30ft sets rolling through..couldn't believe it! Last swell really that kicked my ass was the Valentines day swell of 2013..man was that some epic surf! Glass conditions with beautiful 15ft faces and a good off shore breeze that kited them up like sheets! Cheers brothers!!!!! P.S Great video Brad! I think i saw you out a few times getting videos! Next time i see you i will be sure to say hello!!!

I learned my lesson at Hale'iwa, Hawaii. I had just learned to surf using the easier waves at Populars (Wakiki) and on our last weekend on the island a couple buddies and I decided to try our hand at Big Wave surfing. We got to Hale'iwa and I noticed photographers with huge camera lens on the beach. Should have been my 1st clue I was out of my depth. It took a while to battle through the shore break to get to the waves. By the time I got there I realized just how big these monsters were up close (10'-12' by Hawaiian standards). I was intending on duck-diving under the crest of one like I'd done many times before at Populars, but my long board and this bigger wave had other plans for me. Before I knew it I was holding onto my board on the front of the wave and when it came over me I was upside-down staring at those big camera lens on the beach. It's my fervent hope I at least managed a smile before the wave crushed me into the coral heads bouncing around like I was in a washing machine. When I finally reached the surface and caught a breath of air, the next wave was nearly on top of me and I repeated my upside-down ride to the crowds. Since then, I've steered clear of any place where telescopic lens are in use. 🙂 Sure wish I had gotten a few pictures of my ride that day, missed opportunities.

Really nice photography! Definatle a big board day!

Think I surfed this place (SB harbor inlet) a gillion years ago and it was similar if not larger - but soft and mushy... but fun dropping in on bombs.

That was rad Brad

much appreciation for the report. Seal beach is such a fine little town to visit when in the area, but living far away, I had never been in the water there, so I enjoyed the insightful perspective on the nature of the place. I mostly went because they had a bike shop that specialized in beach cruisers, and not just the cheap junk, nice bikes. I had previously seem women jumping into cars as the displayed cars from a car show left town going up main street, and it once happened to me, although I wasn't in the show, just leaving via the main drag. Turned out she was an enjoyable personable lady, so we shared some time and good wishes. She said it was possible to love a man because of his car, and I rejected that opinion completely, that the worth of a man can be judged by his possessions. Perhaps that was why she had a place on the beach and I didn't, but I did find the concept interesting, although wildly mistaken.

Excellent video. Oh the memories. Surfed S Ca for 35 years and only one other time did I see Seal Beach look like that....back in 82-83. You nailed it on the description of the inside break.....slams your butt into the sand if your not careful. Its sure great having such great videos these days, keep up the great work. Try this spot next on a big swell....Indicators south of Paddleboard cove.....beautiful left. Thanks for sharing the passion.

The River had to have been equally impressive. A big south or west swell causes it to be a most memorable wave.

Yes, I surfed this wave back in the 70's, it was breaking 10-15, way out against the jetty. Labor intensive paddle out, hard to take off with offshores and a unusually hard to catch the wave. I got a few and that was all I could handle. I was the only one out there, always freaky by yourself!!

This place breaks atleast one day a year. Also, you don’t have to paddle all the way out, you can walk out on the jeti and hop in. Seal Beach native here. But you definitely saw it on as big of a day as I’ve ever seen! Usually 15 ft faces at most

Seal Beach. Hometown of Robert August, Corky Carroll, Jack Haley, and the Lenahan brothers.

Excelent filming. Congrats

What asplendid gift indeed.

So rad. But what a fun left! How can something be so gnarly and mellow at the same time? Dig the electric hydrofoil!

Great shots and editing, you caught Blair Conklin @ 1:35 Nice production!

I surfed a huge swell in 82 just like this one with David Sauers, seal beach was my spot!

What you’re describing about the waves backing off and then jacking up is typical big wave surfing vibe.. That’s the challenge. Taking off deep enough, and maintaining all the speed and jumping off the sheer cliff that happens right underneath you, just in the nick of time.

Great work 📷

Epic!! 👍🤙🦆🌊

Great job,

thanks Brad

I was at the Wedge but on the Corona Del Mar side, the waves were actually breaking inside the jetty. Epic.

Wow, what a fun wave....

Keep it up bro...like your style..

South of pier looks fun when it breaks!

Seal freakin' Beach? I was BORN in LA in ... well, WAY too long ago - long before *any* of these surfers were even groms of the dreams in their folks' eys .... and I've NEVER even heard of Seal Beach breaking! Oh, yeah - the old rumors, the old stories ... but nothing more than that. Mahalos, Brad, for the awesome footage. Even though we moved to Hawaii in '71 and all my surfing from a few years before that until I came back to go to college in ('75?) ... all my fave breaks were on the south shore of Oahu, still; I managed to surf up & down the coast of CA throughout '75 & '76, 'till I went home for summer break. This is footage "of record', man; should be in the annals at Surfing or Surfer magazine. Not even sure who's up there running those these days, but sure hope they capitalized on these record breaks that only have happened, like, once-in-a-lifetime. Mahalos, again, Brad ... you were there when in counted , giving us the lowdown on how sh*t really is. Ono job, man.

Great video and excellent commentary you sound like Rick Steves.

Husband and wife team there catching a memory!

When it comes to breaks like this best to try and surf it at the lowest tides. As the tide rises that’s what makes the waves all stuffy and backs off, making it harder to get into.

Thumbs up to all the Brave surfers and excellent videomaker👏

I really miss south side seal. Spent some amazing memorable times there.

Dude at the very end. “Toasted “. 🏄🏼‍♂️

Great play by play!

Where I caught my very first wave in 1971 . On a board I got for $10 from Goodwill in Long Beach .

Great edit and commentary...

It’s called cloud brake. First time I road it was when the first El Niño hit. I grew up hitting southside seal beach. That year particularly I remember being out on cloud break, I bodyboarders looked over and I was well over Rubys dinner.

Seal Beach Dream Session! 🤙

When I lived in HB in 2009, I remember there was a big swell and a wave breaking more in the center between the pier and the jetty. It might be called "Cable Cars" not really sure. My buddy paddled out, a bit past my comfort level as it was at least 24+ faces going left towards the pier. Just about outside the end of the pier. Never saw it break like that since. This looks close though... Awesome!

I spent my childhood surfing here on the north side of the pier and the jetty and it’s true not once did i see it break. The only reason it does break at all is the way the jetty is angled and sand builds up right next to it coupled with some sort of storm or hurricane in Mexico

I had no idea seal beach could get like that.

so EPIC!!!

Perfect for a standup

One of the funnest waves I have ever had the chance to ride.

As a guy who focuses on these kinds of waves, the best board to use is an old school windsurf board. I use an old 10ft F2, Massive volume. Impossible to duck dive, but bc it’s so fast you can plow head onto whitewash where everyone else duck dives. The only problem is you go to fast at times, easy way to adjust to these boards is lean reaaaallly far back. Got the idea from watching 8 year old kids rip on adult shortboard…

saw it in 77 great job bro