Back in December of 2023, a massive swell gurgled to life in the Pacific Ocean. At traditional big wave surf spots, like Maverick’s, some were calling it “one of the biggest days ever.” But it wasn’t just Mav’s that received that El Niño-fueled fury.
Way down south in Laguna Beach, that swell also slammed the coastline. Now, Laguna Beach is more well-known for being a ritzy, touristy, artist enclave – rather than a beach town with surf spots capable of handling historically large swell. So, when the XXL waves did hit Laguna, it looked more like a scene from an end-of-the-world movie than real life.
For example, this wall of water below.
Once again, although this clip was posted recently, this was from a few years back. Still, seeing this freakishly large wave from atop the hills of Laguna Beach is a sight to behold. It appears as if the entire Pacific Ocean is unloading on the tiny Orange County enclave.
At the time, Laguna Beach native, pro skimboarder, and soft-top wizard Blair Conklin noted:
“December 28th had the largest surf I have ever seen in my 28 years of existence. My dad who is commentating the video is in his 60 and has been around the neighborhood much longer than I. Was this the largest set of waves to hit Laguna Beach in the past 50 years? We have a few reasons to believe so but I would like to hear if anyone else out there has some accounts of other larger or more historical swells.”
And with swells like this, the threat of coastal damage becomes a very real concern. Especially in places like Laguna Beach, where houses perch directly on the shoreline.
Conklin continued:
“I am not a climate scientist but events like this do worry me for the future of our coastal communities and beaches. Climate scientists predict the west coast will continue to see more dramatic storms, like this, and accelerated erosion with climate change. Now is the time to support organizations responding to these impacts.”
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