About Mavericks
Mavericks is a big-wave surf spot off Pillar Point, near Half Moon Bay in Northern California, a short drive south of San Francisco. The wave breaks over a rocky reef well away from the shore, so it can be hard to see well from the beach. It is said to be named after Maverick, a dog that went along with a group of surfers who tried the waves there in the 1960s. Mavericks is generally reported to produce surfable waves only when large swells arrive from the North Pacific, most often in the winter months, typically from around November to March, and it can go long periods without them. On the biggest days the waves are described as many metres high. Cold water, strong currents and rocks close to the wave lead many to describe it as one of the most dangerous surf spots in the world, and it is generally surfed only by experienced big-wave surfers.
This overview was written with AI and reviewed by a person. How these are written