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Watermen Team Members chase the largest swell to hit California in years.

Watermen Team Members chase the largest swell to hit California in years.

A week into 2023 and a series of north pacific storms provided the largest swell to hit California in years. With the proximity of the storm, most big waves and outer reefs were too wild, so the mission was simple; get north of Los Angeles to some fickle point breaks and other areas that rarely see any size of swell, let alone a predicted 15 foot swell.

3:30am

After departing the Watermen headquarters in the dark and driving a few hours north, we arrived to watch the sunrise at a classic rock boulder point that has the potential for large ruler edge lines and punchy scraping barrels. The Large raw swell was slightly overwhelming the point, but still manageable, with large double ups and long racing walls breaking up and down the large boulder field. Waves would taper off down the point, only to merge with another line of swell and double in size as they pushed further into the small cove. Within a few minutes of paddling out, we were trading off waves amidst a small crowd, pulling into shallow sections and flying down the line on large bowled up sets. 

6:30am

Watermen Brand, California bomb cyclone, largest swell to hit California in years

Dawn patrol at a fickle, boulder-ridden righthand point break

9:30am

As the tide peaked a couple hours after sunrise, the swell backed off slightly, creating longer, more organized lines from the top of the point into the bay and the crowds came by the dozens. Feeling very content with our uncrowded dawn session we caught one more wave in and headed south to food and lesser known points that could possibly be in rare form. 

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High tide and mid-morning late comers push us to the next wave

10:30am

Just like clockwork, we arrived on site at another ‘fickle’ right point that was breaking in multiple spots along the point, with big walls racing off the rocks into a large sandy bay. Huge mounds of water were coming in consistently, with the opportunity to connect one of these waves 100’s of meters down the shoreline, through a variety of steep sections, and big swinging walls of water. Each of us took turns sitting deep out the back for a taste of the larger bombs, before sitting inside the rocks and swinging into large steep green wedges. With arms tired, and legs muscles burning from pumping through endless sections, the barrels became less make-able, and a light breeze began to ripple the surface texture.  After a couple hours at this ‘un-mentioned’ point, we packed up and hit the road in search of one last miracle. With a few hours of light left, we had enough time to check Rincon and nearby spots. As the tide bottomed out and hundreds of surfers poured off the highway into coastal parking lots, hoping to take advantage of the unique conditions.

large surf, bomb cyclone, January 2023

A lesser known point converts the large swell into long bending lines

Racing down the line on a freight train right

2:30pm

After an hour of poking around, the search came to a halt at a lesser noted right point break, with the strength and direction of the swell offering unusually long lines over mussel covered boulders and patchy sand. One last change into the wetsuits and we were running down the coast highway to our third session of the short winter day with salt in our eyes, and smiles wider than our sunburnt mouths could handle. Although the Largest swell to hit California in years did not necessarily translate to the largest waves we surfed this year, it did offer an incredible opportunity to score some fickle and lesser-surfed points with considerable size.

5:00pm

Watermen Brand, California bomb cyclone, largest swell to hit California in years

Sales team member Ryan admires long lines of swell bending around a point at sunset. 

In this post, Watermen team member is wearing the Yellowtail Shirt, Yellowtail Hat, & Canvas Watermen Jacket

For more accounts of this swell, check out Surfline’s latest story, here

Watermen Brand

www.watermenbrand.com

 

How to Keep Warm After Getting out of the Water?

How to Keep Warm After Getting out of the Water?

Hoodies, jackets, watermen warmth, Original Watermen Jackets, stay salty, earn your salt, Original watermen ApperalHoodies, Jackets and Sweatpants

Whether you are waiting for a rescue, your competition to begin, or you have just completed your event, there are a variety of hoodies, windbreakers and sweatpants to keep you warm and help get rid of the after chill. Here are some of our favorites.

Humboldt Hoodie

Say you are lobster diving from your kayak, and the water temperature drops, and your body is racked with chills, so it’s time to return to shore. You strip off your damp or wet clothes and want to put on something super soft and warm, we suggest reaching for a Humboldt Hoodie. Humboldt Hoodies are much thicker than your average weight cotton hoodies. The Humboldt hoodie is like wrapping yourself in a fleece blanket. It’s made to fit comfortable, so you can easily layer up. It has a zipper instead of being a pullover keeping your wet from soaking the fleece. It is electronic reach with headphone eyelet and an inside media pocket, it even has thumbholes in the cuffs.

K-38 Jacket

How about if the wind is blowing off the mid-February ocean water, and it’s raining lightly while you are warming up for that long open water swim. Your sweatshirt has gotten heavy and saturated with rain. Your phone no longer works because it too is soaked. This would have been the ideal opportunity for a K-38 Jacket instead of your cotton sweatshirt. The K-38 Jacket is made with 100% waterproof nylon and water resistant seams. The front snaps are great for that quick release right before your race starts keeping your muscles warm until the last minute, before you enter the icy water. And if you sweat a lot, this jacket has underarm grommets for ventilation, which allow you to set the temperature you desire inside your jacket.

Watermen Shepra Hoodie

Picture, you just got out of the frigid water after windsurfing at the Columbia Gouge in Oregon. You’ve been pounded by the chilly east wind for hours, your cold, your muscles are sore. This is the perfect time for a Watermen Shepra Hoodie to be waiting for you on the beach. The Sherpa Hoodie is a super thick soft sheep like fleece lined jacket. The Sherpa Hoodie even has fleece lined pockets for those cold cramping hands to thaw quickly.

Baja Hoodie

The whale sharks are in Baja this time of the year. The water is still warm and swimming without a wetsuit is a dream. As the sun sets and the whale shark scouting is finished for the night. In typical Baha fashion the wind kicks up lowering the temperature around you and you need to put on a light jacket. The Baja Hoodie is a mid-weight cotton jacket that is perfect for the pre-winter weather.

Watermen Pant

When your body is wet, your clothes will stick to you, making it difficult to pull on a pair of pants. The Watermen pant is different, there is no pant like it. It’s like a sweatpants, but not exactly. These pants are built to last and are made in the USA from 100% heavy-duty preshrunk cotton. They are chosen by watermen and lifeguards across the globe for their exceptional comfort, fit, and extra deep pockets and worn on dawn patrol, workouts, training, or whatever. The Waterman Pant has an elastic waist and draw cord for quick and easy removal. Choose from two types of cuff: with elastic for a more casual look, or without elastic for a more dress look. Don’t leave home without them!

We know the importance of being prepared mentally and physically, so we design equipment and clothes that withstand the elements. The wrong gear can mean injures or even death, so it is best to be prepared.

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Top Outdoor Workout

Top Outdoor Workout

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Top Outdoor Workout Clothes This Winter:

The chilly mornings are upon us. It’s taking extra motivation to jump in the frigid water every morning. You sip your coffee just a little slower so you can really enjoy every bit of the warmth while you have it. If the low temps have you down check out our favorite outdoor workout clothes that are sure to heat you up.

 

One thing that is proven to keep your core temperature controlled are our Original Watermen Compression shorts. Layering up on cold days is important element to staying warm and improving performance. Our men’s compression shorts feature double lining in the front for an added warmth. These shorts are also non-transparent, anti-microbial, and rapid drying. Whether you are planning to workout in the water or on land, the watermen compression shorts literally have you covered. The extra warmth these shorts provide while kept your engine chugging in even the coldest temps.

 

We are ultimately motivated to keep you in the water as much as possible. We know how difficult it can to be to get in the water if you have already caught the chill. Our Original Watermen pullover hoodies are designed to be the most optimal gear to keep you toasty while you are working out or to get bundled up in before or after jumping in the water. Our favorite to hoodie to wear while working out is the Humbolt pullover hoodie, it’s perfect weight keeps you warm without compromising your movement. If you’re looking for our lightest weight hoodie the Baja pullover Hoodie is your go to option. It’s thin, warm and prepped with good wave hunting Baja vibes. Our absolute warmest option is the old favorite, the Watermen Sherpa Hoodie. This hoodie was designed to keep your internal temperature forever at summer levels. It’s always sunny in the Watermen Sherpa Hoodie.

 

Original Watermen is here to supply you with premium outerwear and treat you to the best compression gear on the market. We want you to be psyched to get in the elements and one way to do that is to be geared up. Don’t let anything keep you from earning your salt!

 watermen compresion shorts, stay salty, liners, water liners, Original watermen

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