So you want to film at Mavericks?

I didn't know what I was getting into going to Mavericks.  I DID watch many videos during the lead up, however, all those videos started by the wave.  So, I never quite understood what the trek was like oN THE BOAT RIDE OUT. THE TRIP CAME UP RATHER ABRUPTLY, WHILE IN ENGLAND FILMING FOR THE NBA LONDON GAME, NIC TEXTED ME THAT MAVERICKS IS LIKELY TO RUN ON MONDAY OR TUESDAY (JAN 15th or 16th).  I TURNED WHAT WAS A LAY OVER IN New York TO A DIRECT FLIGHT BACK HOME TO LA ON SUNDAY (14th).  BY THE TIME I LANDED, MAVERICKS WAS CALLED OFF. BUT, NIC WAS STILL GOING TO SURF IT, BEING THAT HE TRAVELED ALL THE WAY FROM PORTUGAL FOR THE EVENT.  SO ON MONDAY NIGHT, I DROVE FROM MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIFORNIA TO HALF MOON BAY, GETTING THERE AROUND 1AM.

FILMING AT MAVERICKS: First off, I was fair warned to not look at my phone or film with my camera on the way out to the wave, because it's important to focus on the horizon to ensure you don't get sea sick. Really good advice ... I did not take it.

:04 - IT's 7 AM , I AM LEAVING THE HOTEL TO MEET NIC AT NEW LEAF GROCERY STORY IN HALF MOON BAY.

:14 - COASTSIDE INN AT HALF MOON BAY (230 CABRILLO HWY S, HALF MOON BAY, CA 94019)

:36 - PILLAR POINT  HARBOR IS WHERE BOATS DEPART FROM FOR MAVERICKS.        (1 JOHNSON PIER, HALF MOON BAY, CA 94019)

:55 - ONCE YOU GET OUT OF HARBOR, YOU SEE THE WATER GETS CHOPPY.  MAVERICKS ONLY BREAK DURING STORMS , SO IT'S COMMON FOR IT TO BE ROUGH SEAS WHEN GOING TO FILM AT THE WAVE. *AS I MENTIONED ABOVE, I DO NOT SUGGEST FILMING ON THE WAY OUT.  JUST FOCUS ON THE HORIZON UNTIL YOU GET OUT TO THE LOCATION TO FILM.  I DID NOT LISTEN TO THAT ADVICE ... MAINLY BECAUSE NIC WAS UNSURE IF HE WAS EVEN GOING TO BE ABLE TO SURF BECAUSE OF THE FOG, SO I FELT COMPELLED TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF SCENE FOR THE EPISODE AFTER A 7 HOUR DRIVE.

1:15 - WE TAKE A WAVE HEAD ON.  AGAIN I'M BAD AT TAKING ADVICE AND I FALL DOWN AS BOB SAYS "HANG ON!" AS HE TAKES A WAVE HEAD ON.  BOB, HAS SAILED THESE WATERS SINCE A YOUNG BOY, BUT YOU COULD STILL TELL HE RESPECTED THE SEVERITY OF EACH TRIP.

1:39 - ONCE WE STOPPED AND SETTLED ABOUT 200 YARDS FROM THE WAVE BREAKING.  THERE ARE SEVERAL BOATS, JET SKIS, aND SURFERS ALL HANGING IN THE SAME AREA.  AT AROUND THE SAME TIME WE STOPPED, MY STOMACH STARTED TO RUMBLE.  AND WHEN I REACH DOWN TO MY CAMERA CASE, I REACH THE POINT OF NO RETURN.

1:46 - AND VOMIT.  SEVERAL TIMES.

2:09 - GOOD NEWS WAS ONCE I CLEARED MY STOMACH I WAS FINE THE REST OF THE TIME.  CAPTAIN BOB (SHOUT OUT CAPTAIN BOB!) HOOKED ME UP WITH SOME GINGER SODA THAT HIT THE SPOT.

3:00 - AFTER FILMING AN OTF (ON THE FLY INTERVIEW)  WITH NIC , I SWITCHED TO a CANON 70-200mm LENSE.  THE 200mm is long enough to capture the entire wave.  when you go longer than 200mm you can definitely get better cutaways and get tighter, riskier shots, however you may end up cutting a portion of the wave out of the frame ... which is kind of why you are there, to showcase the wave.

3:21 - SCENE FROM EPISODE 3 oF THE RISK.