After picking up our rental van in Los Angeles we made our way North on highway 101 and landed ourselves in Malibu for a perfect sunset. With just enough light left to sneak in a few waves we dawned our wetsuits and headed out into the chilly waters of the Pacific.
Malibu is a dream wave, an iconic spot for surfing and California because of it’s perfect little rights rippling over a shallow and rocky bottom. This wave is ideal for perfecting your longboarding skills and trying out new maneuvers like hanging five or even ten if you’re really lucky! I’d been looking forward to surfing this spot since we first started planning our trip and man did it deliver!
Not only was the sunset glowing, the waves more than welcoming and the crowd non-existent but as the sky grew darker and darker we were surprised by something magical happening in the water all around us. A phenomenal algae bloom was causing a flurry of bioluminescence that made for one unforgettable, incredibly spiritual and lucky surf session! As we paddled, surfed and played in the water this incredible display of nature’s beauty literally took our breathe away. Between the surf, the magical water and laughs we shared, this trip was starting off on the right foot!
Unfortunately we weren’t able to catch any of this particular surf session or bioluminescent on camera but here is a glimpse of what the red tide looked like at it’s peak (thanks to Youtube):
Stoked from our experience we headed towards our first campground, set up shop and dozed off with dreams of Malibu surf and glowing waves in our minds. We awoke early (thanks to our favorite alarm clock Harper) and headed back to Malibu. Once again the surf delivered, the sun was out and the hours passed by as we traded beach time and babysitting for long rides and perfectly shaped waves.
