Relentless Rhythm: Surf Photography at Montara’s Wild Shore

Some days begin with a fog inside you. That morning, I felt it clearly. The kind of mood you can't shake off easily. I grabbed my gear and headed out to the ocean - not with a clear goal, but with hope. Hope to reset, to shift something inside. To just breathe.

Restless Coastline Near Montara - the ocean looked calm just a few miles before this.

I arrived at El Granada with a faint sense of anticipation. But as I stood overlooking the water, it was still. Flat. Quiet. Almost too calm. No surfers. No waves. Nothing moved. Even the wind held its breath. The emptiness of it all pressed in a little.

Focused and Floating - moments of stillness before the next wave

I lingered for a moment, watching the horizon, unsure of what I was searching for. Then I made a choice: drive north. Not far. Just a few miles. Maybe something different was waiting.

Barely 4.5 miles up the road, near the outskirts of Montara, the story changed.

The Sculptor - a perfect green wave curling into a smooth, glassy barrel.

The ocean there was alive.

Into the Break - a surfer paddles forward, bracing for the next wave.

Waves crashed. The wind tugged at my jacket. The air carried salt and something electric. I grabbed my cameras and walked closer, following the sound of the sea. That’s when I saw them - two surfers in the water, already in motion.

Breaking Through - a surfer dives under a crashing wave with precision and strength.

They weren’t just paddling or waiting for the perfect wave. They were in it nonstop. Fighting the current, rising over swell after swell, duck-diving with power and precision. There was no pause, no hesitation. Just rhythm. Relentless rhythm.

Eyes on the break - fully locked in and ready to ride.

I stood there, mesmerized.

In Full Control - a surfer carves through the wave, focused and fearless.

Their movements were more than athletic - they were expressive. A kind of dialogue between human and ocean. A test of endurance and instinct.

Gliding Alone - a brown pelican cuts through the gray sky in perfect silence.

It was windy, and the weather shifted fast - clouds covering the sun, then parting just long enough to let light spill over the waves. The sound of crashing surf echoed against the cliffs. Above, Mount Montara wore a cloak of mist and dark clouds.

Charging the Wall - determination written on his face as he climbs the rising wave.

On the shore nearby, a small group of friends cheered and shouted support. It felt like a scene from a film - the kind that grips you quietly and doesn't let go.

Through the Break - eyes locked ahead as the wave erupts around him.

My own thoughts began to quiet. Whatever sadness I had brought with me seemed to dissolve in the salt and wind. I was grateful. Grateful to witness something raw and real. Two humans chasing the edge of their limits. No performance. Just presence.

Locked and Loaded - full focus as the board takes flight

I stayed for a long time. Time folded in on itself. I forgot everything else. Just the sea. The sound. The motion.

Vanished - just the board remains as the wave takes it all.

Eventually, I walked back to my car. I carried the same weight of gear on my back, but something inside me felt lighter.

Signaling from the sea - a surfer points toward something beyond the wave.

This was just one day. One unexpected turn. One short detour that gave me more than I asked for.

Storm clouds gather over Montara as restless waves churn below - nature’s raw rhythm in full force.

Captured by Alexei - drawn by the rhythm of the wild shore, where wind and waves speak louder than words.

Photographer. Storyteller. Seeker of the untamed.

Follow the journey.