ONDA

Peter Mel of Santa Cruz finds himself in the belly of a Maver­ick’s wave Wednesday. Numerous surf forecasters had predicted waves larger than 30 feet would hit the break. Instead, surf photographer Ed Grant reported waves closer to 18-20 feet in the morning, with the swell beginning to drop by 11:30 a.m. ‘Although the “epic swell” never arrived, it was nonetheless im­pressive, as Maverick’s always is,’ Grant wrote in an e-mail. Maverick’s Surf Contest surfers voted against holding the paddle contest Wednesday, mostly because of concerns about strong south winds. Grant said the weather was clear with little wind Wednesday morning, but most surfers were towing in. (Photo contributed by Ed Grant)