Santa Barbara Surfing
Frequent: Surf Reports. Surf Photos. Weather. News.
Monday, September 29, 2003
There is a new report from Saturday. Benjamin submitted a review of his new wetsuit, a 4/3 Rip Curl slacken. It, and the 2004 Wetsuits Guide is now online. In this little page you can find info about getting(or rather not getting) your wetsuit repaired under warranty, as well as a section on following the life a brand new Rip Curl Fullsuit.
The red tide continues along the coast. The Ventura Harbor Patrol has pulled in over 32,000 pounds of dead fish in the last few days, ranging in size from bait fish to to 2' sea bass. A damage report from Hurricane Marty hitting La Paz can be found here. In local news, the Snowy Plover program that has been out at Coal Oil has just received a stewardship award. Matt Warshaw has just released his book, "The Encyclopedia of Surfing". In internet news, Amazon has a Beta section for surfing goods up. Thus far about 90% of the stuff surfers usually wouldn't be caught dead with, but it is kinda nice to know you could pull the trigger on an Ultimate Elasto at 3am on a Saturday if you'd like. Of course nothing can beat going into your local surf shop, chatting it up with the owner, getting a 20 minute guide to the latest wetsuit developments, walking out with a suit ready to get wet, and a feeling of supporting your local surf shop. That is, if your local surf shop contains the sort of chaps that treat you right.
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Thursday, September 25, 2003
Chuck Ames, the man behind True Ames surf fins has a write up in the Goleta Vally Voice today.
Jed points out some more killer Fabian surf pics from Rhode Island.
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Monday, September 22, 2003
Some new reports from the weekend for Saturday and Sunday, which occured just a few miles south of another Avila shark sighting. Longtime SBS reader writes to describe what it's like living near a Shark Closed Beach. I was also asked on my trip up there to counter the media's story that the women who was attacked was stupid for "swimming with the seals". In reality this women swam out there with a club most every morning as a workout, and if you've ever speant much time in the water with curious seals, you know that they swim with you weather you like it or not.
Seth let me know that my reports for Sep 11 and 13 are mis-guided on where the swell was coming from. That fun swell was actually from the Southern Hemi.
Hurricane Marty made it to Cat 2 before making landfall on the Baja Pennisula. Cat 2 was the same strength the widely publicized Isabel was when it hit the US mainland. Marty has now been downgraded to a Tropical Storm and is in the Sea of Cortez with 60kt winds looking like it'll pass over Yuma, Arizona in some sort.
Dustin is selling his Like New 6'1" CI for $400 in the classifieds.
This winter's fullsuits are in a shop near you. For a mere $349 you can have O'Neil's top of the line Psycho 2X, or for $249 you can have Rip Curls' top of the line Ultimate Elasto. If anyone has purchased a 2004 suit and has any comments, send them my way and we'll get some reviews up.
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Friday, September 19, 2003
You can check out my meager September surf reports now.
Tropical Strom Marty has formed to the east of where Linda was, outside of the swell window with it's 40mph winds. Steve sold all 3 of his boards in the classifieds.
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Thursday, September 18, 2003
Isabel making landfall in North Carolina. This yahoo photo is from yesterday in North Carolina. More yahoo surf pics are: 1, 2, 3. In west coast news, Hurricane Linda is now just a "remment low". Several forecast sites say we might see some energy from the system, but so small it would be tough to distinguish it from Soutern Hemi Swells. Right now Harvest is seeing a 1.0ft at 17 seconds from 210°, which certianly isn't from Linda.
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Monday, September 15, 2003
The Santa Barbara Surfing Hurricane Tracking Center of Excellence reports that the NHC just upgraded Hurricane Linda which now packs 65knt winds within the SoCal swell window. Linda will apparently peak in about 24 hours and then start heading west.
Hurricane Isabel is looming off of the East Coast in what was the first Cat 5 Hurricane in 5 years. Now at Cat 4 but headed for the Outer Banks, plywood has doubled in price and surfers continue to drool.
Tim sends some pics from the last East Coast Hurricane, Hurricane Fabian in Rhode Island. Some other Fabian pics can be seen here and here.
Some other stuff:
Elie is selling a classic 70's single fin in the classifieds.
The Groundswell Society is having it's 3rd Surfing Arts, Science, and Issues Conference on November 8, 2003 in Dana Point.
"In a World Gone Mad" showed on Thursday night at Sharkeez. It was a slightly disturbing surf movie due to the graffic 9/11 footage interspersed with surfing. However the flick did show some local ripsters such as my favorite yellow surfboard riding goletian, Bobby Morris. Endless contest footage and interviews was boring, but the footage of a Mundaka contest held in big, muddy, barrels was amazing. In short, a cool movie to check out, but no classic.
A bunch of September surf reports to catch up on...coming soon....
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Wednesday, September 10, 2003
Don't forget that the California Street Longboard Championships are this weekend both Saturday and Sunday at C-Street. One of the favorite events is Sunday's "Old Log" event featuring boards over 35 years old ridden by leash-less, wetsuit-less old timers.
On Saturday evening, in conjunction with the contest, is a surf film by Bud Browne, "Surfing the 50's" at the Ventura College Theatre at 7:00. Admission is $10.00 and benefits the Ventura Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. The Ventura College Theatre is in building "G" on this map.
For more Ventura-Centric events this weekend, you could crash the Ventura Hillside Conservancy Concert in Arroyo Verde Park which will feature Jack Johnson and Jackson Browne. The show is sold out, but with a sense of adventure you could find a nice hill above the show.
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Tuesday, September 09, 2003
Upcoming Surf Flick:
"In A World Gone Mad"
Aloha Sharkeez
416 State St
Thursday, Sept 11, 9:00 PM
$5 cover
Benefit for SB chapter Surfrider Foundation
You can read a review about the movie by clicking the link above, and you can watch the (graphic) trailer by clicking on this link.
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Monday, September 08, 2003
"Marc Dickson, longtime Jalama local, will have a memorial service at the Calvery Chapel ( across from the Rescue Mission) on Wednesday, September 10th, at 11 am. There will also be a memorial paddle out at Tarantula's (south of Jalama County Park) at 4:00 pm on the 10th. All who knew Marc are invited to attend both."
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Friday, September 05, 2003
Another local surfing tragedy occurred yesterday at Jalama where 45 year old Marc Allen Dickson was pulled from the water by fellow surfers in a scene terribly reminiscent of January 5th at Coal Oil Point. SBS reader Brett was in the water at the time and saw the whole event unfold. He describes helpful surfers bringing him in and performing CPR and calling for help before the Helicopter came, but it was too late to save him. Catch a wave for the guy today.
Story in the Lompoc Record.
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Thursday, September 04, 2003
Fabian has been pointing it's 120mph winds towards the East Coast for several days now. Down to 105mph now, and expected to hit Bermuda in 36 hours, surfers all along the East Coast are drooling over potentially epic conditions. The dry spell for TB Maddux could be rewarded greatly...stay tuned.
Maddux also points out another surf forecasting site... Rigbrother.
Out here on the West Coast some fun sessions were had over the last several days apparently. We have a Tropical Depression off of Baja that shows no potential.
In the gossip department we have JLo and Benny getting married at some super secret location "near Santa Barbara" on September 14. Hillside Estate...or...Bacara?
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