Santa Barbara Area Surf Report

May Overview | 1996 Overview


Date/Time:
Monday, May 13th, 9:30 am - 12:00 noon
Location:
Sequit / Secos / Leo Carrillo
Weather:
Early morning haze and fog burning off to expose high clouds and sun.
Conditions:
Excellent, pristine, with the kelp eliminating all chop but rock rebound.
Swell:
Building SW groundswell from 220deg. Inconsistent waist to head high sets.
Comments:
Got in just as the dawn patrol crowd was clearing out. The water was cool, almost cold, but refreshing, not like the warm bath from Saturday.

Most of the crowd was hanging on the outside, waiting for sets, so I set up on the inside next to the "body rock" and picked off mostly smaller surf. Had a good time since many from the outside couldn't connect past the rock, leaving me with the racetrack to the lifeguard tower. Faster takeoffs made easier with the lighter wetsuit and windswell practice.

Best wave was late in the morning, a fun shoulder-high one peeling at just the right speed to throw quick snaps and cutbacks and still keep a bit of the all-down-the-line feel. Eventually had to get out in order to make it back in time for class (I was still 15 minutes late).

The L.A. County Search and Rescue teams were doing some sort of operation at County Line this morning... even saw a Channel 4 news copter fly over the lineup on its way to the line. Anyone know what happened?

South swell is expected to build through to the weekend.


Santa Barbara Surfing -- Last updated 6/17/96.