Santa Barbara Area Surf Report
    
  March Overview 1999 Overview  
    
Date/Time: Tuesday, March 2nd, 12:00 noon - 3:30 pm
Location: Rincon
Weather: Fabulous weather, sunny and in the 70s F, no wind, better than summer (no June gloom).
Conditions: Good atop the point, with reduced windswell coming off the channel. Absolute perfection in the cove.
Swell: Slowly fading WNW groundswell, 8-10 ft at 14 s from 280-285 on the outside.
Surf: Consistent, shoulder to head high, with some overhead waves.
Comments: A vast improvement. Solid though fast and sectioning surf atop the point but the swift of feet and rail were still getting rides down past the rivermouth. Once I got in sync it was pretty easy to get a bunch of good waves. Mostly sat a little inside on the indicator, on a peak I'll call "Ladybugs" because of the hundreds of bugs out in the water, trying to float but generally on their way to drowning. Tried to pick a few up and save them by letting them dry off in my hair and fly away, but I don't think they ever made it off before I had to duckdive a wave or two while paddling back out.

Moved down to the cove before getting too tired. Extremely crowded in there, but some of the waves were just classic. Speedy concave walls that could barrel you if you wanted. Overhead+, fun and rippable at the top, and then setting up across the inside sandbar with several verandas, going too fast to get deep in that barrel but I could hear it drawing up water behind me. I got only one that went all the way through but it was enough for me!


Santa Barbara Surfing -- Last updated 3/1/1999.