THE Surf Report 10/28/11

1 – 1 = 1

SURF:

What do you get when you have great weather but no surf? Well I guess you still have good weather. That’s what we have on tap this weekend. But don’t let me get ahead of myself; today we still have some fun leftover SW swell. South SD is waist high, there’s a couple inconsistent chest high sets in north SD, and the best OC spots have shoulder high sets.

By tomorrow only the OC will have small rideable SW swell. Models show a weak wind blowing off Pt. Conception this afternoon which may give a slight bump to SD out of the NW on Saturday. Most likely waist high towards south SD. Nothing to write home about. Sunday looks pretty flat most everywhere. But conditions will be great! So we got that going for us.

And beware the tides; we’ve got massive swings this weekend- almost 9’- that will wreak havoc on the small swell at your local break. It will look rideable one hour and flat the next. Tides the next few days are 4’ at sunrise, just over 7’ at 11am, and -1.5’ at sunset. Water temps are low 60’s. Sunrise is 7am and sunset is 6pm. Make sure to keep up to date on the waves and weather at Twitter/North County Surf.

FORECAST:

Looks like the north Pacific is trying to get a little more organized early next week and we should get a small bump from NW windswell- this time toward Monday for chest high waves in south SD and waist high waves in north SD and north OC.

Monday the winds off Central California are forecasted to kick into gear for a bigger windswell/groundswell combo for late Tuesday and into Wednesday. Hopefully we’ll get some chest high waves in north SD/north OC while south SD will be the call with head high sets.

Down south a small storm is forecasted to organize around Halloween and if everything pans out, we should have a SW swell around next Sunday- similar in size to the one we just had. Nothing too exciting out there but at least some rideable waves from the NW and SW every 3 or 4 days.

WEATHER:

How many darn days this month has it been overcast?! Thankfully it’s finally feeling like October around here. High pressure the past few days should hold into the weekend with temperatures into the mid to high 70’s. And no low clouds to speak of. A weak trough moves through the area early next week and we should get a return of the night and early morning low clouds and fog with temps in the high 60’s. I don’t think the low clouds will be as thick as they were a couple weeks ago- we should get some mid-day sunshine Monday/Tuesday. Then the models go whack and show a front moving through the interior western states which would give us a cold offshore event. Then the models show a legit storm system for Thursday/Friday for wind and rain. The models have been pretty off lately so maybe I’ll buy off on the cold offshore event mid-week but who know about the storm for the end of the week…
BEST BET:
If you’re in the OC, today is the best bet with the great weather and little leftover SW swell. For the SD crew, best bet is to wait for the new NW on Wednesday- especially if that cold offshore wind event shows up. Or if you’ve got a car, hit Huntington Beach today then make your way to Blacks on Wednesday and get the best of both worlds.

NEWS OF THE WEEK:

After the Japanese earthquake and resulting tsunami in March, there’s been a lot of research on what the ocean dragged back into the sea when the waters receded. One would think that all the junk that got sucked out into the sea would float off the coast of Japan. But we need to take into account the massive currents in the ocean and how they travel across the Pacific. The L.A. Times did a story this week that up to 20 million tons of trash (yes, I said that correctly- 20 million tons- a.k.a. 40 billion pounds) are floating around the Pacific and are headed to the west coast. The University of Hawaii researchers say that pieces of homes, a refrigerator, cars, soda cans, you name it, are headed to your local spot. I’ve got enough problems with the goons littering the line up at Swami’s, now I have to worry about a potential Prius in the impact zone. According to UH senior researcher Nikolai Maximenko, the debris should show up around the beginning of 2014 towards Oregon and Washington. Luckily for southern California, we’ll be partially blocked by Point Conception so a majority of trash may go right past our coastline- kind of like how big NW swells pass by our area. So I guess there’s a benefit to getting skunked around here once in a while. The North Pacific Gyre will also suck some of the junk into its vortex while storms in the north Pacific will grind some garbage into small ‘confetti’ type matter. Regardless, there’s going to be a lot of weird stuff washing up on the shores in the coming years.

BEST OF THE BLOG:

Speaking of weird stuff floating around, the web is full of it. Like the North County Surf blog. This week’s features include the Double Latte Duel between the new coffee joints popping up around town, the battle for Nor-Cal supremacy this week between the O’Neill and Rip Curl contests, your weekly dose of a Tuesday surf check, Greg Webber and Kelly Slater’s wavepool battle, and Forum Snowboards for free! (well actually not free but pretty darn close). All of that and more in the blog below!

PIC OF THE WEEK:

I’m sure you’ve heard a few surf stories about how wild the Australian coast gets once you leave the comforts of Sydney. There is heaps of surf out there if you’re willing to pack up the kombi, drive thousands of miles over washboard roads, deal with millions of flies, and go past the point of no return. Sound fun? Sure it does when you roll up to this left with just you and your friends out there getting pitted silly. For more pics of Ozzy wonderment, head on over to Surf Scapes.

Keep Surfing,

Michael W. Glenn

Bombastic
Organizing ‘Occupy Off The Wall’

Guinness Record Holder For Throwing The Biggest Spray

Deal Alert! It's Snowing! (Somewhere)

Ok. So it's going to be mid-70's today at the beaches and not a cloud in the sky. But Seshday doesn't care as they're unloading Forum Snowboards and Foursquare outerwear dirt cheap. Usually sales like this happen at the end of spring/summer but as we hit the month of November and resorts start opening, brand new cheap snow gear is hard to come buy. That's why you need to hit 'em up now! Last time I checked, there were only a few Forum boards left. And with some around $175, I understand why.

And of course you can't go boarding in your wetsuit (except I saw some guys at Snow Summit back in the 80's wearing O'Neill fullsuits on the slopes- totally rad). So load up on Forum jackets for under $80 and pants under $70. That's like getting 2 for the price of 1. How can you go wrong?! Well, if you hit a tree or go off a cliff or something, that's pretty wrong. But regardless, I'm sure you won't. But you never know until you stock up at Seshday and give it your best shot this winter!

Clip of the Day: The Search For Coldwater

Normally this website is focused on North County San Diego and our brethren in south SD and the OC but for the next two weeks the surf world is focusing it's attention on Nor-Cal. Don't worry- no secret spots will be exposed. But if the weather models hold up- there could be some fun surf for the world to witness at Steamer Lane and Ocean Beach.

First up is the O'Neill Coldwater Classic Santa Cruz being held today through Halloween. A legendary contest that's been run for eons at Steamer Lane. Probably the best Coldwater ever was 1990 when a re-born Curren took down Kong in solid surf. It probably won't be as big this year but there still should be some overhead sets for the boys to take apart. And since it's a Prime Event (kind of like a BCS bowl game) a lot of big names are showing up to surf it- especially since it's only a few days before the WCT Rip Curl event (more on that below). In the meantime, the Coldwater will have a great mix of locals, WQS warriors, and ASP super stars. Like Alejo Muniz, Ratboy, Pat Gudauskas, Cory Lopez, Kolohe, Sunny, the return of Timmy Reyes, Wilko, Freddy P, Nat Young (the teen not the Animal), Dusty, Julian, Gabriel, John John, Eric Geiselmann (where have you been?), Ace, Kai Neville star Mitch Coleborn, Kerr, French wunderkid Lacomare, Knox, Simpo, Curran (not Curren) and a ton of other guys I can't fit on to the page. Long story short, it's one of the most eclectic cast of characters ever assembled for a surf contest and it should be damn fun to watch.

If your idea of a contest isn't a freak show but rather men battling the elements, then let's pray to God Ocean Beach delivers bombs for the Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco. If you've ever seen this stretch of beach during a solid swell, then you know what the pros are in for- massive currents, set waves breaking 100 yards outside the line up (actually on HUGE days it's miles out), sharks, fog, and water so cold it's no wonder a wetsuit company like Rip Curl is sponsoring it (O'Neill can't of course because they already have their own event 100 mile south). Anyway... models show a little more surf for this event vs. the Coldwater but it doesn't start until November 1st so a lot of things can change between now and then. But Ocean Beach is never flat. And I mean never. Don't expect to see pros wiggling across waist high flat sections like a Brazil event. So at least it should be fun and rippable every day. And the ASP of course will wait until it gets big- so it's going to be fun watching Kelly, Mick, Jordy, Julian, Owen, and Adriano ride bigger boards for a change. Look for solid man turns and barrels to get the high scores. Yes there's hope for power surfing!

Surf Check 10/25/11

Sun was out early this morning then of course the skies clouded back up. Are we ever going to get a full sunny day ever again?! Surfwise we've got a little bump from the SW/NW today and clean conditions. October has been pretty meager but tomorrow should be a little better- if the weather holds up. More on that later.

This morning we had a 6.5' high tide around 8AM that shut things down a bit and it was hard to see any surf- especially since it's so small. Best bet was a flat beachbreak until the tide starting dropping and the reefs start showing their potential. Water temps are low 60's.

We've got a little bump from small NW groundswell trying to fill in today with waist high waves in north SD and chest high waves in SD. That peaks today but there is some NW windswell behind it that should form tonight due to a weak cold front moving down the state. That swell peaks tomorrow afternoon with chest high sets in north SD, shoulder high sets in south SD, and waist high waves in the OC. But don't fret if you live behind the Orange Curtain- there's some new small SW filling in today that should give you shoulder high sets by tommorrow at the best spots. North SD should see some chest high sets.

All of this sounds fun but the fly in the ointment is the weak cold front I spoke about above. Nothing major but enough to give us drizzle tonight, a little SW wind tomorrow, and overcast skies (again). Weather models show high pressure setting up towards Thursday through the weekend for better conditions (maybe sun at the beaches in the afternoon?!) but our swells drop too. Typical.

Further out, we've got a good storm lining up in the Aleutians which should give us a solid NW by early next week. The south Pacific on the other hand is looking pretty quiet.

Charts show a small blip forming early next week for maybe small SW towards November 7th- but that's a long time to wait for a small swell- don't hold your breath.

North County New Business News: Double Latte Duel!

Seems like every few years there's a big food retail explosion. Whether it's new bar and grills jockeying for position (see Union/Beachside Bar and Grill/Lumberyard Tavern/Moonlight Lounge) or wine bars being a big trend a few years ago, we seem to be coming up on another battle: Coffee. Sure the Starbucks trend of the 90's was insane (Encinitas alone has 7 with an 8th on La Costa Avenue/El Camino Real). But coffee done right is a good experience (see Pannikin/E Street Cafe/Surfdog's Java Hut)- relaxing atmosphere, good conversation, and a cup of mud you can't put down. So this new renaissance could be a welcome addition to the area if planned properly. Up on the radar this fall is 3 new establishments.

First up, The Lofty Bean at the somewhat new 'Lofts' development across from Encinitas Surfboards. Run by a local family, the idea behind The Lofty Bean is 'Good coffee, made by good people, that's good for the earth'. It's a fully sustainable, organic coffee bar with a good little food menu too- oatmeal, yogurt/berries, bagel, panini's, salads, etc. Just enough to fill the tummy and get a jolt of joe at the same time. Check 'em out the next time you're near downtown Encinitas.

With Encinitas being covered by The Lofty Bean, Leucadia needs a little love. That's where Coffee Coffee comes in. Actually, I'm not sure of the name yet, JP at Surfy Surfy next door won't reveal the name until the due date (November 1st looks to be the target). But whatever he calls it, locals will probably call it Coffee Coffee due to the popularity of his surf shop next door (make sure to take a look at the Surfy Surfy story on my blog this past July). Regardless, JP wanted a place where people could come in, talk some story, and relax- just like his shop. And if you picked up a great cup of espresso and a 5 fin bonzer at the same time- that's called a win win in my book.

I had a sneak peak last week while me and the groms picked up some of Tom's Leucadia Donuts (that's a story for another time) and JP's place looks to be almost done. With the former parking lot out front now a casual patio, it's going to get a lot of use. Unfortunately by people who may hang all day (like myself).

And lastly (but not least in morning commuter's eyes) is the impending Starbucks at the northwest corner of I-5 and Leucadia Blvd (across from the Shell station and where Texaco used to stand. "What's that petrol taste in my frappuccino?" Just kidding). Now do we really need a 9th Starbucks in the area? Depends who you ask. Let's look at the facts first: Right now the lot is fenced off, has a fading 'for lease sign', is full of weeds, and is a magnet for trash. And did I mention it sits on an old gas station site- probably not the cleanest land. So something needs to be done- especially in a down economy. Whether or not Starbucks is the answer, who knows. BUT... the rumor is that it's going to be a drive through Starbucks which will get a lot of business, bring some revenue to the area, and add a few jobs. Also, a drive through Starbucks is a different clientele than the coffee house crowd so I don't think they'll compete with Pannikin/Lofty Bean/Coffee Coffee. The group in charge of the site- Epsteeen and Associates- is also advertising additional space on the site for lease which means there may be a couple more retail spaces going in. It's not a big lot so I don't think it's going to be fast food- but we'll have to wait and see I guess when it's finally leased. The lot still looks pretty quiet so I don't think Starbucks will be up and running anytime soon (I think the Starbucks rumor on this same lot actually started back in '08) but once they start digging it will only take them a couple months to serve that first Venti.

And of special note is the Moonlight Beach Concession Stand- one of my wife's favorite cups of coffee while the groms run loose on the playground on Sunday mornings. Run by another local family (the Owens family), there will be some development going on soon at Moonlight. New concession stand, restrooms, and finally a new lifeguard tower. Built back in 1906- not really but it looks like it- the saltwater and elements have taken their toll on the buildings down there. And since Moonlight is a cornerstone of Encinitas, the city has chosen to spend a little money on it's upkeep. Slated for remodel in the dead of winter, look for it to be up and running towards spring '12. Make sure to give them your business the next time you're down there for some barrels at D Street.

Deal Alert! Creatures of Leisure Bargains!

Got a new board lately? Maybe trying to protect that investment? How about giving some life to the old stick? Then you'll like today's Deal Alert brought to you by Seshday. They've got cheap cheap cheap Creatures of Leisure traction pads and board socks to buff out your quiver. Can't guarantee you'll surf like the Creatures of Leisure team (Fanning, Dusty, Ry, Nat, Parkes, and Doheny) but you will slip off the back of your board less. At just $18.99 for traction pads, it's an investment to keep you from doing the splits. Ouch.

Or maybe you're tired of your board getting beaten up in the garage from your groms or trying to protect it from rabid seagulls at the beach. Grab a boardsock starting at $17.99 and get your shortboard, funboard, longboard, whatever, covered. Hit it now though as Seshday's stock is limited.

Surf Check 10/18/11

Looking pretty dismal today. Sorry for being Debbie Downer but there really isn't a lot out there.

Only some background SW swell for waist high sets around town and maybe a slighty bigger set in the OC. We also have low clouds and fog floating around today that will probably not burn off at the coast. Tides are about 3' at sunrise, 5' at 1pm, and down to 2' at sunset.

As we head towards November, our attention turns towards the north Pacific as we have a couple small systems trying to generate surf. First up is a weak cold front moving down the California coast later today which should generate some small NW windswell tomorrow afternoon through Thursday.

After that there's a good storm looking to form this weekend which should generate head high NW groundswell for Tuesday of next week.

Until then, we only have some small background SW swell showing up towards late Sunday.

Weather-wise, we have low clouds haning around the next couple of days then high pressure sets up behind it for good weather this weekend and less clouds at the beach. So at least we have THAT to look forward too. Thank goodness it's football season around here or I'd go crazy right now.

Wavepool Battle!

Seems like the hype of wave pools ebbs and flows every few years. We got a taste of a small closeout in 1969 at Big Tempe in Arizona, then the 'epic' clash of the ASP's 1985 contest in Allentown, PA.

And who can forget young Jedi Slater ripping apart the PSAA event at Irvine's Raging Waters in the late 80's? Most everyone I guess. But anyway, the list of 'real waves' in wave pools goes on and on and on:

(Myazaki Ocean Dome, Siam Park in Bangkok aka the Rip Curl Ad Campaign, Typhoon Lagoon, Wavegarden, Lochtfeld's Flowrider, Ron Jon's underfunded country club Wave Park, blah blah blah). But recently it seems like a couple companies have figured out how to make a real wave, plenty of them, pointbreak style and maybe cost effective as one of the biggest problems is the money it takes to run wave pools. So the battle of the wave pools for the 21st century has begun.

In one corner is Webber's Wave Pools. Yes, that Webber. Like Greg Webber the guy who shaped boards for Shane Herring, Barton Lynch, and Taj. And in the other corner is the Kelly Slater Wave Company. Yes, that Kelly Sla.. oh never mind. Even though there's been a lot of hype lately with the Wave Garden in Spain and their technology, the shortcomings on that wave seem to be it's only one wave at a time and not much funding behind it.

With the Webber and Slater wave pools though, it's a circular design so multiple waves can be generated to go round and round and round- which equals a long pointbreak type ride. And it's a simple design- basically 'hulls' of boats drive around the circle and push out boat big wakes.

Both of these companies also have designs drawn up for parks which seem to be geared toward getting funding in the near future. Parks with beaches, retail facilities, restaraunts, etc. etc. etc. I think the real roadblock is that the promise of 'real waves' were never delivered to the surf population so they never made money and investors never believed in them. If Webber and Slater's models are correct, we may actually have a shot this time to ride 8' tubes in the middle of the desert.

Like Portland. Ok, Portland's not in the middle of the desert- but it's not exactly a surf mecca either. Seems a bunch of developers are trying to turn the old Porland Memorial Coliseum (i.e. the NBA's Trailblazer's original home) into the Portland Action Sports Complex with the first Kelly Slater Wave Park and action sports hub. Still lots of work to be done, especially in this economy, but it's a start. I do know this though, if they pull it off, there will be a lot more made in the near future and maybe we'll finally get surfing in the Olympics!

THE Surf Report (Lite)

Lite version.

SURF:

Gotta get in the water this morning so I’ve got a Surf Report Lite for you. All the stoke and ½ the text of a normal surf report. Had a fun week of surf with a shoulder high+ NW mid week and a new SW yesterday. Today the NW is gone and we’ve got some leftover chest high SW. Considering the weather is unbelievable today, you might want to sneak out of work early and paddle out for a couple little waves. For Saturday it’s looking to be inconsistent waist high SW and Sunday looks to be pretty flat. Bummer. Water temps are around 63 and tides are 3’ at sunrise, 5.5’ at 11am, and about 0’ at sunset. Make sure to keep up to date on the swells and conditions at Twitter/North County Surf.

FORECAST:

Good news is that the weather is going to be great again next week. Bad news is that the surf is going to be flat. Models show maybe some NW windswell towards Tuesday but only south county SD may have some chest high waves. Other than that, there isn’t any real storms from the south or north aimed at us. Good week to catch up on work (uggh).

WEATHER:

Can’t complain with temps near 90 at the beach. If that’s too hot for you, then you’ll like this weekend as high pressure weakens slightly and we’ll get temps in the low 70’s and the return of some night and morning low clouds. Not much difference on tap next week- just nice mild typical weather.  

BEST BET:

Great weather today and a dropping SW. Not the best swell but it will be small next week so get it now!

NEWS OF THE WEEK:

Ever heard of the Potato Patch? It’s basically a sandbar that the massive San Francisco bay has created over the eons. A real nightmare for cargo ships and an even bigger nightmare if you want to surf it. Seriously- some guys want to paddle out a couple miles- in front of the mouth of the San Francisco Bay (i.e. great whites, massive freight ships, whirlpools, and 50-75’ BEACHBREAK type surf during massive winter swells). Sound like fun? It is to Doc Renneker. Love him or loathe him, he’s got to be the craziest surfer on earth. The SF Gate did a great article on his quest over the years to ride the Potato Patch. Unbelievable stuff- you can’t make it up. The story is too long to print here, but trust me, put down whatever you’re doing at work this morning, and read the following story here. It will make you feel like a wuss for not paddling out at 20’ Blacks.

BEST OF THE BLOG:

Rivalries in pro surfing are back! Just when you thought it was boring on the ASP world tour, Kelly and Owen are taking it to another level. Make sure to take a look at their recent jousts on the blog. Or see all the new home construction going on in north county- is the recession over? Or get a mid-week surf check in. Take a gander at the blog below!
 

PIC OF THE WEEK:

Ah, Irish eyes are smiling. I could use a good trip right now, especially to Ireland. Good surf, great people, historic castles, and pint after pint of Guiness. Now that’s what I call a vacation.

Keep Surfing,

Michael W. Glenn

King For A Day
Used To Be Palin’s Running Mate
Beat Dooma In The ’88 Coke Finals

Clip of the Day: Rivalaries Are Cool Again

Is this the next big rivalry in surfing? The next Curren vs. Occy? Andy vs. Kelly? Eggers vs. Archy?! Doesn't matter how you slice it, the recent Kelly Slater vs. Owen Wright battles have been legendary. From bombing Teahupoo, to rippable Lowers, to (gasp) the skate park of NY (who would have ever thought NY got such good surf- Bob McKnight I guess). Even though Owen lost in round 5 of the Quik Pro France and Kelly in the quarters, these two were on a tear this summer. Kelly says it best in this video- 'I'm on my way out and Owens on his way in'. I don't agree 100% with Kelly- he's still got a lot in the tank. But for this year at least, it's good to see an old American vs. Australian rivalry. Heck- a goofyfoot vs. regular foot rivalry. Too bad these guys are friendly to each other- almost downright chummy. I want to see some heated paddle battles ala Occy and Curren OP Pro style!

North County Business News: End of the Recession?

One of the biggest drains on this recession has been falling home prices and the lack of new homes being built. Been odd in Encinitas lately though as there's been a few small developments popping up. Is it the end of the recession? I'm no expert (well, an expert surfer maybe) but it's better than seeing boarded up homes and foreclosure signs. Here's what I've seen lately:

 

1. Seaside Highlands
Another former small tract of land built into 18 homes (aren't all the neighborhoods of Encinitas small plots of land with a dozen or so homes?). These look to be pretty big in size (around 3k-4k square feet) and big in price (high $900's to low millions). Reasonable though as a new 4,000 square foot home a mile from the beach is the going rate for north county.

 

Here's some specs on the homes:

• Single Family Homes in Encinitas, CA
• Approx. 2,750 to 4,650 sq. ft.
• 3 to 5 Bedrooms | 2.5 to 4.5 Baths | 2 to 4 Space Garage
• Priced from the low $1,000,000's            

The map below shows the location just off Encinitas Blvd. down Balour drive. Close to the beach, shopping, schools, etc. Not a bad location. Check them out here at Seaside Highlands.

 

2. Encinitas Bungalows

Another funny little tract of land- this time off Requeza just east of the 5 freeway and Encinitas Highlands (see below). Their website says there will be 9 homes on this site.

The specs on the home are:

• range from approximately 1,747 to 2,199 square feet
• offer three architectural styles
• features include 3-4 Bedrooms, Gourmet Kitchens, Flex Spaces, Oversized Secondary Bedrooms, and Energy Efficient Features.

Not much more information on these homes. Considering the semi-new 'Beach Street' homes next door are selling for the mid $500's and are almost the same size, I'd assume the Bungalows would be the same price- unless the lots were bigger. Check out the info at Encinitas Bungalows.
3. Beacons Leucadia

This place should be called La Espcial Norte West as it sits directly behind their parking lot. The person who gets the house right next door is going to have the delicious aroma of Corona's, chips, and carne every night. It's definitely worth the million dollar price tag. AND you can walk to Beacon's. Bonus! And of course- it's another little plot of land where greenhouses used to stand and now 10 homes are going up.

Here's the lowdown from the builder:

• 10 elegantly appointed, single family residences
• West of highway 101, off Daphne Street in Leucadia
• 1,930 to 3,150 square feet
• 3 to 4 bedrooms
• From the $900's

Not a bad price considering you're west of Highway 101, within walking distance to the beach, and you can stumble down to Surfy Surfy to grab some wax. Awesome! I'm assuming though your 'backyard' is the beach and the lots are maxed out by the size of the house. No complaints. Check out more info at Beacons Leucadia.

 

4. Seaside (not to be confused with Seaside Highlands above)

Another 'original' surf name for a home development in Encinitas. If the developers need help naming their new homes after local surf spots, I suggest Traps, Suckouts, or Barneys. I can just hear the conversations at Union right now- "So where do you live? Encinitas Ranch. Cool. Where do you live? Suckouts. Suckouts?! Is the place built on an indian burial ground or something?" Trust me- they'll sell like hotcakes.

Anyway, this development (of 10 homes- what did you expect, 100?) has been a long time coming and was in a bit of drama due to the recession. I don't remember the whole story but the original developer ran out of funding, blah blah blah and the really cool homes withing walking distance of Ponto sat for a couple years.

Well Shea Homes has picked up the deeds and are finishing them. Someone is getting a steal on these as they're around 3,200 to 4,800 square feet and starting in the low millions. That's a deal considering the Ponto redevelopment plan will bring some life to the area, you're across the street from the lagoon, and you can get a quick surf at Ponto in the morning. Once the recession turns around, your low $1 mil investment will be worth it.

Here's the official mumbo jumbo from Shea:
"Seaside is a small enclave of ten beach inspired semi-custom homes, located in north San Diego County in the coastal community of Leucadia, just west of Interstate 5 in the City of Encinitas. Located near South Ponto Beach, Seaside consists of semi-custom single-family homes, on oversized lots. The prime location just blocks from the shore allows for easy beach access as well as access to the quaint coastal communities of downtown Encinitas, Carlsbad and Solana Beach. Homeowners will enjoy a truly unique coastal lifestyle. Pricing will start in the Low $1 Millions."    

For more information, click on Seaside here.             

5. Eaton Beach Estates

Here's yet another former greenhouse lot turned into a dozen homes- just kidding- only 5 this time. And it's not actually homes- but rather third of an acre lots. And it's practically next door to Seaside.

Their website (check it here at Eston Beach Estates) list each lot around a third of an acre for $750k each. Not sure what it costs to build a house these days, but I'm assuming something in the 2500 square foot range may be $750k? If so, you're looking at a house for $1.5k, walking distance to Ponto

 

6. And last but not least...
What the heck is with that massive empty lot on the corner of Ashbury and N. Vulcan in north Leucadia- just east of the train tracks?!

That place has been quiet for at least 5-7 years. And the weird thing is that it's been graded for homes but nothing has moved. And that was BEFORE the recession.

It's in a prime location, the property looks like it's a big lot so you can fit a lot of homes on there (maybe 25?) and the lots could be 10k square feet. My math is probably way off, but regardless, I'm surprised no one developer has snatched it up yet. Maybe the development was called Suckouts and it's built on an Indian burial ground. Who knows.