THE Surf Report 12/30/11

In like a lamb, out like a lion.

SURF:

Not a bad way to end 2011. This past week has had lots of fun shoulder high NW swell with a touch of off and on SW. Conditions have been great also with sunny skies and light winds. Most everywhere has had surf and most everyone has taken a day off here and there for the holidays so there’s been lots of wave riding going on.

Today we’ve got a continuation of the NW swell and some background SW too. Most beaches are chest high with shoulder high sets at best spots in south SD. Unfortunately there is a cold front moving through Nor-Cal today and it’s kicked up a bit of fog on our immediate coast. Models have the fog maybe sticking around the beaches today and tomorrow morning so it may be hard to see the sets! Back to the surf though, our current NW will build slightly tonight for shoulder high sets Saturday around town/north OC and head high waves in south county SD. South OC will have leftover SW swell and smaller island shadowed NW for chest high waves. By Sunday both swells fade for chest high sets in SD/north OC and waist high+ waves in south SD. Monday (if you have the holiday off) should be in the waist high range from most everyone. Long story short, looks like fun surf today and tomorrow so get on it before it dies off Sunday/Monday. Hopefully Santa brought you a new 4/3 as the water temps are freezing at 57 degrees AND the air temps are 40 during the dawn patrol.

The tides the next few days are pretty mellow: 2’ at sunrise, going up slightly to 4’ at lunch, and down to 1’ at sunset. Make sure to keep up to date on the waves and weather at Twitter/North County Surf. 

FORECAST:

After the swells drop off late in the weekend, we’ve got a good NW lining up for Tuesday morning with head high sets in north OC/SD, overhead sets in south SD, and chest high waves in south OC. That backs off Wednesday and then the charts have some wishful thinking; models show a solid storm out in the Aleutians with 40’+ swell forecasted.

By the time it reaches us, the models then show 15’ groundswell for our beaches which will result in 20’+ surf at best south county SD spots. It’s been awhile since we’ve had 20’+ surf (other than the Wedge this summer) so I’m a little skeptical. BUT… it is winter and a big storm every so often isn’t out of the question. We should have a good idea towards Tuesday on what the storm is doing- so if we see 40’ readings in the Aleutians, we may see some double to triple overhead surf around here late next week. Guess we’ll have to wait and find out.

WEATHER:

That pesky fog is hanging around the beaches today and may not break up along the immediate coast. There’s also a little south wind and the fun NW/SW combo that is out there is looking gloomy. Good news is that by tomorrow afternoon high pressure takes control again and we should have great weather for the New Year holiday. Sunday and Monday are forecasted to be mid to high 70’s at the beaches. Models are trying to show a couple weak fronts moving through the area- the first on Monday night and a stronger one towards Thursday. If the Thursday one holds we may get a shot at showers. Not out of the question since we’ve had so much good weather lately- we’ve got to get rain sooner or later- right?

BEST BET:

Tough call here. We’ve got peaking NW tomorrow but the fog at the beaches may hang around. Or a big NW next Thursday but the weather may turn a little sour (typical). So I’m claiming Tuesday is the day- fun head high NW swell and good weather.

NEWS OF THE WEEK: 

After a great October and November for rain, we’ve gone almost completely dry for December. Since the start of the rainy season (July 1^st to today) we’ve had 4.57” of rain- 143% of normal. And most of that came in October and November. December on the other hand we’ve only had 0.86” of rain- and that fell the first week of the month. So the last 3 weeks we’ve had nothing! And with beach temps around 70 and low humidities, the end of 2011 has looked more like summer around here (you think the Rose Parade is complaining? Why do you think everyone moves to California)?! As mentioned above though, charts are showing a chance of showers for the 2^nd half of the week so I hope we start 2012 on the right foot. Are the La Nina predictions of a dry winter coming to fruition? Hope not. My lawn needs a watering.

BEST OF THE BLOG:

Now that the holidays are almost over and you’ve gotten a bounty of cash from the relatives for your Xmas present (what- you got a tie and cologne instead? Sorry to hear that), you should probably pick up a little something for yourself. The North County Surf Blog has come across some mid-winter O’Neill wetsuit deals, cheap Channel Islands Surfboards (new ones might I add), Creature of Leisure traction pads on sale, and an inexpensive Da Kine travel bag to carry all your junk in- especially since there’s been a sewage spill in Cardiff and you’re going to have to travel to find surf (you can read about the spill in the blog too). And of course the mid-week Surf Check and a more in-depth THE Surf Report- all of that and more in the blog below! 

PIC OF THE WEEK:

Considering it’s been nippy around here lately, the last place you’d think of a surf trip this time of year is merry ol’ England. But with firing surf like this, no crowd, and 5/4/3 fullsuits feeling like 3/2’s now, I’m packing my bags tonight (especially since I just loaded up on new Channel Islands boards, an O’Neill fullsuit, Creatures of Leisure pads, and Da Kine travel bag I picked up on the North County Surf Blog. Sorry- shameless plug there…). Make sure to get Magic Seaweed’s full story on this wave here.

Keep Surfing,

Michael W. Glenn

Certifiably Insane
Times Square Reveler
Fall Somewhere Between Michelangelo’s David and the Cardiff Kook

Deal Alert! After Xmas Bargains!

So what are you going to do with all that cash you got from Grandma this Xmas? Put it in the bank for a rainy day? Heck no! There's no rain in the forecast! Spend it fool! If you've been itchin' for a new a new suit or stick, I've been snoopin' around and came across these deals for cheap Channel Islands Surfboards, Creatures of Leisure traction pads, O'Neill fullsuits, and Da Kine travel bags. So let's begin as I've got money burning a hole in my pocket right now:

Looking for a small wave board that paddles like Phelps but turns like Dane? Then take a gander at the Channel Islands Pod. A global favorite for punting since 2000 the Pod is built to fly. Deep concaves with a foiled nose and a swallow tail keep the Pod lively and maintains its high performance. The “snub” nose puts volume forward, allowing for maximum planing and wave catching. The wide, curvy outline makes the Pod friendly for all levels of surfers. Ride this board 6” to 8” shorter, about 1 1/2” wider and about 1/8” thicker, about 3” to 6” shorter than you are tall. Currently Sun Diego has a 5’8″ x 20″ x 2 3/8″ on sale for $535 (that's $100 off).

Or if you want a more solid board under your feet for those good days at Blacks, then pick up a Channel Islands Tangent. Sun Diego has got one in stock that's 6'3"x18 1/4" x 2 1/4". The Tangent is the board design that Kelly consistently relied on in 2008 to get the job done during his 9th world title run with wins in solid surf at Fiji, J-Bay, and Trestles. In 2009 he won the WCT in Brazil on this board. It consists of single concave and comes with the popular and versatile squash tail or Kelly’s preferred round pin tail. During the 2008 quest for a ninth world title, Kelly and Al basically went off on “a tangent” when it came to board design. They tried many formulas which involved one single constant, the rocker. They manipulated countless variables in design: vee bottoms, concaves, shrinking down the size and widening the board up, changing tail temps, fin angles, and fin clusters all depending on the wave to be surfed. During 2010, Kelly has been experimenting with vee bottoms on The Tangent and really liking the feel, went on to design the Semi-Pro in late 2010. Currently the Sun Diego sale price is a cheap cheap cheap $510.

So now that you've got your new quiver, you need some traction pads so you don't slip off during those tail whips (unless that is you like your back foot to slip off the tail of your board). Oregon Surf Shop has 7 different pads on sale for $27.75 (that's 25% off). Note there's no sales tax on these and free shipping if you buy 2 pads. One each for your new Channel Islands Pod and Tangent!

And just what are you going to carry those new boards in? If you're a real surfer, you're not going to test them out at your 2' beachbreak but rather in some real Hawaiian juice. So make sure to grab a Da Kine travel bag and dump your quiver in there for the flight over (cheap airline tickets though are the subject for another day). Department of Goods has an 8'0" travel bag for just $159.47 (that's over 40% off). The spacious, well-padded DAKINE World Traveler Surfboard Bag carries up to four surfboards, so you can bring your entire quiver (like that 7'6" Rawson collecting dust in your rafters 'cause it's been under 8' around here for MONTHS). Padded walls and padded dividers keep your beautiful boards from scratching each other or being harmed by over-zealous baggage handlers. DAKINE gave the World Traveler internal and external compression straps for total security, wheels for easy travel through the airport, and a padded shoulder strap to make it comfortable to carry.

With water temps hovering around 57 degrees and air temps for the dawn patrol at 40, you can forget wearing a 3/2 in the line up. Heck- it's not even February yet. Imagine how cold it's going to be around here in the dead of winter?! That's why you need to go big and slip on a 4/3 O'Neill Psycho 1. Minimal seam design combined with 100% Ultraflex DS technology makes this one of the most flexible and lightweight wetsuits in O'Neill's line up. Here's a list of what this warm and flexible suit has to offer:

Z.E.N. Zip Entry/Closure

Krypto Knee Pads

100% Sealed

Exterior Fluid Seam Weld

External Key Pocket

Firewall Insulating-Fiber Jersey

Fluid Seam Weld

Glued & Blindstitched Seams

Plasma Interior wrist & ankle seals

Strategic Seamless Paddle Zones

Super Seal Neck

Wind Resistant Glideskin

External Key Pocket

Ultraflex XDS

Exterior Fluid Seam Weld

Order it on-line at Pleasure Sports and pick it up for just $298 (normal price is $389).

So there you have it. 5 ways to spend all that cash you had no idea what to do with. Make sure to grab them quick as prices may change and they won't be in inventory forever at these prices.

Poo Alert! Cardiff Still Closed?!

There was a minor sewage spill at Cardiff on Wednesday but no reports since then on the water quality. A pipe broke at the sewage plant approximately 1 mile upstream and it released 1500 gallons of sewage into the creek. Think of it as someone dumping 300 of those big five gallon Sparkletts water bottles. Not the best thing but not a doomsday scenario either. Reports from the county said the beach 100 feet north and 100 feet south of the creek were closed. Which basically means Cardiff Reef and Suckouts is closed but Georges to the south and Tippers to the north are open. I'm no water quality expert, but 1/2" of rain dumps more junk into the creek from street runoff and beaches are open 72 hours after the rain; so theoretically Cardiff should be open tomorrow. Also, the extreme low and high tides the past few days should have flushed it clean and mixed out the poo with cleaner ocean water. But until then... I'll stay out of the surf at Cardiff until the county gives the green light. So if you're dying to surf Cardiff this weekend, you have 2 choices: Head on down there and ask the lifeguards for the latest update. Or if you're lazy, check out the water quality link from San Diego Coastkeeper.

Surf Check 12/27/11

R.I.P. Sean Collins.

Got some fun WNW swell today. Sets are head high in north county SD/OC and overhead in south county SD. South OC is chest high. Great weather is again on tap with light offshores this morning and sunshine all day. The swell holds through today and we've got smaller chest high surf tomorrow.

Tides are around 4' at sunrise, 6' at 10am and -1' at sunset; so choose your session carefully as conditions will change rapidly with the quick tide swings.

Nothing major in the short term as we have smaller conditions tomorrow and Thursday morning then some small NW filters in towards Friday and peaks Saturday for chest high sets. At least it will be something to ride towards the end of the week. Early next week looks flat but charts (see above) show a good NW similar to the one today showing up next Tuesday the 2nd of January.

Further out there's a complex low on the models (see above) that shows another head high/overhead NW for late next week. As far as the southern hemisphere goes, there's no storms of significance down under so don't expect any SW swells for the next few weeks. All in all, nothing huge on the horizon these next 10 days but we will have fun surf and great weather.

Speaking of weather, we have a weak cold front moving through northern California and it will kick up some dense fog tonight and maybe tomorrow morning. Then high pressure kicks back in again and we've got sun, light winds, and temps at the beaches in the low 70's again. Along with the surf on the charts, I really couldn't ask for much more for the end of 2011 and the start of 2012.

THE Surf Report 12/23/11





Santa’s bringing barrels for Christmas!!!

SURF:

Had some fun NW in the water this week and great weather to boot. Kind of like an early Xmas present. Today we’ve got smaller waist high+ NW in north county SD with chest high sets in south county SD. There’s even some smaller SW in the water and north OC has got chest high sets from the combo swell. South OC is waist high. We’ve got some extreme tides today (and this weekend) so it’s pick and choose today with the big tide swings and smallish surf. And if that wasn’t enough to make your head spin, we’ve got offshore winds again today. Tomorrow morning there’s a little more SW in the water for some inconsistent chest high sets in far north county SD and chest high+ waves in the OC. The Oregon buoys are showing some 20’ surf at 17 seconds this morning and that takes about 36 hours to get to us, so… late Saturday we should see some chest high sets. By Xmas morning SD is in a groove with some head high sets south county and shoulder high sets north county. And the weather is going to be great. Not a bad little Xmas present from Santa. Hopefully Santa is bringing you a new 4/3 as the water temps are freezing at 58 degrees AND the air temps are 40 during the dawn patrol. Feels like surfing the North Pole.

As advertised above, the tides the next few days are pretty crazy: 7.2’ at sunrise, dropping 9’ to -1.8’ at 3pm, and up to 0’ at sunset. Amazing. The surf will really change drastically during the day- make sure to keep up to date on the waves and weather at Twitter/North County Surf.

FORECAST:

After the fun surf on Xmas, we get a reinforcement out of the NW on Monday for more shoulder high sets in north county SD/OC, head high sets in south SD, and waist high waves in south OC. Tuesday starts to drop off and Wednesday looks pretty small. Fortunately for us the NW surf kicks back in in Thursday for more shoulder high surf. After that the charts aren’t looking too pretty and next weekend is looking pretty small. Definitely get some surf the next few days!

WEATHER:

As is typical for a Southern California Xmas, it’s going to be hot, dry, and sunny around here. No chestnuts roasting on an open fire or a white Christmas for us. No way. Just temps in the low 70’s at the beaches, dry offshore winds, and girls in bikinis. Isn’t that what the spirit of Christmas is all about? High pressure is in control and we’ve got offshore winds kicking in again today (strongest in Orange County) and temps headed to the low 70’s. Models are showing this scenario lasting through the weekend then gradually weakening each day. Maybe by next Thursday we could have some dense fog at the beaches as storms take aim at Nor-Cal and we get the tail end of the systems, but that’s a long way off- so just expect nice sunny weather for the foreseeable future.

BEST BET:

I hate to say it, but Xmas is looking like the day. I know, I know, I should be hanging out with the family, sipping eggnog, eating fruitcake, and thanking grandma for the sweater I’m going to donate to the Goodwill on Monday, but heck! There’s going to be a good NW in the water, a smaller but fun SW, and amazing weather with extreme tides making mysto spots pop up! Maybe I can sneak out mid-morning between presents and brunch. Hope grandma doesn’t read THE Surf Report…

NEWS OF THE WEEK: 

From our friends at the National Weather Service I bring you “On this day in history!”...
1995: The San Bernadino Mountains got a foot of snow while the high desert got 8 inches.
1990: A frigid air mass descended all over the West. The high temperature was only 22° at Palomar Mountain, the lowest maximum temperature on record. Doesn’t seem that cold but when you think about it, that’s in Southern California AND the temp never got above freezing all day.
1971: A series of wet storms hit the region during this week starting on 12.22 and ending on 12.28. 19.44 inches fell in Lake Arrowhead, 15.26, 7.49 inches in Palomar Mountain, 4.98 inches in Santa Ana, 2.28 inches in San Diego, and 1.24 inches in Palm Springs. This day marked the start of seven consecutive days (the most on record) of measurable precipitation in Victorville, which ended on 12.28. Imagine it raining for a week straight?! I bet the river mouth sandbars were insane!
1940: A massive storm that started on this day ended on 12.24. 3.62 inches of rain fell in San Diego, starting on this day and ending on 12.24, the greatest 24-hour amount on record. Heavy rains loosened soil in Del Mar that led to a landslide along a train track, derailing the train and killing three.
1891: A period of very cold weather started on this day and ended on 12.30. San Diego pools had ice 1/2 inch thick on the surface and ice one inch thick formed on oranges on trees in Mission Valley.
So on that note, be stoked it’s going to be sunny and 70 degrees this weekend!

BEST OF THE BLOG:

With all the holiday shopping you’ve done for others the past few weeks, isn’t it about time you got a little something for yourself? (That’s IF you have any money left over). Well if you’ve got some spare change, head on over to Seshday for some amazing deals on DVD’s, sunnies, flannels, backpacks, and more (and I do mean spare change- they’ve got surf DVD’s on sale for $0.99). Or see the next Slater (I know you’ve heard that a million times) with great footage of Kolohe Andino at small Trestles earlier this month (in his white Slater suit no less). And of course the mid-week Surf Check and a more in-depth THE Surf Report- all of that and more in the blog below!

PIC OF THE WEEK:

What did you ask for this Christmas? A new board? A new fullsuit? Maybe some knick-knacks like a leash or board racks? I hate to break it to you, but you’re probably getting some cologne, a tie, or a subscription to Golf Magazine. It’s the thought that counts, right? Well, THE Surf Report has got your back and I just bought you this empty overhead barreling beach break. Don’t remember exactly where it is, but if you find it, Merry Christmas! For more pics of Christmas gifts, check out Nathan Smith’s gallery at TracksMagazine.

Keep Surfing,

Michael W. Glenn

Bigwig
Santa’s Son
Discovered 12,847 New Surf Spots And Counting

Deal Alert! A Present For Yourself!

After battling at the mall the past few weeks with snooty salespeople, no parking, and losing your hard earned money on a gift your spouse will probably exchange, isn't it about time you did something for yourself? That's why the North County Surf Blog is here- finding ways to save you some money AND look good in the process. I'm such a good guy. Seshday this week has got a smorgasbord going on- from flannels to dvd's to sunnies and everything in between. Enough of the small talk, let's get started: How cold has it been lately? Oceanside Airport was reporting 30 degrees this morning. Ouch. You're going to need to layer up. A t-shirt and sandals ain't going to cut it this time of year. Take a gander above at the Ambiguous 'Big Mac' woven. Fit for a trucker but actually fits you better. At only $29.99, there's room for a few Big Mac's at McDonalds too.

Looks like there's some new SW and NW coming for the Xmas weekend, so get amped for your next session. TransWorld Surf has put out a good flick called 'Tomorrow Today' and features some of the best young surfers on the planet with Dane Reynolds, Yadin Nichol, Clay Marzo, as well as a couple Cali goofyfoots named Mike Losness and the outspoken Bobby Martinez. And the price must be a typo as they have the DVD listed at $0.99. Order it now before Seshday figures out what they did wrong.

Given any money to charity this holiday season? Don't feel bad- I'm a little behind too. But I have the perfect solution! Heard about the Freshwaters crew? They've got a good thing going on- you buy a pair of their shoes or sandals and it allows them to provide freshwater (get it?) to one individual for one year. Amazing concept. So not only do you get a good looking pair of shoes that keep your feet warm AND are ridiculously cheap at $39.99, you also help out your fellow man. And isn't that what the holidays are all about?

Ok, sermon is over, time to think about yourself again. O'Neill for 60 years has been the king of wetsuits, some good looking boardshorts, and all kinds of other amazing inventions (you know Jack invented the leash, didn't you)? Well the next great product from the iconic Santa Cruz brand is sunglasses. The O'Neill 'Alton' is 53% off this week and is priced right at $39.99. Here's what you get:

• Custom made from high quality Propionate
• 6 based PC lenses
• Die cast metal logo
• 5 barrel hinge
• 100% UV Protection
I have no idea what the above stuff means but all I know is that I'll feel better I spent $39.99 when I scratch the heck out of them, lose them, or sit on them and break them.

 

And finally, what are you going to carry all your new presents in? An Ogio Shaman pack of course. Seshday has got them priced unbelievably low. $25.99 actually. And it's not a crap bag either, it's Ogio for goshsakes. Here's what's inside:

FEATURES:
• Padded interior laptop compartment
• Posh media and valuables pouch
• Quick access essentials sleeve
• Stacked organization panel with accessory pockets
• Dual side beverage/accessory holsters
• Insanely plush ergonomic shoulder straps
• Multi-use bungee storage area
MATERIALS:
• 420D dobby nylon, 600D poly, 300D poly
SPECS
• Dimensions: 18" H x 12.75" W x 10" D
• Weight: 1.6 Lbs.
• Capacity: 1400 Cubic Inches

Make sure to check out Seshday asap as there's a ton more stuff I didn't have time to list. And their sales only last a few days so when it's gone, tough luck! And on that note, happy holidays.

 

 

Surf Check 12/20/11

Last day of fall and it's looking pretty fun out there. We had a new NW fill in yesterday and waves around town are chest high with inconsistent bigger sets.

There's even some head high+ waves down in south county SD. I was hoping for some SW today but it's not doing much- especially since the NW is more dominant.

Our NW holds tomorrow and the weather starts to get clean up too. It's looking like high pressure is setting up for the first week of winter and we'll have sunny skies, light winds, and temps near 70 at the beaches.

Typical Southern California Christmas weather. Unfortunately our NW dies off the next few days and it's looking pretty small by Saturday.

But Santa is right on time and we should get another fun shoulder high NW Christmas eve into Christmas Day- and a continuation of our great weather. There may be some small SW too showing Saturday but the OC will be the only ones to see maybe waist high waves. After that high pressure starts to break down and there's no real storms on the charts to give us rain in the near future but we will get some more NW towards Tuesday. All in all you can't ask for more with nice weather on tap the next week and a couple fun NW swells.

Water temps are a chilly 58 degress and tides are becoming extreme the next few days with a 6' tide at sunrise, dropping to -1' at 2pm and back up to 3' at sunset.

Clip of the Day: Flavor of the Day

one dayCEMBER from Kolohe Andino on Vimeo.
There are so many good kids coming up right now that it's hard to keep track of who the next 'Slater' is. Is it Pupo? Is it Nat? Is it Medina? Is it Freestone? One easy way to find out is to see who looks like the champ. And with Kelly wearing vanilla colored wetsuits, the kid who's mirroring him is Kolohe Andino. Check him out destroying fun Lowers earlier this month. He makes waist to chest high waves look kind of easy to surf. Easy because he only weighs 140 lbs, he's got great equipment from Biolos, a personal coach in Snips, and the ripping gene from pops Dino. So yeah, it would be easy for me too if I had that. With the fun NW swell in the watet today, check out Kolohe in the Clip of the Day and get amped to do some airs!

THE Surf Report 12/16/11

I asked Santa for some surf this Christmas.

SURF:

Had a little surf at the beginning of the week and then as usual, it’s been quiet the past couple of days. Today we’ve got a new little NW for knee high waves in north county SD/OC with inconsistent chest high sets in south county SD. South OC isn’t picking up much swell with only knee to waist high waves. The weather is nice now but could turn odd again as we’ve got low pressure over northern Baja and it may wrap some showers our way later tonight or tomorrow.  That low is also giving us some weird cold NNE winds again in the 7mph range this morning. The small NW should hold for the weekend with just small waist high+ waves unfortunately. Look for the biggest surf in south county SD. So don’t expect much this weekend- except some more odd weather. Water temps are definitely feeling like winter around here at a chilly 58 degrees and dropping to a low of 55 this February.

Tides the next few days are around 2’ at sunrise, rising to 4.5’ at 1pm, and down to 1’ at sunset. Keep up to date on the waves and weather at Twitter/North County Surf. 

FORECAST:

Luckily the surf begins to pick back up late Sunday but you may not see much until the sun starts to go down; the peak will be towards Monday lasting into Tuesday. Tuesday will also have a waist high+ SW (bigger in the OC) and that holds into Wednesday. Thursday our next NW fills in and it looks good- more surf than what we’ve had lately. Sets should be head high in north county SD/OC with overhead sets in south SD. South OC will be chest high.

All in all it should be a fun week of surf and charts are showing potentially another small SW for next weekend and good NW again towards Christmas.

WEATHER:

These storms we’ve been having are real odd- none have really come straight west from the Pacific- they kind of form out in the Aleutians, get pushed into British Columbia, then come straight down the coast- ½ of the storm is over the water and the other ½ is over land. So we don’t get a cold front but rather the low pressure center and they’re real cold due to their origins directly north of us (vs. that warm tropical moisture we tap into during El Nino years), and we get these weird NNE winds. Normally the storms come due west from the Pacific and they start off with S winds and a cold front- but not with the storms we’ve had this fall. Today is no exception as we’ve got low pressure above us and NNE winds. And tomorrow night we’re due for another one of these storms. We get a break Sunday and models are showing maybe ANOTHER one for Monday night/Tuesday. Then we get back to normal the 2^nd half of next week with clear cool conditions. And there’s yet another storm on the charts for the Christmas weekend. That would be great- our own version of a white Christmas- albeit wet.

BEST BET:

All kinds of little swells lining up but the best one should be towards Thursday next week- and we should have a break from the little storms so good weather will be on tap for the new swell.

NEWS OF THE WEEK: 

Recently, scientists from across the state said Californians should expect more extreme storms, flooding, wildfires and species extinctions due to global warming over the rest of the century. Something I’ve been preaching for awhile (like since ‘78). The San Diego Union Tribune reported that crowd of a few hundred researchers, students and residents at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The talks hit familiar themes using recent data to predict what will happen by 2100. Marty Ralph of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Sierra snowpack studies suggest a long-term decline that will create "a profound change for the water supply in California." (i.e. a good year of rain in 2010 and a good start to our season this year doesn’t erase decades of drought). Already, the state struggles to meet demand in dry years, a situation that is likely to worsen as the infrastructure ages. Other research suggests more flooding in places like the Central Valley and elsewhere. Ralph compared the potential fallout from a "megastorm" to Hurricane "Katrina on steroids." (Can’t wait for that one- Highway 101 in Leucadia can’t even handle ½” of rain). Stanford University's Terry Root said species already are moving north and upland in recent years and that trend will likely continue with unpredictable results for ecosystems. "We have to expect a lot of surprises," she said. "We are going to get a lot of extinctions, too." Bart Ostro of the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment detailed the likely increase in medical emergencies as temperatures rise. They include deaths caused directly by heat waves and increased dehydration among children. "We are not talking just about melting glaciers but very significant public health impacts," Ostro said. Tuesday's forum was part of a statewide effort launched by Gov. Jerry Brown to get residents talking about climate change and ways to adapt.

BEST OF THE BLOG:

The holidays are almost here and by now should have gotten all your gifts for the ‘nice’ kids on your list (hint hint- that’s me). There’s a few things at Surfy Surfy I’ve put on hold and you can see them all on the blog this week. And after watching Jordy rip Maui on the Clip of the Day, I’m itchin’ to get a little Hawaiian Holiday before the end of the year. And of course the mid-week Surf Check and a more in-depth THE Surf Report- all of that and more in the blog below! 

PIC OF THE WEEK:

Considering it’s been cold and windy and rainy and we haven’t had real surf in awhile, I wanted to let you know what the other side of the world is doing right now. More specifically, Down Under. Nothing like a little warm water point break to make you ask Santa for a trip to Austrailia. For more Aussiewonderment (is that a real word?) check out award winning PeterJoli Wilson’s website.

Keep Surfing,

Michael W. Glenn

Straight Shooter
Batman
Bodysurfed Mav’s at Night  

Clip of the Day: Hawaiian Holiday

Lost in all the Medina/John John/Kolohe hoopla lately has been a couple guys named Dane/Jordy/Jadson. Seems like the 'next' wave of superstars is coming and going faster nowadays. Weren't we just talking about Taj/Fanning/Bruce?! Let alone Machado/Dorian/Herring? Man do I feel old. Anyway, Jordy Smith is still ripping and having fun on his offtime from the tour. Still hanging witkh supermodels and getting personal tours of Maui from pal Cheyne Magnusson. Check out the Clip of the Day as Jordy surfs the warm water version of J-Bay otherwise known as Honolua Bay. Or is J-Bay the coldwater version of Honolua Bay?! Regardless, it looks darn fun and a heck of a lot warmer than flat North County this week. Make sure to check out the whole video and watch Jordy's graceful exit from the surf along the rocks. See, pro surfers are just like us!

Hollowday Gift Guide!

Don't know what to get the surfer in your life for Christmas? Or maybe you deserve a little year end present for working your tail off the past 365 days? Have no fear, Ol' St. Mike is here. Cruised down to Surfy Surfy in Leucadia today and JP took some time out to show me some of the best sellers this holiday season as well as gifts for the person that has everything. So let's get started- there's only 10 days left to Xmas you know (my groms emphatically told me that today). Let's start with the easy stuff- stocking stuffers!

Of course there's the usual bars of wax or tubes of sunscreen Santa can stuff in the stocking, but go for something unique this year- how about a travel ding repair kit, Pickle wax remover, or maybe the mysterious 'Tool'. What doesn't this great gift have? Fin key, wax comb, little hook thing to get your leash string through your plug, screwdriver for your single fin, leash string, and some other weird stuff I have no idea what it's for but I know I'll need eventually.

Now on to the meat and potatoes of your Xmas list. Load up on surf dvd's of course (like the best selling Stoked and Broke) to get you through those flat days or grab and extra set of fins to loosen up that board (or stiffen it up on those big days). And one of my favorite pasttimes- clean the wax off that old board, get the dings fixed from in-house ding repair legend Crusty Dusty, and slap on a new Creatures of Leisure tail pad. Makes that beat up stick work like new!

And of course all the rage right now is handplanes (you thought I was going to say an Alaia board didn't you? That's so 2009). Thanks to Chris Malloy and company, handplanes are gaining popularity again as it's just you against the elements. And at $100-$150 from Brownfish, Enjoy, and others, it's 1/3 the price of a board. Make sure to add one to your quiver.

And for the person on your list that has everything, I offer the following: A custom wetsuit from Cypher. One of Japan's top of the line wetsuit manufacturers (you know, the kind of suit that feels super ooey gooey stretchy- you'll rip like Gumby). Surfy Surfy does custom fittings in the shop and your suit is custom built at the factory. No more fullsuits off the rack that are baggy under the arms or pockets of water pooling in your legs. Just a perfect fit for $500. If you work diligently on finding the perfect board for your type of surfing, it only makes sense to do the same with your wetsuit.

And if you're going to get a top of the line wetusuit, you need a top of the line board to match. Check out the Slingerland with resin tint, pin lines, solid set of fins and old school airbrush to match those pair of Greg Noll trunks you still own.

Surfy Surfy has got a slew of one of kind boards from small to long to fit any type of ripper so make sure to check out the complete selection before choosing the right stick!

And of course if you can't decide on ANYTHING, there's always the safe bet by getting a Surfy Surfy gift certificate to make sure your surfer gets exactly what they want! I'm kind of hoping though Santa brings me a surfing monkey. Surfy Surfy is open 9-7 each day and they're located at 974 N Coast Hwy 101 in Leucadia. Give 'em a call at 760 452 7687 if you need anything this holiday season!