THE Surf Report 7/27/12

More excitement under the water lately than on top of it...

SURF:
Had a little SW earlier in the week for chest high waves and the weather was off and on with the clouds sometimes lingering into the afternoons at the beaches.

Today the SW is all but gone for waist high waves in the OC and not much better in SD. The sun though should break out early, so that's good news. Water is also holding at 70- more good news. On the flip side, there hasn't been much activity in the southern hemisphere, northern hemisphere, and the tropics, so the surf this weekend looks pretty darn small. Look for south SD county to be pretty flat tomorrow, north county SD to be around knee high plus, and the OC may pull in some waist high waves.

The winds off Point Conception may blow a little on Saturday so south SD may have some waist high+ waves from the NW on Sunday but that's about it this weekend. At least the weather will be nice.

Tides the next few days are 3' at sunrise, 2' mid-morning, up to 6' in the evening, and down slightly to 4' at sunset. Make sure to keep up to date on the waves and weather at Twitter/North County Surf.

FORECAST:
After a slow weekend, it stays slow through the first part of the week. We had some activity a few days ago from the southern hemisphere which will send a fun SW our way late Wednesday. Look for Thursday/Friday to have chest high+ sets in far north county SD and head high sets in the OC. Maybe even some 'tropical' weather too. Looking forward to it.

Charts are also showing NW windswell trying to form towards next weekend but maybe only waist high.

Further out, models show a storm trying to form off Antarctica next weekend which may give us a S towards the 10th. That's a looooooong time away. Get the SW late next while you can!

WEATHER:

The low clouds were hanging around at the beaches earlier in the week but yesterday they finally cleared out early and we had a great beach day. Looks like we have a carbon copy of the great weather through the weekend. Maybe a little low clouds early and late but they should burn off mid-morning with temps in the mid-70's. By Monday the thunderstorms start to pop up in the mountains and deserts and by mid-week there may be some 'tropical' monsoon clouds overhead for the beaches too. That scenario may also keep the low clouds/fog to a minimum in the mornings. Nothing like sunny skies at 5 AM!

BEST BET:
Kind of easy to pick this one- next Thursday/Friday since it's the only swell on the radar! And some 'tropical' weather too. I wonder if it's going to be crowded at the US Open in Huntington Beach...

NEWS OF THE WEEK:
A couple times this past year, I've been out surfing and smelled a strong gas smell in the line-up (no flatulence jokes please- this is serious). It smelled like a tanker had leaked fuel into the line-up. As reported by nbcnews.com this week, the mystery seems to have been solved: While mapping the sea floor off San Diego, researchers found something odd: a sea floor mound about the height of a two-story building and the size of a city block. Further investigation found evidence the formation was caused by methane leaking out of the sea floor, which would make it the first so-called "methane seep" in San Diego County, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego announced Wednesday. The Scripps researchers took samples from 3,400 feet below the surface and bought up strange worms and clams that likely live off symbiotic bacteria that break down the clear, flammable gas. Such sites are important oases of life on the dark sea floor, with the methane-eating bacteria at the base of a rich and productive community that helps sustain the surrounding deep-sea ecosystem. "These chemosynthetic ecosystems are considered 'hot spots' of life on the sea floor in an otherwise desert-like landscape," said expedition member Alexis Pasulka, a Scripps biological oceanography graduate student, in a statement. "New forms of life are continuously being discovered in these environments." Organisms collected from the newly discovered site include thread-like tubeworms called siboglinids and several clams. Siboglinids lack a mouth and digestive system and gain nutrition from a symbiotic relationship with bacteria living inside them, while many clams at seeps get some of their food from sulfide-loving bacteria living on their gills. The scientists found the site 20 miles west of Del Mar (there go property values). It's centered on a fault zone known as the San Diego Trough Fault zone. Methane, or natural gas, exists in the Earth's crust under the sea floor along many of the world's continental margins. Faults can provide a pathway for methane to "seep" upward toward the sea floor. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and researchers don't yet fully understand the magnitude to which seeping methane in the ocean contributes additional carbon to the atmosphere. On many continental margins, so-called frozen methane hydrates could represent a future energy source. Along the West Coast, methane seeps are known to exist off Oregon, California (near Eureka, Monterey Bay, Point Conception and Santa Monica), in the Gulf of California and off Costa Rica. The researchers will return to the site in December to study it further. Just another reason to stay out of the water in San Diego county. Need more reasons? Read below...

BEST OF THE BLOG:

Summer is my favorite time of the year for a million reasons- warm water, bikinis on the beach, surfing early and surfing late, and 999,997 other reasons. But there's a lot of annoying things too- no parking, tourists in the shorebreak, sunburns, and recently swarms of jellyfish, great whites, and orcas- and that's just the month of July. Get the scoop at the North County Surf blog (before it's too late). And of course a mid-week Surf Check and an in depth THE  Surf Report. All of that and more in the blog below!

PIC OF THE WEEK:

It's amazing how many good waves around the globe go unridden. Like this set up for instance. There's a couple waves to choose from actually- the hollow slab at the top of the point or maybe you prefer a long feathering wall to throw some tail whips. Or maybe surf the slab for an hour then the walls the next hour?! Regardless, no one's out, there's plenty of surf, and if you're 'desperate', you probably could find something rideable on the point up the beach. Happy hunting!

Keep Surfing,

Michael W. Glenn
Adored By Millions
More Phineas Than Ferb
Olympic Gold Medalist, Surfing, 2016

Orcas and Great Whites and Jellyfish Oh My!

Seems like the ocean has been alive off our coast lately. And not in a good way. There's been all kinds of aggressive/painful/deadly/whatever you want to call them critters off the San Diego coast the past few weeks. If you thought the Arizona tourists in the water was the main problem during your surf session, check this out:

Dateline: Monday, July 2nd: Great White report from 10 News San Diego:

A shark, believed to be a great white, was spotted Monday about 50 yards off the coast at La Jolla Shores, prompting lifeguards to close the ocean to swimmers and surfers. A female lifeguard spotted the 12- to 15-foot-long shark about 3:15 p.m., headed south just outside the surf line about 50 yards from the main lifeguard tower at La Jolla Shores, according to city lifeguard Lt. Greg Buchanan. "She came right out of the water and right up to me and while it was all fresh in her mind," said lifeguard Sgt. Mike Cranston. "She was very distraught, as anybody would be, having a very close encounter with a shark of that size." Eight other people spotted the shark, authorities told 10News. The lifeguard who nearly brushed up against the shark was on a paddleboard just outside the wave line. "She was able to tell me while it was fresh exactly what it was she saw [and] described it in detail," said Cranston. "The detail was sufficient enough for us to realize it was a credible sighting and to go ahead and take the steps in order to protect the public." Waters from the Marine Room to Scripps Pier out to the half-mile buoy were closed following the encounter, and lifeguards were warning people in surrounding areas about the sighting, Buchanan said. "For folks like us in the shark world, this is great news," said Patrick Douglas, a great white shark expert. "You know – for your everyday swimmer – a bit disconcerting, I would imagine." Douglas said he was surprised by the sighting. He said a 15-foot great white shark that close to shore is very unusual, since the species took a huge hit before gill netting great white sharks was banned off the California coast. "It means they're coming back from decades and decades of overfishing pressure in California," said Douglas. "It's taken this long to see these great big magnificent white sharks come back into close shore." Lifeguards searched for the shark from the shore and with the assistance of boats and a helicopter. 10News learned the beach was closed for the rest of the night and reopened early Tuesday. Greg Lloyd was one of the first surfers to go back in the water Tuesday morning and wasn't too concerned with the sighting. "I've seen them here, I've seen them up at San Onofre," Lloyd said. "My belief is your days are numbered and when it's your time to go, it's your time to go. The water is here, so you can live your life in fear, or you can go out and enjoy life." "They're not man-eaters," Lloyd added. "Most of the time if they take a bite it's because it was a mistake." Tom Morrell went in just minutes after Lloyd. "That's a credible sighting," Morrell said. "There are supposed to be Great Whites up and down the coast all the time, and they don't bother us." "That's the fountain of youth out there," Morrell said just before running in the water with his board. 10News caught up with Lloyd on his way out of the water, and he said he did not see the shark. He said he had actually hoped the sighting would keep more people out of the water.

 

Dateline: Sunday, July 15th: Jellyfish report from the San Diego Union Tribune:

San Diego County area lifeguards reported a surge in the number of beachgoers stung by jellyfish on Sunday. One-hundred thirty people were stung at six beaches in Leucadia and Encinitas, Encinitas lifeguards said, while state lifeguards reported that 30 people were stung at Torrey Pines State Beach.  Jellyfish follow plankton, their main source of food, as they move closer to shore during the summer, said Fernando Nosratpour of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. As they get closer to beaches, strong currents from along the coast push the fragile jellyfish to shore and break them up into little pieces.  The most common types of jellyfish found around San Diego are the moon and the purple-striped jellyfish, Nosratpour said.  The moon jellyfish is about 10 inches long and has short tentacles, while the purple-striped jellyfish is about 12 inches long and has long, thick tentacles, he said. Even after breaking up and dying, the purple-striped jellyfish’s tentacles can sting people, Nosratpour said. The moon jellyfish’s sting cells do not work after the jellyfish dies.  Jellyfish generally do not attack people. People usually get stung when they rub up against them in the water or touch them once they’ve washed up on the beach. A small rash will appear where the sting occurred.  Lifeguards recommend that people keep on eye out for jellyfish pieces in the water and sand. Sting rashes can be treated with diluted vinegar and usually disappear in an hour, although some people may have stronger reactions. Fresh water and sand can aggravate the rash. No one was hospitalized.

 

 

Dateline: Tuesday, July 24th: Orca report from NBC 7/39:

  

Seen a killer whale lately? If so, you’re not the only one. San Diego boaters have seen a few orcas off the San Diego coast in the last couple weeks. In one video, the killer whale circles the boat and swam nearby as fisherman Richard Ellison drove away. The reason these giant mammals have been sited near San Diego is because they migrate off the coast every year, according to SeaWorld. “They just aren’t seen very often,” said spokesperson Alexandra Kuty in an email. Additional seals in the area also bring the black and white whales nearby. “There has been an increase in pinnipeds in the area and that’s their favorite food source,” Kenny Manzoni of Adventure Rib Rides said to NBC 7 San Diego last week. Since then, his business has seen a little uptick in passengers hoping to see orcas. They can’t guarantee that passengers will see a whale, but recently the customers have regularly seen the large mammals in their natural habitat. Passengers encountered an orca again this morning, Manzoni said. San Diego Whale Watch also saw a killer whale 8 miles off the coast of Mission Bay. In addition, tours have seen both blue and fin whales, which will swim in San Diego waters until October. “The blue whales have just been getting better and better every year,” Manzoni said. He said his crew has nicknamed the orca “Bubbles” because it forces air through its blowhole whenever people are nearby. He speculated that the reason the killer whales in the area have been so visible this time around is because they’re curious. The juvenile whale has also been seen swimming alongside other creatures. “This one seems to be especially friendly to boats, and dolphins,” Manzoni said. But people still need to proceed with caution if they see an orca in the ocean. “They’re right at the top of the food chain,” Manzoni said. “They don’t call them killer whales for nothing.” “As per the Marine Mammal Protection Act, we must keep out distance from all marine life in the wild,” stated Kuty. “People should never approach them in the wild.”

Surf Check 7/24/12

Nothing too exciting going on. We've had some fun but small SW swell the past couple of days and some smaller NW windswell too for chest high waves around town and some plus sets in the OC.

The clouds didn't really clear out until late in the day and the W wind blew early so it made whatever rideable waves we had look a little funky. Unfortunately that's about it the next few days- just some small SW well for chest high sets in far north couny SD and the OC.

Tides the next few days are 2' at sunrise, dip slightly to 1' at breakfast, go up to 5' late afternoon, and drop to 1' again at sunset.

The weather won't be much different than what you've seen lately- low clouds having a hard time burning off at the beaches and a little bit of wind bump. Not classic summer conditions by any stretch. Water temps though are a pleasant 68-70 degrees.

On the horizon we have some NW windswell on the charts for Sunday for maybe chest high sets in south county SD and about knee to waist high in north county SD.

The tropics are trying to organize but doing a feeble job at it. There's some clouds in-between Cabo and Hawaii that were trying to get their act together yesterday but not holding up to well today. I don't expect it to form into a swell producing storm for us. The southern hemisphere hasn't been much better with just random low pressure systems spitting out little SW swells for us. Best bet is to get some surf towards the OC early next week for inconsistent chest high sets- not looking too good for the start of the US Open on July 28th.

Good news is that a solid storm formed off Antarctica today but it's forecasted to be short lived. It should though send some head high+ surf for the middle of next week (August 1st) in the OC and shoulder high sets in far north county SD. In a nutshell- not much surf the next 7 days but we should have a good SW swell the middle of next week!

THE Surf Report 7/20/12

Summer's on. Come and get it!

SURF:
Lots of good stuff this past week- great weather, tropical clouds, water in the high 60's, and fun hurricane surf. The way summer is supposed to be. Today we only have background NW/SW for waist high sets in north county SD and chest high in the OC- and the early morning low tide is putting a drain on the swells.

We had a little activity in the southern hemisphere last week that pushed a small swell our way and we should get some new SW filling in tomorrow. Look for chest high waves in north county SD and head high in the OC by the afternoon. That holds through Monday morning. There's also a little NW wind blowing in the outer waters/Point Conception today that increases slightly by Sunday. Look for some knee-waist high NW windswell to help break up the SW lines slightly. Look for more peaks on this SW swell than what we had recently with the walled hurricane swells this past week.

Tides the next few days are almost -1' at sunrise, 4.5' at lunch, 1' late afternoon, and 4' at sunset. And the water temps have been fluctuating the last few days due to upwelling from the hurricane swells, but it looks like we're back to the high 60's. Wear some trunks for those afternoon sessions! Make sure to keep up to date on the waves and weather at Twitter/North County Surf.

FORECAST:

After a fun weekend of SW swell, the NW builds about another foot towards Tuesday for consistent waist high waves towards SD. The southern hemisphere unfortunately is still not that organized (been about 2 months now it seems like) and we just have some background SW for the middle of the week for maybe waist high waves in north county SD and chest high sets in the OC.

In regards to hurricanes, I use three different models to track storms in the tropics. 2 of the models show nothing in the coming days but 1 shows a blip on the radar. Since only 1 out of 3 shows something forming, I'm not holding my breath for any swell this week from the tropics- but it bears watching. If anything does form, we wouldn't get swell until at least next weekend.

WEATHER:

Fantastic weather around here if you haven't noticed. Nothing really changes in the foreseeable future. We have a little more low clouds/fog in the mornings forming this weekend but they'll burn off by mid-morning at the latest. Sunny beach weather is on tap with temps in the mid-70's again. There is some monsoonal 'tropical' moisture moving up from the desert SW this weekend and we may get a couple clouds overhead by Sunday/Monday for more humid conditions around here. Towards the middle of next week we get more extensive night and morning low clouds but they should burn off to sunny skies for great beach weather again. No complaints.

BEST BET:
Sunday should be the day- peaking SW swell, building small NW windswell to peak up the surf, trunks, and maybe some 'tropical' clouds floating overhead. We must be in the thick of summer...

NEWS OF THE WEEK:

Awhile back I reported on THE Surf Report that the 3 main factors for a storm to build a swell is wind speed, the size of the storm (i.e. the distance the wind blows), and the duration the wind blows. But as in the case of the last 2 hurricanes that sent us surf (Hurricane Emilia and Hurricane Fabio) there is a secret 4th ingredient that determines if a storm will generate good surf for us. That 4th factor is the direction a storm is headed. In a nutshell, if a storm is headed your way, it is likely you'll get better surf. Sounds reasonable right? But why? Let's take Emilia and Fabio as an example:
-Emilia and Fabio were similar sized storms
-Emelia and Fabio lasted about the same amount of time
-Emelia had peak winds though of 140mph and Fabio had 105 mph winds- but Fabio had bigger surf...
-So the reason the larger storm Emilia had smaller surf was that Fabio was aimed at us
Emilia was headed in a WNW direction away from us while Fabio was headed in N direction towards us. Fabio was basically pushing energy towards us. If Emilia was a person standing a few feet in front of you and blowing a fan at your face, you'd feel less wind (energy) if they started to walk away from you. Now if Fabio was a person walking towards you with a fan, you'd feel a lot of wind (energy) once they got a few inches in front of you. Hence the reason 140mph Emilia only had head high surf in the OC and 105mph Fabio had overhead surf in the OC. Of course the reason it was generally small in north county SD from both storms was due to swell angle- but that's another story for another day!

BEST OF THE BLOG:

What would summer be without the ...Lost crew making a mess of Lowers? The Clip of the Day has got Julian, Medina, Kolohe, Simpo, and a host of other 'CT/'QS warriors riding Biolos' shapes earlier this spring and absolutely destroying the crowded line up. And Encinitas' version of Central Park is finally getting built with an expected completion date of late 2013- make sure to check out the details on the blog. And of course a mid-week Surf Check and an in depth THE Surf Report. All of that and more in the blog below!

PIC OF THE WEEK:

Morocco is many things. A mysterious Muslim nation, a getaway for European surfers, a hangout for Led Zeppelin, you name it. My favorite thing is the amount of random jetty structures they've built that have made hundreds of miles of useless beachbreak into world class waves. Have a few extra hours to kill? Check out the Moroccan coastline on Google Earth and see what I mean. Today's Pic of the Week is one of those random structures. Thank goodness the Moroccan population is more tuned in to soccer than surfing or this place would be as crowded as Cottons!

Keep Surfing,

Michael W. Glenn
Stout
The Next Glenn In Space
Petitioning to Have Any Surf Spot Named After Me

North County News: Encinitas Community Park Update 2

About a year ago, the North County Surf blog reported the former Hall Property had only 1/2 the funds to complete the Encinitas Community Park- our version of Golden Gate Park, Central Park, heck- even Orange County's forthcoming Great Park. The Encinitas Community Park is 44-acres on the west side of I-5 between Santa Fe Drive and Birmingham Drive. The park will include recreation areas, multi-use athletic fields, a children’s play area, a walking/jogging path, a skate park, a teen center, a dog park, an aquatic center, restroom facilities, an amphitheater and of course lots of parking.

Earlier this month, the Encinitas City Council voted unanimously to approve funding for the park. Originally the city had set aside $7.8 million for the park, which will cost just under $20 million. To make up the shortfall, the city will reallocate around $7 million from various capital improvement projects. Council members will decide which capital improvement projects to reallocate funds from at a later date. Shoot first and ask questions later! The city originally planned to build the park in phases, or a “pay-as-you-go” approach. Higher than expected costs for Phase 1 led the city to favor building the park in its entirety. While building the whole park requires a loan, the city seems to be financially stable, citing the city’s solid credit rating (says city managers) and a low bonded-debt ratio, which is under 10 percent. And because of low interest rates, they also argued the timing of the loan is ideal. Kind of cool to mortgage our children's future so they can have a park now! Regardless, the current 44 acres in an eyesore and I'm glad it won't be turned into a 2nd Walmart or 8th Starbucks in town. Look for the park to be completed towards the end of 2013.

Clip of the Day: Lost at Lowers

Love or hate the ...Lost crew, you have to admit Biolos shapes some darn good boards. And he's got quite the crew around the world riding his sticks lately- Julian, Ceej, Nate, Simpo, Kai, Luke, Caio, Cory, Kolohe, Mason, Medina, Taj, etc. The Clip of the Day was shot earlier this spring at Lowers before the Nike comp. Two waves of interest- Julian's turn at 0:15 and Simpo's at 6:20. Nuts. Some good stuff in here- actually 15 minutes long. So sit back, crack a cold one, and enjoy.

Surf Check 7/17/12

Fun surf today compliments of former Hurricane Fabio. Don't you wish every summer day can be like this? We've got chest high S swell around town and the farther north you go, you'll get some head high+ sets in the OC. Sun came out early, we've got W wind at 7, water temp is holding at 70, and tides are medium for the better part of the day until you hit sunset where it creeps up to 6'. A couple things to beware of today: There's no NW windswell in the water so the S swell is pretty lined up- head to a jetty, pier, or reef if you want to find some shape. Second- lots of jellyfish in the water the past few days- keep an eye out when you're paddling out!

Tropical Storm Fabio is fading today (only 45 mph winds) but he did move in a favorable northerly direction towards us for a couple days so we should see swell from him through Thursday. Very nice of him. Take a look at the pic above- pretty cool to see a tropical storm so close to southern California. No worries though- he'll be dissipated by tomorrow and there's no threat of him hitting us.

Fabio will though send some tropical clouds our way starting tomorrow and lasting through Wednesday. Look for the marine layer (i.e. June Gloom) to be at a minimum while tropical clouds float overhead and our humidity increases. We get a slight break on Friday then monsoonal 'tropical' moisture heads up from another direction- the desert southwest- and we get towering clouds in the deserts/mountains and maybe inland valleys. The beaches will be clear in the afternoons with maybe some tropical clouds drifting our way on Sunday. All in all we'll have nice weather for the next few days.

On the surf forecast front, nothing really from the north Pacific, maybe just some knee-waist high NW generated windswell in SD towards Saturday. The tropics are also quiet for the next couple of days once Fabio departs.

The south Pacific has had little blips on the radar lately but nothing significant. A few days ago there was some small activity and we should see a fun SW swell for the weekend. Nothing big but maybe chest high sets in north county SD and shoulder high sets in the OC. Along with the little NW windswell, 'tropical' clouds, and 70 degree water, could be a fun weekend...

THE Surf Report 7/13/12

Tropic Thunder II.

SURF:
Nothing too exciting this week- mainly small NW windswell, a little background SW swell, and some pulses of S swells from Hurricanes Daniel and Emelia.

Today we have continued S swell from Emelia and the OC is getting the best shot of this straight S swell with shoulder high sets. Far north county SD sees some chest high sets peaking today and south SD is pretty small. The real excitement is the weather above with the tropical clouds and humid conditions. It's the poor man's version of Hawaii around here! Emelia's swell peaks this afternoon and we've got some leftovers on Saturday morning. Sunday unfortunately is looking pretty small. So head to the OC and get it while you can! 

Tides the next few days are pretty medium all day but hit 5.5' around sunset. And the water temps are mid to high 60's. Make sure to keep up to date on the waves and weather at Twitter/North County Surf.

FORECAST:
Nothing really happening in the northern hemisphere so any NW windswell over waist high is out of the question through at least the upcoming week.

Our only shot of surf it seems is from the formation of hurricanes off Mexico and that's exactly what we have with Hurricane Fabio forming on the heels of Emelia tonight. Fabio unfortunately isn't forecasted to be a big or strong storm but he should be aimed at us in a northerly track. Best case is for some waist high+ surf towards Monday/Tuesday for north SD and chest high+ waves in the OC.

For the southern hemisphere, things are starting to get more organized but the storms are still in an east-west orientation instead of aiming swell to the north at us. Charts show one storm forming this weekend with a little bit of northerly direction to it- so we may get some waist to chest SW swell towards next Sunday the 22nd.

WEATHER:

Gotta love this tropical weather we're having. Since we don't get rain around here in the winter and our summers are relegated to low clouds and fog, this humid tropical airmass is pretty exciting for us weather nerds. There's a chance of thunderstorms overhead today and  it looks like it sticks around tomorrow.  Then a weak front moves through northern CA early next week and we get a return of low clouds/fog down here and beach temps in the low 70's. Boring. BUT... since soon to be Hurricane Fabio may move in a northerly direction, his clouds may get sucked up into that low pressure system here and we may get more tropical clouds towards the end of the week. Cool.

BEST BET:
This afternoon. Not the greatest surf in SD- but it is rideable as you get closer to the OC. And the tropical clouds make it feel like your surfing in Bali. Not really, but a guy can dream, can't he?

NEWS OF THE WEEK:

This week NOAA came out with their 2011 State of the Climate report. The lead character of the 2011 climate story was a double dip La Niña, which chilled the Pacific at the start and end of the year. Many of the 2011 seasonal climate patterns around the world were consistent with common side effects of La Niña. Worldwide, 2011 was the coolest year on record since 2008, yet temperatures remained above the 30 year average. The peer-reviewed report, issued in coordination with the American Meteorological Society (AMS), was compiled by 378 scientists from 48 countries around the world. It provides a detailed update on global climate indicators, notable weather events and other data collected by environmental monitoring stations and instruments on land, sea, ice and sky.
“2011 will be remembered as a year of extreme events, both in the United States and around the world,” said Deputy NOAA Administrator Kathryn D. Sullivan, Ph.D. “Every weather event that happens now takes place in the context of a changing global environment. This annual report provides scientists and citizens alike with an analysis of what has happened so we can all prepare for what is to come.”

Two back-to-back La Niñas, each characterized by cooler-than-average water temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific, affected regional climates and influenced many of the world’s significant weather events throughout the year. These included historic droughts in East Africa, the southern United States and northern Mexico. La Niña conditions contributed to an above-average tropical cyclone season in the North Atlantic hurricane basin and a below-average season in the Eastern North Pacific. It was also associated with the wettest two-year period (2010–2011) on record in Australia, which was particularly remarkable as the wet conditions followed a decade-long dry spell.
The Arctic continued to show more rapid changes than the rest of the planet. Sea ice shrank to its second smallest “summer minimum” extent on record during 2011, as older ice (four to five years old) reached a new record minimum at more than 80 percent below average. Overall, glaciers around the world continued to lose mass. Loss from Canadian Arctic glaciers and ice caps were the greatest since measurements began in 2002.

Highlights:
•Warm temperature trends continue: Four independent datasets show 2011 among the 15 warmest since records began in the late 19th century, with annually-averaged temperatures above the 1981–2010 average, but coolest on record since 2008. The Arctic continued to warm at about twice the rate compared with lower latitudes. On the opposite pole, the South Pole station recorded its all-time highest temperature of 9.9°F on December 25, breaking the previous record by more than 2 degrees.

•Greenhouse gases climb: Major greenhouse gas concentrations, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, continued to rise. Carbon dioxide steadily increased in 2011 and the yearly global average exceeded 390 parts per million (ppm) for the first time since instrumental records began. This represents an increase of 2.10 ppm compared with the previous year. There is no evidence that natural emissions of methane in the Arctic have increased significantly during the last decade.

•Arctic sea ice extent decreases: Arctic sea ice extent was below average for all of 2011 and has been since June 2001, a span of 127 consecutive months through December 2011. Both the maximum ice extent (5.65 million square miles, March 7) and minimum extent (1.67 million square miles, September 9) were the second smallest of the satellite era.

•Ozone levels in Arctic drop: In the upper atmosphere, temperatures in the tropical stratosphere were higher than average while temperatures in the polar stratosphere were lower than average during the early 2011 winter months. This led to the lowest ozone concentrations in the lower Arctic stratosphere since records began in 1979 with more than 80 percent of the ozone between 11 and 12 miles altitude destroyed by late March, increasing UV radiation levels at the surface.

BEST OF THE BLOG:

What do Parko, Dakine, J.O.B., and Billabong have in common? They're all on the North County Surf Blog this week! So really, no relation at all. Make sure to check out Jamie O'Brien surfing a hollow little right in Indo on a finless board, Parko getting stuffed at Snapper, some deals from Billabong, and bags galore from Dakine. And of course a mid-week Surf Check and
an in depth THE Surf Report. All of that and more in the blog below!

PIC OF THE WEEK:

It's amazing how quickly surf spots go in and out of fashion in the mags. One week Todos is king, next week it's Teahupoo. Remember when Ulu was the darling? Now it's Kerama's?! Anyway, today's Pic of the Week is a forgotten little island off Mex. Probably better that way as it seemed every mag and video that came out in the late 80's had some sort of shot or video of this place. And now it's been passed over by Emma Wood. Actually, that's Dane's doing. But regardless, the wave still exists and it's lonely. Just the way it likes it. Make sure to check out more forgotten line ups at Rob Keith Photography.

Keep Surfing,

Michael W. Glenn
Intangible
Mourning the Loss of My TomKat
Getting Clips in Performers 4 and Wave Warriors 5

Deal Alert! Billabong and It's Family Is In Town!

Summer's here, hurricanes are flaring, and it's time to travel. Seshday has got a few things on sale from Billabong and it's sibling Dakine this week to help get you on the road. They're trusted by buttery smooth Parko so they get my seal of approval.

First up is a bag to trust the airlines with. You know how brutal those guys can be. And since they gouge you for board bag fees, you better make sure your board shows up to Cabo in 1 piece. So grab a Dakine 8'0" World Traveller Coffin bag. This bag is the best way to get around the globe. The wheeled surf bags make trips through airports with a full board quiver a breeze. Especially for just $119.95, it's a no brainer.

       Features
Durable 600D polyester fabric outer
Heavy duty, corrosion proof, wrap around zipper
Internal and external compression straps
High quality wheels set in a structural hull
Padded, removable shoulder strap with stash pocket
Two Internal padded dividers
Internal fin and wax pockets
3/8" Closed cell foam
600D Polyester fabric outer

Now that you got your board covered, now it's time to cover your back. Check out the Dakine Interval Surf Pack. I grabbed one of these bad boys today for just $37.95. Whether you’re planning on attacking the surf, rolling to the skate park or hitting the books, the Dakine Interval Pack can assist you. The cooler pocket, fleece lined sunglass pocket, organizer pocket and rolling access side pockets are helpful aspects to just about any situation. The removable wetsuit bag, skateboard carry straps, and padded laptop sleeve can handle just about any after school activities. The Dakine Interval Backpack pretty much does it all.

      Features
Removable seam sealed wetsuit bag
Insulated cooler pocket
Tarp wax pocket
Rolling access side pocket
Organizer pocket
Fleece lined sunglass pocket
Internal padded laptop sleeve                               

So you and your boards have made it to 9 Palms in 1 piece but the sun is burning your back like a furnace. Gotta throw on the Billabong Sidewave Surf Shirt. Rashguards are so yesterday and a wearing a real shirt in the surf just plain sucks. The Sidewave Surf  Shirt from Billabong is WAAAAAY better as it offers UVA and UVB protection, and is 100% Polyester. These submersible performance tees are a brand new category of clothing that dry fast and stay fresh. The best part about these tees is they work anywhere, whether on land or in the water you'll stay comfortable and look good. And at $12.95, you'll feel like a hero for saving so much dough.

And it is summer, right? Gotta rock some color on your board to match your red hot surfing at Lowers. Grab a Dakine Mike Losness pad for just $9.95. That's not a typo by the way. You're pretty much saving 75%. Might as well buy them for your entire quiver.

And as always- Seshday sales only last a few days or until it runs out- so get on it!