56 days of summer down, 36 to go.
SURF:
Surf was pretty minimal all week unless you lived in the OC. We got a little bump in the SW today for chest high+ waves around town and head high sets towards the OC (again). Along with the pleasant water temps in the low 70's today, it was a fun day of surf once the low clouds burned off mid-morning.
FORECAST:
After a fun weekend of surf, the SW starts to back off during the beginning of the week and the 2nd half of next week looks small.
WEATHER:
Still haven't had a full blown heat wave this summer (that was back in the spring month of May if you'll remember) and this weekend we'll have great weather again- but no barn burner. High pressure is building slightly tonight which will shrink our low clouds/fog during the nights/mornings and we're left with great beach weather this weekend and temps in the mid-70's. Weak low pressure is forecasted to move through northern CA late Sunday and it will thicken up our low clouds/fog in the nights/mornings early next week. After that things get fuzzy as some models show the mild weather continuing OR we get a slight return of monsoon moisture towards the end of the week. All in all some nice weather this weekend and early next week with no major problems on the horizon.
BEST BET:
Saturday. Good weather and a good SW swell. Fire up the hype machine!
NEWS OF THE WEEK:
Locals and tourists alike have known for years that a dirty beach is a downer for everyone. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration just did an economic study to prove that marine debris along our shores costs California residents millions of dollars. And if the recession wasn't bad enough!
Southern California residents lose millions of dollars each year avoiding littered, local beaches in favor of choosing cleaner beaches that are farther away and may cost more to reach, according to a new NOAA-funded Marine Debris Program economics study. Reducing marine debris even by 25 percent at beaches in and near California’s Orange County could save residents roughly $32 million during three months in the summer by not having to travel longer distances to other beaches. The study, led by Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Industrial Economics Inc., known as IEc, is the first of its kind to look at how marine debris influences decisions to go to the beach and what it may cost. The study showed that having no marine debris on the beach and good water quality were the two most important factors in deciding which beach to go to. Given the enormous popularity of beach recreation throughout the United States, the magnitude of recreational economic losses associated with marine debris has the potential to be substantial. In July and August 2013, IEc assessed 31 popular Southern California public beaches from San Onofre Beach to Zuma Beach, collecting data on beach characteristics, including amenities such as bathrooms and parking, the amount of marine debris, and whether or not the beach was regularly cleaned. The researchers found that the amount and type of marine debris varied from beach to beach, although the majority of the debris was plastic. NOAA and IEc also surveyed Orange County residents on their recreation habits, including how many day trips they took to the beach from June - August 2013, where they went, how much it cost them, and which beach characteristics are important to them. “This study shows that beachgoers are worried about marine debris and will seek out cleaner beaches for recreation at a cost,” said Nancy Wallace, NOAA Marine Debris Program director. “Reducing or eliminating marine debris from our beaches is critical, because littered shorelines are costing people more than we anticipated. We can use these kinds of data to prioritize beaches for debris prevention and removal activities.”
IEc used a common travel cost model that estimates the value of beach recreation to the public and how marine debris may influence that value. Some of the travel costs considered include gas money, parking fees, and value of time spent traveling to and from the beach. Using the public survey information combined with collected beach data, IEc estimated how much Orange County residents would potentially benefit, including how often they visit beaches and how much they would save in travel costs, over a summer season by reducing marine debris at some or all of the 31 beaches. For example:
•Implementing an urban litter program that reduces marine debris by 75 percent from the beaches near the outflow of the Los Angeles River would benefit users of those beaches $5 per trip and increase visitation by 43 percent.
•Reducing marine debris by 100 percent at all 31 beaches would save $65 per person, or $148 million for all 2.28 million Orange County adults.
•Reducing marine debris by 25 percent at all 31 beaches would save $14 per person, or $32 million for all 2.28 million Orange County adults.
•Eliminating all marine debris from the five beaches with the highest levels would save $28 per person, or $63 million for all 2.28 million Orange County adults.
The study is focused on Orange County because of the number and variety of beaches, their importance to permanent residents, ease of access, and likelihood that marine debris would be present. Researchers believe that, given the results, the study could be modified for assessing similar coastal communities in the United States.
BEST OF THE BLOG:
Not to name drop or anything (but I will), I've hung with a few famous people in my life. From Aerosmith to John Wooden, from Leslie Mann to Chris Isaak, and Tom Curren to Magic Johnson, I've rubbed elbows with the best of them. But arguably the most important person I've come across is Don Hein. Never heard of him? He only makes the greatest food on earth. Check out the blog to see what I mean. As well as 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:
After seeing 200+ guys out at Swami's on a solid winter swell or Ponto looking like a Lower's crowd on a Saturday in July, it still amazes me when I see pics like this and realize there are empty waves out there. Unfortunately they're 1/2 way around the world and tigers roam the beach, but still, they're out there! Someone though will be lucky enough to stumble upon this wave tomorrow and get a couple cracks at it. All by themselves. And the tigers of course.
Keep Surfing,
Michael W. Glenn
Staggering
Mikey From Life Cereal
Taught Crammy How To Cutback
