'Tis the season.
SURF:
This is a great time of year. Dare I say better than Xmas? Last time I checked, Santa didn't bring me hurricane surf (but he did give me my first surfboard so I guess he's still cool in my book). Regardless, we've had a busy few weeks around here with Hurricanes Lowell and Marie- and up next Norbert. But before we get to him, let's talk about our current swell this evening.
FORECAST:
So what's all this talk about Norbert?! A lot actually. Not a big storm by any means- just barely hanging on to 80mph tonight- and he's already peaked- but he's moving due N towards us. Norbert currently is off Cabo and by the time it gets 1/2 up Baja, he'll only be at 50mph.
WEATHER:
The surf isn't the only interesting thing going on the next few days. Our weather gets into the act too. As Norbert heads N towards us and dissipates, it's clouds will start to stream over us late Saturday into Monday. There will be plenty of humidity, clouds, and summer warmth to trigger scattered thunderstorms most everywhere. Look for Friday to be sunny and warm, Saturday will start to cloud up, Sunday/Monday a chance of t-storms, and by late Tuesday/Wednesday back to normal weather around here.
BEST BET:
Tough call- we'll have solid SW on Saturday but Monday may be fun and funky with that straight S swell from Norbert coming sideways up the coast!
NEWS OF THE WEEK:
It seems obvious but no one really talks about it. No, not my good looks, but sunscreen washing off into the ocean. You can see that shiny slick when you're swimming in the pool, but what does that do to the sea life? Science Daily uncovered the truth with a story this week. Here's the mess we're creating...
The sweet and salty aroma of sunscreen and seawater signals a relaxing trip to the shore. But scientists are now reporting that the idyllic beach vacation comes with an environmental hitch. When certain sunblock ingredients wash off skin and into the sea, they can become toxic to some of the ocean's tiniest inhabitants, which are the main course for many other marine animals. Their study appears in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Antonio Tovar-Sanchez and David Sánchez-Quiles point out that other than staying indoors, slathering on sunscreen is currently the best way to protect skin from the sun's harmful rays. But when sunbathers splash into the ocean to cool off, some of their lotions and creams get rinsed into the water. The problem is that titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles, which are common ingredients in sunblock, can react with ultraviolet light from the sun and form new compounds, such as hydrogen peroxide, that could be toxic.
High amounts of hydrogen peroxide can harm phytoplankton, the microscopic algae that feed everything from small fish to shrimp to whales. The scientists wanted to figure out just how serious of an impact beachgoers could be having on life in coastal waters.
To investigate the matter, they hit the beach. They went to Majorca Island's Palmira beach on the Mediterranean along with about 10,000 beachgoers, a small portion of the more than 200 million tourists that flock to Mediterranean shores every year. Based on lab tests, seawater sampling and tourism data, the researchers concluded that titanium dioxide from sunblock was largely responsible for a dramatic summertime spike in hydrogen peroxide levels in coastal waters -- with potentially dangerous consequences for aquatic life.
BEST OF THE BLOG:
Know what I love? Garage sales. Makin' moolah off my old junk. Know what my groms love? Buyin' boards at garage sales. What do you get when you combine the two? A Board Swap! Like the one Surfy Surfy is throwing with Bing Surfboards and Progession Surf Shop on the morning of September 13th. Fantastic idea- everyone brings down their old wetsuits, beater boards, extra sets of fins, etc. and then it's time to swap. At the first Board Swap I sold a bunch of surf stuff collecting dust in my garage and in turn gave my groms the cash. They in turn picked up a funky Wizard Sleeve Channel Islands. They couldn't be happier. All of that and more, as well as a mid-week Surf Check and an in-depth THE Surf Report in the blog below!
PIC OF THE WEEK:
Some spots were just made to be kept secret forever. Like today's Pic of the Week. Sure there's plenty of peaky overhead surf, but the shorebreak is brutal and it would take you an hour to duck dive all that mess. And the water is 48 if you're lucky. And I haven't even mentioned the sharks- like you needed any more disparaging news. If you're still desperate to find it, I'll tell you this- it's in the Pacific Northwest and more than likely it's a looooong hike from the road to the beach. Enjoy!
Keep Surfing,
Michael W. Glenn
Grand Poobah
Next Tonight Show Host in 2023
Your Favorite Surfer
