January Surf

[sfhogman]

Living about three blocks from Ocean Beach in San Francisco is kind of interesting sometimes. It's far more laid back than the rest of the City, good small restaurants and bars, fresh air, etc.
One thing we do have in the winter is high surf. You can smell it and hear it crashing at night. It is absolutely nothing to be messed with. As children, most folks around here are taught to never turn their backs on the ocean...
The tourists don't know this, or don't care. I think they believe they're in SoCal or something. This ain't SoCal...the water is very cold, and there are rip currents.
As usually happens about once a week, I saw a red CG helicopter go by...it was on it's way to the little town of Pescadero south of here. They never found her. Seldom do...

I actually saw a guy drown in the surf some years ago. The Coast Guard was there with boats and helicopters to no avail. His exhausted girlfriend was there on the beach, wearing a bikini top and Daisy Dukes. She was blue with cold. Said they were from New Zealand.
The surfers who had tried to help just shook their heads...of course, they were wearing wetsuits.
Rant off.
Jeff

 

[WAYNO]

Yes Jeff, this is always a good reminder...

A few miles North, we've had some horrendous surf.

I agree, tourists wear blinders. They taunt the waves. And too often, the surf cuts their vacation short.

Ironically, just today I was looking at a live-cam view of the Pipeline in Hawaii. Comparatively, it's a lake compared to our winter surf.






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[Pat-inCO]

Sad to hear there are so many Darwin awards in your area.

Ours is the opposite. TooooRists go out in the desert during the Summer
with one or at most two pint bottles of water for an all day hike.

I think the saying is something like "Don't mess with Mother Nature".

 

[powder smoke]

Too bad some learn the hard way, do as the natives watch listen and learn!
My mom use to say there is a reason you have two ears and one mouth!
Your suppose to listen twice as much as you speak! ps

 

[Fox Mike]

It is a shame that many never listen to or follow instructions. Each year, in this area, "weekend sailors" go out on the Chesapeake Bay and never return. My grandfather was a waterman and taught me from a very early age the importance of "knowing the water". The Bay can be very unforgiving to the ill-informed. Poseidon rules his kingdom.

 

[contender]

It's not just surf, or the desert, or whatever. It's mother nature,, and it is still very capable of killing those who do not educate themselves about the environment they enter.
It's NOT Disney out there. And there are TV educated idiots everywhere in all walks of life.

 

[turd]

There have been people in this area - South Dakota - found during blizzards via their cell phones - no other way to locate them.

Truly, as others have said, if you don't know when not to go, you really don't belong here. You might make it, but you also might not. And then others have to go out there to try to find you.

 

[toysoldier]

Mother Earth---Gaia---is not the caring, protective spirit of the flower children. She is absolutely indifferent to people. Break her rules, you die.

 

[graygun]

Even in SoCal they wear wetsuits don't they ?

I got in a bit of trouble in the Atlantic surf: lifeguard was standing on the sand about thirty feet away blowing his whistle at me and holding a tethered float. I was in a rip current but then my foot touched bottom and I got out. It saps your strength quickly.

 

[WAYNO]

This was a live-cam photo from just a few minutes ago.

You can see with the high surf, there's not much beach. So, a family walks down the little strip of sand, unaware. A sneaker wave comes in, and there's just no place to run. This sad scenario plays over and over, every year.

 

[WAYNO]

One year ago, these two kids, 4 and 7, lost their lives on the Oregon Coast. Why would any family allow their kids to be in such a dangerous place? Because the parents just didn't know any better. :? And the signs, even on this beach, warning of the extreme dangers of the surf, just didn't apply to them.

The dangers of the ocean, the rivers, the mountains, even the hiking trails, can be incredible

Not everybody has the family and friend structure of knowledgeable folks to teach them. In many cases, what we call the environmental karma and tree hugger types, completely oblivious to natural dangers, expose themselves to such ridiculous dangers, and they just don't want to be told what's safe.

Why do I beat this dead horse? Because I'm also tired of seeing the rescue folks being required to expose themselves to the same deadly forces that hurt or kill the Eddie Bauer types.

I just hope that one of these new age folks might read one of these reports, and hopefully some of it will sink in, if there's no other way for them to learn before it's too late.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

The only time I've been in the ocean is in a large boat, and that's not even all that comfortable to me. I appreciate Jeff's comment about not turning your back on a wave. First time I've heard that. Learn something every day.
Thanks.

 

[RoninPA]

Went to get the mail today (we have to use the PO). 27 degrees, 7-10 mph wind. I'm wearing my mid weight coat, watch cap, and gloves (and of course have my mask ready.) Coming out, a probably mid 20-something going in. Tee shirt, shorts, FLIP-FLOPS. I said, "Hi, aren't you cold?". He said, "A little but I'll only be out in it for a bit" :shock: These are the types that die.

I have lived/worked in all kinds of places around the world where the weather can/is unforgiving and learned very quickly how to cope with it and what to watch out for. Our vehicles were/are always set up with what would be needed to survive the different conditions and I (hopefully) taught my children how to take care of themselves.

 

[WAYNO]

This is a nice site, with ever-changing web-cam views...

http://cannonbeachsurf.com/cannon-beach-oregon-webcam-and-weather/

It's enough to make me say brrrrr.

Who'da thought, a surf shop and gun store rolled into one? 8)





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[314Chevy]

Even in SoCal they wear wetsuits don't they ?

I got in a bit of trouble in the Atlantic surf: lifeguard was standing on the sand about thirty feet away blowing his whistle at me and holding a tethered float. I was in a rip current but then my foot touched bottom and I got out. It saps your strength quickly.

San Diego beach water temp rarely gets over 70, even in April the water temp is usually below 60 so a wetsuit is needed when surfing. If you dive below 30 feet you will need a 7mm wetsuit (surf wetsuits are usually 3mm).

 

[Fox Mike]

San Diego beach water temp rarely gets over 70, even in April the water temp is usually below 60 so a wetsuit is needed when surfing. If you dive below 30 feet you will need a 7mm wetsuit (surf wetsuits are usually 3mm).

My first, and so far only, trip to California was to San Diego. Drove to LaJolla and went to the beach just so I could say I had been in the Atlantic and Pacific. This was late September. The water was COLD! I can easily see why a wet suit would be needed.

 

[sfhogman]

And the red CG copter just went by again, at low altitude.


Jeff

 

[Colonialgirl]

Use to scuba dive just south of Newport Beach; ALWAYS wore a wet suit and learned early on about the "internal" hot water system to warm things up a bit while down 20 or 30 feet. :wink:

 

[Watchman]

Eewww. :lol: :wink:

 

[contender]

"Use to scuba dive just south of Newport Beach; ALWAYS wore a wet suit and learned early on about the "internal" hot water system to warm things up a bit while down 20 or 30 feet"

When I taught SCUBA,, I would tell students; "There are folks who pee in their wetsuit,, and there are those who lie about it."

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Once had a neighbor who would let his dog out for "business" every morning, and stand there on the porch watching the dog. One twenty-degree morning with wind and snow I looked out and there Bob stood, in his underwear, barefoot.

Couldn't resist . . . I stuck my head out the back door and hollered "Hey, Bob, aren't you cold?"

Shivvering, arms wrapped around his torso, he hollered back "He// yes I'm cold! Ya think I'm crazy?"

I just let it go. :wink:

 

[protoolman]

I caught a huge wave on my boogie board that broke over me back in 84 on Coronado city beach. By the time I figured out which way was up I was about out of air. I did find my board up the beach. Did lose my goggles. Also got caught in a rip current once. Both scared me enough I wouldn't go out very far again!

 

[Rick Courtright]

The tourists don't know this, or don't care. I think they believe they're in SoCal or something. This ain't SoCal...the water is very cold, and there are rip currents.

Hi,

I grew up on the San Diego beaches. Learned how to surf just enough to say I'd done it, and we learned "Never turn your back on the ocean," and a couple of things about swimming out of a riptide, too. A college roommate had surfed Hawaii, SoCal and NorCal, with a lot of other big name places on his "one of these days" list. He was quite the character: half white, half Northern Plains mix Indian, from Wyoming. Drove a '53 Mercury woodie, which had four big balloons for tires: a buddy who worked at the airport had come by some used aircraft tires that would fit 15" wheels. It looked just like something out of the comics. After a bit of lifting to clear the tires, that woodie would keep up just fine with the 4x4 Broncos the lifeguards had out in the sand.

Anyway, he described those three areas like this: "Hawaiian surfing is an art form, SoCal surfing is about having fun. NorCal surfing's about survival."

A little Maverick's, anyone? Shot this week, not too far south of Jeff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgSBv6f-7Oo

Rick C

 

[314Chevy]

"Use to scuba dive just south of Newport Beach; ALWAYS wore a wet suit and learned early on about the "internal" hot water system to warm things up a bit while down 20 or 30 feet"

When I taught SCUBA,, I would tell students; "There are folks who pee in their wetsuit,, and there are those who lie about it."

We my kids started scuba at 13 y/o I taught them liquid yes, solid no. Seemed to work.

 

[jimd441]

Here in N.C. we sometimes have lethal rip currents, particularly along the Outer Banks.

Jim

 

[Jeepnik]

Eewww. :lol: :wink:

You ain't never been 40 feet down and cold, have you?

We loose folks in my part of the coast as well. Some get sucked out by rips, but others just end up bashed against the rocks.

A week or so ago my wife were on a cliff overlooking a local beach watching the sunset. Out on the rocks were three (shows stupidity does come in threes) fishermen. Apparently they didn't know the tide was flowing. As the waves started breaking higher on the rocks the just ignored them. One finally got a bit of smarts and came in. Then a second got his feet washed out from him and he gave up. The third would not come in until he was knocked down and got a good bashing on the rocks.

Here's a photo taken months earlier. It's happens daily.

These are the types of folks that the ocean will take every chance it gets.

 

[exavid]

I learned a lot about water conditions and tidal effects. We always lived near the water in many different places, Seaview WA, Okinawa (now part of Japan), Ketchikan, Juneau and Kotezebue, Alaska. Lots of variations in currents, water temps, winds and tidal changes. For example at Ketchikan and most of Southeastern Alaska sees daily tidal variations around 30'. Seems every time we were off loading catches and gear from our boat(s) in Juneau and Ketchikan the float ramp was at a 30-40 degree up hill climb with all the stuff from the boat. Other times it would be down slope a similar amount. The tide currents in SE AK can be pretty rapid too. Sometimes if the Alaska State Ferry (these are ocean capable vessels) missed tide a they'd sit out the six hours at the dock or at anchor whereever they were.

There's been more than once that the wife and I have had to wait for hours at a bottle neck because we missed the tide by a few minutes. Interesting at one place we got just inside the passage and had to drop the hook. The tide was running about 14kts (it actually does in SE). The anchor line was humming and it's vibration kept up the music all over the boat (a Kettenburg 38' sloop. I tied off the tiller to starboard to keep the boat over to one side of the channel so we left plenty of room for anyone coming toward us with a 14kt. tide behind them.

I learned a lot living in the Great White North. Started out at 19years old at Ketchikan and learned the ropes from the natives and old arctic hands in the village. Lots of way to cut your life short in those areas. I wouldn't have made it without what I learned from native friends. Same thing in the more maritime regions of SE Alaska, learn from the people that know what they're doing.

It became even more important when I bought my first airplane, a Piper Pacer, when I got to Kotzebue at age 19. First learning to fly, learn the real stuff from older bush operators and being taught to fly by one of the very best of the bush pilots, Warren Thompson. Those the days before GPS became available, you had to learn the land and land marks such as mountains, big hills and rivers and creeks.

You can't imagine how much I miss those days over a half century gone now. Living through it all is just icing on the cake.

Getting back to the point of this thread here is a very BIG AMEN TO KEEPING YOUR EYES ON YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND LISTEN TO THOSE THAT KNOW THE AREA!!!

 

[smoke-eater]

The Jersey beaches are only a 1 hour drive from me, but I have no love for going into the ocean. I don't want to end my days as a shark turd.

 

[wwb]

It ain't just the water.... many years ago, there was a lost deer hunter in the area I hunt in northern Minnesota. This particular year (as happens from time to time), the temperature dropped to about 15 below, and this guy got turned around in the woods. He was found the next day - froze to death - no compass, no fire starting materials, and no common sense. There are one or two of these dummies almost every year, but they are found before the weather gets them.

 

[Rick Courtright]

He was found the next day - froze to death - no compass, no fire starting materials, and no common sense. There are one or two of these dummies almost every year, but they are found before the weather gets them.

Hi,

How many of you guys remember "The Ten Essentials" from backpacking or other outdoor days?

For those who've forgotten or maybe never knew the term, it was a short list of things to carry in your pack at all times. Stuff like fire starting equipment, a compass, and so forth, several items of which you probably wouldn't need short of an emergency, when suddenly they would become invaluable, perhaps life saving.

Some of my backpacking buddies thought the list should be called "The Eleven Essentials" with No. 11 being "The knowledge of how to use the first ten!"

The list admittedly is more valuable on land than in the water, and has been modified over the years. For example, a current list may add a GPS to the compass, where GPS was unknown in the '60s when I got started, and COVID related items may show up today. This version's from the National Park Service:

https://www.nps.gov/articles/10essentials.htm

Rick C