Swell Analyzer - Alpha release

We've made available the swell analyzer graphs. The graphs present a view of the swell data that the buoys off the coast of SoCal are reporting. Hopefully, this can help us figure out if a swell is on the rise in OC. It's updated every 2 hours. We tested the graph images in the Blackberry browser (widescreen models), and they look fine. You will now know when to leave work early to go surfing :) Check the graphs here (scroll way down).

Perfect Wetsuit Storage Bag

I always leave wet wetsuits in my car. They stink really bad after a while. But, I never want to be without my wetsuit and a board. My wife hates the smell. So, she found me this bag at Costco for $8.00. It's called a Keep Cool, and it's intended to be a plyable, crushable ice chest. Since it's watertight, has a strong zipper, and is made very well (outside is a strong nylon, canvas-like material), she got it for me to store the wet suits. This is perfect because I don't want to store a rigid plastic box in my car, as it takes up too much space. Sadly, it's made in China. I'd pay $20.00 for it, but is only $8.00 (probably b/c it's made in China). I've used it for the past 1 year and it's never torn or leaked. A much better deal than paying $50 to $100 for a bag that has branding all over it. Pictures are below.



If you cannot view the images above or want to see larger images, check out the Picasa web album of the KeepCool bag.

Only One Tide Flow Today - kinda odd

Kind of odd. For today, 8/9/08, most California tide measurements have a tide table like the following:

Newport Beach, CA, USA, 4.7 at 04:17PM

That's right, only 1 tide. It looks like a high tide, but with only 1 tide, it's impossible to say what it is. I wonder why this happens. Surfed this AM and things seemed ok. There are still waves and the coastline is not breaking off.

A Bitchen Summer for Swells (2008)

We've been blessed for the past couple months with some pretty consistent south swells, a few lasting for up to a week each. That's unusual for so cal, which generally isn't too good during summer. If this is due to global warming, bring on the heat!

Surfboards Made in China

Several Costco stores in Orange County, CA, have been selling genuine shaped-foam-and-glassed boards made in China for a few years now. First, there was Realm, and now Counter Culture. The short boards are usually around $200 each, while long boards are about $400 each. The models available tend to be like a fish, a "speed" board, a funboard, and a longboard. Costco is also the home of the $99 relatively stiff foam longboard (always and only in blue). Not bad for a beginnner or kid board, I suppose. You can see these everywhere in the water now, so they must be of OK quality. Anyway, all of these boards are about half the price of non-custom boards you'd find in a surf shop. Is this good or bad? What's your thought? Would you buy one? If clothing companies make clothes in China, shouldn't it be ok for surfboard makers as well? Do any local popular board makers do their shaping and/or glassing in China? Drop bfs a note and give us your thought.

The State of Surfwear, or fashion that's marketed to be surfwear

The following 3 observations pretty much sum it up.

• A Roxy canvas tote, made in China, $37. Proof that QS, Roxy, and most other mainstream "surf clothing" companies see fit to thoroughly gouge anyone willing to pay. A practice not in alignment with traditional surfer ethics. At least send the manufacturing to a country with killer waves and a need for jobs, like Nicaragua. Oh, get CAFTA benefits while you're at it.
• Laird Hamilton's new clothing line, Wonderwall. Distributed exclusively at Steve and Barrys, a retail clothing chain that seems to primarily sell cheap clothes to the homie-gang-banger-non-surfer-ghetto segment of suburban society. This chain has NO stores near the ocean, at least in Southern California ("near" is subjective, and in my opinion, is a maximum of 2 miles to a surfing beach).
• Op (Ocean Pacific) at Wal-Mart. So, this was an obvious move for a clothing company that has done almost nothing cool and truly surf-oriented since corduroy pants and nut-hugger shorts back in 1976, and sponsoring the Op Pro. (see a future post of why I say *almost* nothing cool).
  
  For an example of a REAL surf clothing company, that still sticks to what they do best, check out Birdwell Britches. They are still made in California. Note: This is not an ad and we bfS gets no $ for this link.

Surfing and The Blackball Flag - A Bad Combo

I know it's not fair to blame the lifeguards who prohibit surfing along stretches of beach. They don't make the laws. However, they implement it. They fly the damn blackball flag, post, and enforce other lame no-surfing zones, often until 7pm at night. Surfers who are at the beach year-round should be allowed to surf all of their beaches, year-round. The blackball, no-surf zone policies are intended to protect the non-local visitors who swarm the beaches like roaches 3 to four months each year. Most of these summertime visitors are a disgrace to the cleanliness of the beach. If you've ever owned and lived in a condo complex, you understand renters. The non-local beach visitors are like those renters. They are transient and don't give a shit about maintaining a nice, clean beach. In addition, the lifeguards never make any effort to keep the swimmers and spongers out of the no-surf zones, suggesting that lifeguards don't like surfers.