El Nino Preview?
October 2015 has been a hot one. And we’ve been getting a fairly steady flow of surf.
Swells from all direction have been sneaking in, sometimes when nobody’s looking.
As we walked to the bluff to check the surf this day, a warm sea breeze blew into our faces.
The smell of the salt air and the pounding heat and humidity screamed Mexico,
but we were right here in our own backyard.
Playful little longboard waves rolled in consistently, begging us to come frolic.
As we continued up the coast, we noticed no one was wearing a wetsuit.
With water temps in the 70’s and air temps in the 90’s, that was no surprise.
There were a few tell tale signs that UCSB was back in session.
Their parents may pick up their tab, but they don’t pick up their trash,
unfortunately….
Another sign of their return; the lack of courtesy in the water.
They tend to surf like they drive, but this ain’t the 405 kids….
Eventually you’ll get pulled over up here.
The crowd wasn’t too thick though, and the conditions were perfection.
Smooth and soft, warm glass.
We’ve been hearing the sacred words “El Nino” every year for lots of years. And every year
they tweak the definition a little to make it fit the current conditions. But this is how we
remember El Nino, hot humid air and freakishly warm water. Maybe this time it’s for real.
Time will tell.
But whatever transpires, we hope it brings rain!
In the meantime, we’ll keep enjoying surfing in board shorts.
As we wandered through the sea of Stus, we stumbled across an enclave of true Goleta locals,
doing what they’ve been doing at this spot since the good old days.
The Spiritual Leader of Goleta surfers, Randall Stoker, was holding court in his usual spot,
shown here with another Goleta legend, Steve Donnell.
Smiles all around, as there was sun, surf and cold Coors to be had.
The evening session found us at a different location, and as we toweled off,
Mother Nature put an amazing finishing touch on what was already a remarkable day.
The only thing that can make watching a sunset like this even better,
is watching when you’re all surfed out.
Here’s to El Nino….Bring it on.
