JC Surfers?

Told ya!!! Many decades ago when I had decided to buy my first longboard, I took that advice from an old longboarder who was surfing back in the 40's and 50's and I never looked back. So glad you had fun. The experience will get even better or you as you discover just how marvelous a large/deep single is.

The clean up is a mess. While there is some cleanup going on at the two beaches, the concentration has been at sea and the recovery was hampered there by the winds that kicked up yesterday. It's an extremely slow process. 9 pelicans were rescued, covered with oil and a few sea lions. But some birds have died and dead, oil covered rays, fish, squids and jellyfish continue to wash up on the sand along with oil covered and dead crabs and lobsters. It will get far worse before it gets better, sadly.

I care for all the wildlife obviously, but my greatest fears are or the mammals, all the sea lions, dolphins, and whales and also the damage to the kelp beds and the algae. This is going to screw up the food chains, the breeding and migration routes for all the wildlife now and the long term damage won't even be known for some time to come. All the mussels, limpets, the soft corals, sand crabs, sea anemones, clams, all the birds (and we have just dozens of marine species of birds here) just everything, will be horribly effected. Several pelicans have died.

They have reclaimed maybe 10 percent of the oil at sea and the cleanup of the beaches will take I imagine, the rest of the year easily. The health risks now to humans is still so great that they will still not let citizens onto the beaches to help with the recovery efforts.

My friends in Santa Barbra went up to the area yesterday to check it out and from even the highway, they said the fumes from the crude oil were so strong, that it made them cough and their eyes and noses burn. When they got to the campgrounds which have all been closed at El Capitan and Refugio, they said it was even worse and one of them got a headache. Goleta now is in danger because of the fumes and how this may affect people and they declared another emergency because of this and are having the air monitored because so many people are complaining about symptoms and feeling ill.

The Feds ordered Plains Pipeline to shut down it's operation finally. The Attorney General has launched an investigation and is preparing to prosecute the bastards at some point.

We are going off to the stores today and buy the items we need and more that can be used over at the rehabilitation center in San Pedro and may be volunteering to clean birds tomorrow. We are going to bring over everything later today and see if they need us yet. They had received around a dozen birds so far when we called them yesterday.

That's awful. Keep us posted, I'm trying to stay up on it but if you hear about regular folks being allowed to come help clean up, I'm in.
 
That's awful. Keep us posted, I'm trying to stay up on it but if you hear about regular folks being allowed to come help clean up, I'm in.
Went over to the San Pedro station yesterday with a boatload of supplies for them. They are keeping up so far, though more birds are arriving. Sadly we were told that many of the birds being found are already dead or dieing and beyond any help and so oil soaked, that they cannot be saved. We are going to keep checking daily to see when we can go and help them They were really grateful for all the supplies and we spent a while there talking, going over the procedures of how to clean the birds and seeing the birds. The pelicans (and I just love those birds, they are so awesome and beautiful) have to have multiple baths with rests in between so that they don't become too stressed out. We got to feed two of them and it made Sue so happy that they are eating at least. They also told us that 4 elephant seals had come ashore and coated with oil. THAT really upset us. They have been taken to Sea World along with the sea lions that are coming on shore.

I will keep you advised, but I think it's going to be quite a while before they let any volunteers near the beaches now, sadly. There is still way too much oil at sea washing up on the beaches along with the oil soaked kelp, sea weed and algae and it's just too toxic at this point. The pumping out of the oil by the boats off shore is painstakingly slow, even though a few more boats have arrived to perform this. Even containing the slick with the booms is not 100% effective either, and more booms are being set out. What a mess.
 
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Went over to the San Pedro station yesterday with a boatload of supplies for them. They are keeping up so far, though more birds are arriving. Sadly we were told that many of the birds being found are already dead or dieing and beyond any help and so oil soaked, that they cannot be saved. We are going to keep checking daily to see when we can go and help them They were really grateful for all the supplies and we spent a while there talking, going over the procedures of how to clean the birds and seeing the birds. The pelicans (and I just love those birds, they are so awesome and beautiful) have to have multiple baths with rests in between so that they don't become too stressed out. We got to feed two of them and it made Sue so happy that they are eating at least. They also told us that 4 elephant seals had come ashore and coated with oil. THAT really upset us. They have been taken to Sea World along with the sea lions that are coming on shore.

I will keep you advised, but I think it's going to be quite a while before they let any volunteers near the beaches now, sadly. There is still way too much oil at sea washing up on the beaches along with the oil soaked kelp, sea weed and algae and it's just too toxic at this point. The pumping out of the oil by the boats off shore is painstakingly slow, even though a few more boats have arrived to perform this. Even containing the slick with the booms is not 100% effective either, and more booms are being set out. What a mess.

Thanks for the update, I figured it would be a slow process. Sad to hear about the wildlife, I'm with you on the Pelicans too. I love seeing them cruise effortlessly just off the surface.

Keep us posted, I'm watching the news as well as Surfrider for updates.
 
Thanks for the update, I figured it would be a slow process. Sad to hear about the wildlife, I'm with you on the Pelicans too. I love seeing them cruise effortlessly just off the surface.

Keep us posted, I'm watching the news as well as Surfrider for updates.
We love the pelicans especially too. They are the best fishermen on the planet and it was so sad when their numbers had been declining and how hard it was for the Browns to make a comeback. With the rising ocean temps and the availability of sardines and anchovies nearer the shore decreasing, they are once again in recovery mode. Life has again become more difficult for their species so the last thing they needed was crude oil being dumped into their habitat.

One of our favorite things is to buy a big bag of bait anchovies, let them defrost and walk out along the rocks of the jetty and toss them up into the air and watch the pelicans catch them and eat them. I love watching them glide just inches above the water and when they are high overhead, fold up their powerful wings, tuck in their necks and dive into the sea for a fish like a rocket. They are just too cool.
 
Damn it to hell. There's been an oil spill today up at Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara this morning. They have not named the entity who owns the pipe line that leaked (it's been shut off) but it started on land near the beach (at least that is the first report - it may well be coming from an oil rig) and made it's way to the shore and the ocean. CRAP!!!! Oil slick is currently some 4 miles wide. That will surely be expanding as I type. Pristine beach with palm trees and other native plants, abundant shore and marine life just everywhere, breeding grounds for many sea birds......just so depressing.

From this

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to this (current first photos)

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So very angry right now. :mad: Fire crews/Hazmat and Coast Guard on scene.

DRILL HERE DRILL NOW!

:sarcasm:
 
I am surprised they are calling for volunteers this soon, but good deal. We filled out the app this morning and emailed it. Do you suppose we have to take all or any of courses they listed over at the left side of the app near the qualifications section? I wonder how that part works. Will hang in there and see if they contact us.
 
We now have three beaches (El Segundo jetty to the border between Redondo Beach and Torrance - like 9 miles of beaches) closed here because tar like balls of crude oil have been washing up on them.

Hermosa

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Manhattan

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No one knows where they are coming from it seems. Cripes, WTH is going on? Supposed to be a news conference in a few minutes.


Edit: Press conference- they know nothing basically. Just stay off the beaches and out of the water. Clean up in process and no clue where this material is coming from. When asked if it's related to the oil spill up in Santa Barbara: "We don't know yet".
 
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I am surprised they are calling for volunteers this soon, but good deal. We filled out the app this morning and emailed it. Do you suppose we have to take all or any of courses they listed over at the left side of the app near the qualifications section? I wonder how that part works. Will hang in there and see if they contact us.

Not sure, I would think they'd want all the help they can get but I don't know what all goes into cleaning this kind of mess. Sad to hear about more closures. I guess it's getting worse before it gets better.
 
We now have three beaches (El Segundo jetty to the border between Redondo Beach and Torrance - like 9 miles of beaches) closed here because tar like balls of crude oil have been washing up on them.

Hermosa

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Manhattan

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No one knows where they are coming from it seems. Cripes, WTH is going on? Supposed to be a news conference in a few minutes.


Edit: Press conference- they know nothing basically. Just stay off the beaches and out of the water. Clean up in process and no clue where this material is coming from. When asked if it's related to the oil spill up in Santa Barbara: "We don't know yet".

Nothing to do with your leak. The hippies in Hermosa want to block any drilling in the oil rich area. The natural seepage regularly covers your feet in "tar like substance".
 
I have lived here my entire life (Long Beach, Santa Monica and now Seal Beach) and the amount of petroleum tar that came ashore Wednesday is not usual at all. There is a 9 1/2 mile stretch of beaches affected. It's not just Hermosa. It's also Redondo and Manhattan. Once in a while there may be a few l bits and I mean small bits here and there which is the natural seepage and does occur from time to time, but there are not baseball and football sized patties/balls of tar on the beaches that wash up here. There are off shore rigs along the coast, plus the shipping lanes and oil tankers so it's not been determined where they came from and they are being tested to see if that can be determined and no one has ruled out the possibility that they were carried here by the currents from Santa Barbara either.

You also don't see oil covered birds washing up down here and yet one loon (alive who was taken to a refuge to be cleaned) and a few other birds have now, which were dead.

The clean up company worked 24 hour shifts for two days now to clean up he beaches and are still out there. They estimate they have removed over 30 cubic yards of the tar so far. I have been on these beaches and in the waters for many decades and my feet have never ever been regularly covered by tar or oil. Never. Nor do the beaches ever look like this either. This isn't "normal" for this area. And we don't see beaches regularly closed because of tar. We see them closed due to sewer issues from time to time.

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From the Times this morning:

"According to NOAA, tar balls are remnants of oil spills that occur when crude floats on the ocean surface, changing its physical composition in processes known as “weathering.”

After an oil spill, waves and winds break up the slick into small patches, or tar balls, that scatter into the ocean. Tar balls can travel hundreds of miles.

Tar on the local beach is not uncommon due to natural seepage, said Lifeguard Section Chief Chris Linkletter of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. But this particular incident is much different because it's widespread and the quantity of tar is large, she said."
 
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I have lived here my entire life (Long Beach, Santa Monica and now Seal Beach) and the amount of petroleum tar that came ashore Wednesday is not usual at all. There is a 9 1/2 mile stretch of beaches affected. It's not just Hermosa. It's also Redondo and Manhattan. Once in a while there may be a few l bits and I mean small bits here and there which is the natural seepage and does occur from time to time, but there are not baseball and football sized patties/balls of tar on the beaches that wash up here. There are off shore rigs along the coast, plus the shipping lanes and oil tankers so it's not been determined where they came from and they are being tested to see if that can be determined and no one has ruled out the possibility that they were carried here by the currents from Santa Barbara either.

You also don't see oil covered birds washing up down here and yet one loon (alive who was taken to a refuge to be cleaned) and a few other birds have now, which were dead.

The clean up company worked 24 hour shifts for two days now to clean up he beaches and are still out there. They estimate they have removed over 30 cubic yards of the tar so far. I have been on these beaches and in the waters for many decades and my feet have never ever been regularly covered by tar or oil. Never. Nor do the beaches ever look like this either. This isn't "normal" for this area. And we don't see beaches regularly closed because of tar. We see them closed due to sewer issues from time to time.

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From the Times this morning:

"According to NOAA, tar balls are remnants of oil spills that occur when crude floats on the ocean surface, changing its physical composition in processes known as “weathering.”

After an oil spill, waves and winds break up the slick into small patches, or tar balls, that scatter into the ocean. Tar balls can travel hundreds of miles.

Tar on the local beach is not uncommon due to natural seepage, said Lifeguard Section Chief Chris Linkletter of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. But this particular incident is much different because it's widespread and the quantity of tar is large, she said."


I've been away on a trip through all of this. The local news I read kept saying it is not a part of the earlier leak. Either way, I found out my board is ready to be picked up from the shop, so this stuff had better be sorted out by Sunday.
 
I wouldn't count on it, sadly. The beaches as of right now are still closed and they are still cleaning them up. They're telling people to stay out of the water and you can't go onto the beach/sand area that is between any of the the lifeguard towers and the water line. Just head south......like down to Huntington or Sunset or Seal Beach.
 
I wouldn't count on it, sadly. The beaches as of right now are still closed and they are still cleaning them up. They're telling people to stay out of the water and you can't go onto the beach/sand area that is between any of the the lifeguard towers and the water line. Just head south......like down to Huntington or Sunset or Seal Beach.

The maps don't show PV being closed. But I'm sure like everyone else, they just don't know we have beaches there.
 
The maps don't show PV being closed. But I'm sure like everyone else, they just don't know we have beaches there.
They re-opened everything this morning. Forgot that you were in Rancho Palos Verdes, thought you were more North. Happy boarding! No peeking at Smugglers! lol Do you go off the Bend or where?
 
They re-opened everything this morning. Forgot that you were in Rancho Palos Verdes, thought you were more North. Happy boarding! No peeking at Smugglers! lol Do you go off the Bend or where?


I'm about 7 minutes to RAT. PV cove is sweet too, but I stick to RAT cause I'm not very good.
 
I got back yesterday from a surf trip down to Costa Rica (been kind of off the grid), and found a new "favorite" wave: Pico Grande, which is just south of Tamarindo beach. Glassy rights during a medium-to-high tide (must be an AM session, from my experience), good sections, shoulder-to-head high with occasional plus sets...wow. What a beautiful country!

Pura vida!

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