Here is to wishing we could roll back some of the technology that has made people so lazy and that has led to such over-crowding of surf breaks. Here in my town there are now four free surf cameras that cover about a mile and a half of the best breaks around. The cameras start at the end of my street looking south and then cover almost every break in town going north from there. It wasn’t so long ago that you could paddle out on a weekday to find nobody out. Now there is no relief even on the shittyest, coldest of mornings. If there are ridable waves…there’s a crowd on it. The surf cameras are largely to blame.
Some of the local kids have resorted to to vandalizing the cameras. While I would never condone something like that, I have to admit that deep down I am rooting for them to take them out once again.
there is actually a camera that faces your house, I wait from the comfort of my cozy office until I see you load up your gear and drive away and then I text everyone I know and they seek out your vehicle and paddle out at the same break, then I go to a different spot where I surf alone for hours
surf cams are here to stay, and you are lying if you say you leave the house when it’s freezing to check most of the north end spots when you can log on and do it in your tighty whities
you would not be complaining if a street cam caught the thief who just stole your widescreen tv, or a bay cam showed striped bass feasting on baitfish within casting distance from the sod banks…just saying
Mako, one of the local cameras appears to be down for the last few days, are you claiming to have knowledge that a crime was committed by someone vandalizing it? If so, it is your responsibility as a member of that community to report this immediately to the authorities.
…but then how would I check that 57th street cam from work an hour and a half away to reminisce about my carefree youth? How about instead of vandalizing the cameras, take a photo of a dead flat day from the same perspective as each wave cam and then mount it just in front of each camera. It’s an OC winter, no one will notice until May.
I must be a little slow, since its more the reports that I resent than the cameras. When Surfline predicts anything over 2-3+ its going to be crowded everywhere. Thats just the way it is. And while im complaining, Ill let it be known that i use these forcasts everyday. Also, maybe just through dumb luck, over the past few months I have caught some great surf in the middle of the day- When the report said it was crap.
Harken back to the summer of probably '78 or '79, as a young buck, my brother and I and another friend made a promise to surf every day regardless of conditions. Rather than check the waves, we simply got up, suits on, grabbed boards and headed to the beach, no questions asked. 57th street, 58th street pier, etc… Our entire surf world in 4 blocks with the occasional safari to 7th street.
These were the days when the only surf report was to call Surfers Supplies and ask whoever answered the phone. Haven’t called in 25+ years but still remember the number like I dialed it yesterday.
While we’re at it why not a ban on all surf reports, the weather man and a ban on cell phones for calling people to tell them how it looks?
I wake up at 4-5 am to get surf in before work and Dont live near the beach. With the cost of gas a surf cam saves me a ton of money by not driving all the way there to see FLAT. If there are waves people will go out one way or another. Just a fact of life.
The problem with crowds is not soo much surf cams but currently surfing has gone through a tidal surge of interest for the past 15 years that reached a crescendo with ‘Blue Crush’, resurgence of longboards and much better wetsuits, on par with the surge that was experienced in the early 60’s, Beach Blanket movies, the introduction of the foam Malibu board and the invention of the wetsuit.
Mako, one of the local cameras appears to be down for the last few days, are you claiming to have knowledge that a crime was committed by someone vandalizing it? If so, it is your responsibility as a member of that community to report this immediately to the authorities.
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Absolutely not. No knowledge of a crime being committed. Wouldn't be surprised though if someone had taken out the cams again.
mako dude we can do something instead of banning
cameras surf reports cells etc we could bomb 1/2 of north america, 1/2 europe,
3/4 of asia and 1/4 aussie. or just kill all the surfers and use the surf spots
for fishing or for "domingueros" (domingo in spanish means sunday there are two type: **snow domingueros** - people who ski or snowboard in jeans and **beach domingueros**) the typical chubby family guy who woke
up early sunday morning to go at the beach with his family and scratch his
balls all day long
Mako that was me i took it down to record the action happening in my bedroom but it seems they always turn away right when something colls about to happen
Si no te gustan los crowds, I say you and your panas put on a ski masks, take some metralletas and start shooting them in the air and on the water close to the surferos and tell them all que se vayan pal carajo, and yea steal some of their boards and then spray paint them and put them up on craigslist… Just kiddin, just reminded me of my puerto rican atheist gang members…
If there is an option I usually go surf somewhere else if the crowd is larger than 15, or surf a mat and run over who ever drops in on me (they wont get hurt and wont be able to catch me anyway, mats are way fast)…
or you can do as my buddy does, he now only surfs a 38’ Hatteras and brings in fish to eat while his at it, a little more productive than sitting around on a board waiting for waves…
Another solution, surf only when it’s bigger than double overhead, depending on where you live (Hawaii excluded) most people crawl under their bed or make up excuses when it’s this size jejeje…
Its hear to
stay I think but if you’re willing to destroy one a Shangeye /hand held sling
shots are very easy to use and are silent and very accurate .You could also make
you’re own paint balls as shown on you tube and full them with a good quality
mix of epoxy, paint balls are less likely
to injure anyone.