Red by Day; Blue by Night

Sounds like some new breed of shape-shifting politician.  But that is not the subject here.

Red Tide by Day -- Source: www.signonsandiego.com

Have you noticed all the red tide that showed up about a month ago?  It’s all those pesky little dinoflagellates that hang out in the surf zone and sometimes a little further out.  We won’t be going into a microbiology lesson in this post.  We are really here to marvel at what happens at night.

The San Diego Union-Tribune published some photos that show what happens.  At night,  the protists all turn left in unison and explode in a bioluminescent cloud of blue light.  Check out this photo from Torrey Pines the other night.

Blue by Night -- Source: www.signonsandiego.com

For more dazzling pic’s, here is the link to the Union-Tribune article.

Just enough light to open up night surfing to the masses.  We may need to start up Trestles Surf Crowd at Night.

I just realized this may be just what we need in Sacramento and DC.  The dinoflagellates can show our stuck-in-reverse ideologues how to change colors from time to time to get some real work done.

Ho Hum Yawn — Kelly Won It

A little slow to report this, but Kelly Slater won the Hurley Pro at Lowers — again.

Day Four - Source: http://www.hurley.com/hurleypro/photos.cfm

It wasn’t a great week for waves, but there was enough; I guess.   The Hurley Video of the Final Day shows it all.  All our favorite competitors were doing their usual “tricks,” but it’s too bad they didn’t have a little more face to work with.

The contest was scheduled for September 18 – 24, but they got done early, on the 21st (Wednesday).  No reason to take a bye waiting for more waves — there was nothing on the horizon.

Maybe next year.

Trestles Forecast — September 18 to 24, 2011

It’s gotta be good next week.  That’s it. . . . . . .

How do I know?  Because the Hurley Pro is coming to town.

Our view from the beach.

It seems like whenever we are just getting into the Fall wave groove, the Hurley (formerly Boost Mobile) Pro grandstands and tents show up on the beach and we are all shooed out of the water.  And, it seems like some of the best waves of the season show up about the same time.  The Pro has a knack for picking the right dates.

So, next week hang up your wetsuit, bag up your board and put it on the garage rack, and come on down to the circus.  It’s always fun for some photos, freebies, and lots of “interesting” people.

If you really want to surf, get out there early to avoid the crowds and the heat horns.

Go Kelly — 11 is  a nice prime number.

 

COMM 435 — Opinion Writing

It’s that time again — Fall Opinion Writing at Cal State Fullerton with Professor Steve Scauzillo.

It’s all about finding your voice.  For those of you in COMM 435 this semester, find what you love and start writing.  The more you post, the more hits you’ll get.  It’s easy when it’s what you love.

It doesn’t hurt to shamelessly use key words that are novel or are in the news.

I started the Blob Fish Page because I was getting almost 1,000 hits a day for the blob fish photo I posted one day.  Check it out.

After the tsunami, I wrote a couple posts about how it impacted Orange County.  That one caught a lot of attention too.

Have fun, but start writing and writing some more.

Another Voice

Bye Bye Trestles — Right on Track for Removal

September 1, the end of the nesting season, has come and gone.  So, the forces have moved in to get ‘er done.

A Different "Lineup" for Trestles

According to one of the onsite construction officials, the contractor that is rebuilding the trestles is right on schedule.  They hope to have all the work done and be off the site by the end of 2011.  They did a lot of the foundation work earlier this year, before nesting season.

In order to complete their work on time, they are actually going to completely shut down the railroad, the only direct rail link between Los Angeles and San Diego, for at least three full weekends.  That in itself should be interesting.  Sorry Johnny, you won’t be able to tell time by the train whistles going through San Clemente during those times.

Sharing the Footpath--Contractors and Surfers

I was assured by the official that it is written into the contract that access to the beach has to be maintained at all times.  That means surfers rated higher than the railroad–that’s a first.  I have to admit, I haven’t heard of any problems to the contrary.

So, when they get done, the trestles will be solid concrete.  Get your nostalgic photos while you can.

The piers are being poured over the next few weeks, getting the column caps ready for the shutdowns.  When they shut down the rail, the wooden sections will be removed, concrete beams will be laid across and underneath the tracks.  Once formed, these saddle shaped supports are called bents in bridge parlance.  The new rails will be laid over multiple bents.

Column rebar cages coated with purple epoxy to protect the steel from the salty environment

I already asked how to get a piece of the old creosote-soaked wooden members from the original trestles.  The official said they have to handle the wood as hazardous material and have to account for every ounce removed.  So, officially, there is no way to get your own piece of the trestles.   Hmmmmmmm.

So, enjoy your last days crossing under the famous structure that gave our favorite break its name as we cross the bridge to the future.

I guess the good news out of this change is that, with the higher traffic capacity that will be allowed with the improved trestles, there will be more tourists to wave at as the trains fly by.  Just make sure you use your whole hand when you wave to them. 

Okay, Back to the Crackling Sound

Last week, during our little high-energy swell that drove just about everyone to the bottom at least 10 times per session, there was this bizarre underwater crackling sound that would crescendo for about 4 or 5 seconds with each passing set wave.  Very unusual, at least to me.

After doing some searching, often getting my own notations in my search results, I have picked and chosen some pieces that just might explain it.  I’m open to constructive criticism and correction on this.

Source: www.inthemix.com.au

Some sites talk about flora and fauna in the tropics, and even Garibaldi in California, that make “crackling” or maybe “cracking” or popping sounds for various dietary or sexual reasons.  Nope–not likely.  Unless, somehow large waves stimulate diet or sexual cravings in small crustaceans or bright orange fish.

So, here’s another theory that takes me back to my graduate hydraulic theory courses.  It sounds like “cavitation.”  You know that popping or “crackling” sound you hear when water is going through a slightly opened valve at way too high of a velocity.  Okay, maybe it’s just something us water nerds have experienced.  But, it also happens when boat props are moving at high speeds.

Source: http://cavity.ce.utexas.edu/kinnas/cavphotos.html

Without trying to explain Bernoulli’s Equation in a surf blog post, it goes something like this.  The water is moving so fast that the internal pressure of the water momentarily drops below atmospheric pressure, otherwise known as drawing a vacuum.  When that happens, any gas molecules dissolved in the water come out of suspension and form bubbles.  But that state is short lived.  As soon as the water moves away from the area where it was moving fast and the internal pressure of the water reaches atmospheric pressure again, the bubbles “implode” and disappear.  That is what makes that crackling sound when water is cavitating in a pipe or valve:  all those bubbles continuously imploding.  So, here is my theory–not exactly cavitation, but similar concept.

Source: http://loonyblurb.net/2009/06/tips-on-decreasing-air-consumption-scuba-diving/

One of our favorite Crowdmembers, Tim Elsner, kept remarking about how “top to bottom” the set waves were breaking.  Got it, a lot of vertical movement in the water.  So, somehow on the set waves the lips were driving the air in the whitewater down further below the surface than normal.  Rather than coalescing like bubbles underwater usually do as they move up toward the surface (you know, like all those diving videos show from the deepwater divers), the bubbles were imploding, making the crackling sound.  Maybe the bubbles were being held down by the whitewater, similar to us humans.  Rather than coalesce, the pressure got to them and they imploded.

Sounds like a research topic, but not sure who would fund it.

Thoughts?

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

All within about 5 yards of the Gateway to Uppers (the footpath under the trestle–see prior post).  Not a friendly place to be.

Seems to be related to the construction that started back up right on time — September 1, the end of nesting season for the wetlands birds.

Trestles Surf Report — 9/2/11

Yep, deja vu all over again.

There was definitely still a lot of swell in the water for dawn patrol.  Not really that big; just a lot of water moving around.  In the photo below, looking south from the point at Uppers into the bay, you can see the lagoon is doing some strange stuff.  Notice the little inside backwash zipper to the left.  It was like a river washing into the lagoon and a river getting sucked back out.  It was almost safer to ride it out on your board than to try to walk in the water that was moving about 10 feet per second.

Just above the zipper line you can see a guy going right.  Even though this was the shorebreak, you can see it wasn’t that big (a foot over two overhead in the shorebreak); again, just a lot of water.  To the right is a seagull trying to escape.

The Lagoon in Motion

As for sneaker cleanup sets, I thought the little near-death experience Wednesday night was a one-time deal, but not so.  This morning, it was like a retake in a bad movie.  There were about twenty of us in the outside lineup.  I noticed a shadow on the horizon.  Thinking “I’m not going to let it happen to me again,”  I started paddling for Catalina.  Everyone asked me what I was doing as I put about 20 yards between me and the guy behind me.   When they saw the first wave of the set, it got real quiet.

I was able to punch my way through the lip of the first wave, but only a handful of others joined me on the other side.  The rest got sucked toward shore.  As I went through that first wave, for the first time in my decades of surfing I could hear a crackling sound while I was submerged.

The second wave was even further outside.  Just as I tried to duck dive under the lip, it snatched my board from between my fingers.  Again, the crackling sound as I tried to figure out which way was up.  Another couple guys got stripped out of our advance team.

The third wave was just too far out.  I didn’t have time to get back on my board so I bailed it.  The full impact of the lip was about 10 yards in front of me.  As I reached for the deep water, I could feel my board tombstoning.  My leash pulled harder and harder on my right leg until finally there was no more tug.  I knew what happened immediately.  Again, the crackling, even as the whitewater passed.  When I finally made it to the surface, there was no sign of my board; not even a bobbing flash from time to time.

Leashes are supposed to break to save your hip.

I swam out as far as I could trying to minimize the whitewater turbulence that rag dolls you and makes it dark when you open your eyes underwater.   The next six waves successively pummeled me as I did the breast stroke out to the lineup.

As the set dissipated and I started to backstroke the 200 yards toward shore, I couldn’t see my board.  Everyone who didn’t make it under the first three set waves were now washed up on shore at various points between the bay and Five-O’s.

The good news is that I made it to work on time (I guess).  The tough part is that it sucks when your last set snaps your leash and washes you to shore.  Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

I never did figure out the crackling sound, but it should be a good research topic.  Maybe you’ll see the answer in a future post.

Looks like the wave period is supposed to get shorter and the direction more southerly–perfect for our beloved Trestles.  See you in the water.

Buenas olas!

Guest Surfer Profile

This is Sam.

Sam from Florida -- powering up for Trestles

Sam is from Florida and coast hops coast to coast looking for big waves.  He is a friend of Mark Sponsler, the keeper of StormSurf.com, so he has an inside track.

Last week he surfed on the East Coast, chasing bumps from Hurricane Irene.  This week, it’s the West Coast.  Yesterday, he fought the crowds at Malibu.  Today, it was Trestles.

The photo was shot with a flash, because the time was pre-dawn.

Sam has a lot of great stories that he tells in his low-key Floridian style.  If you see him in the water, give him some waves.   If you see him at the restaurant, buy him a beer.

Part of the excitement of big swells is the ability to swap stories with surf brethren.  Enjoy!

Trestles Surf Report — 8/31/11

Gateway to Uppers

Definitely not the best direction, but plenty of water moving around tonight.  Should be an exciting weekend.

Just after the sun went down, at Uppers, the proverbial “cleanup set” charged the beach from Cottons to Lowers.  One minute there were 30 of us scratching for the horizon; the next we were all literally washed up on the beach.  One guy happened to be sitting further out beyond the normal lineup and managed to pull himself over the double overhead sets.  I paddled back out, but there were only three of us left for the twilight last waves of the day.

In the hour and a half I was in the water, the waves grew before our eyes.  The tide was rising from a minus tide, but the water advanced on beach even faster than the tide.  When I was working my way across the rocky lagoon, the water moved in and out from the beach like a river.  I had to check to make sure San Mateo Creek hadn’t started flowing again.  There was that much water moving.  That explains the unusual ebb tide backwash that added to the thrill on takeoffs; there was just a lot of water moving in and out from the beach.

With all this said, the waves were by no means huge.  As I’ve already reinforced, there was just a lot of water moving around.  The shape was walled and mediocre at best.  Hopefully, as the swell turns more south, the shape will improve.  Sure would be nice to get some of those 500-yard dances.

That’s it.  Just thought some of you might be curious how it looked early in the swell.

Buenas olas!