Global Oil Prices Equals Surfers Localizing It
by Paul Costales

Surfers have successfully absorbed the hit to their wallet from higher surfboard prices thanks to a shake-up in what was the backbone of the surfboard building business. However another factor has been affecting the pocketbook of surfers, and it is amplified by our local geography. As cliché as it is to bemoan high gas prices, they are really starting to effect local surfers this summer. Summer typically stinks for surfing in Santa Barbara. The North Pacific has ceased creating wave-generating systems that are the lifeblood of our winter surfing. The South Pacific has started kicking in some nice swells, and sometimes a hurricane will throw something up the coast. But, generally, most of these swells are blocked by the Channel Islands for us. The choices surfers have in the summer are to drive North or South out of the shadow, power their boat somewhere, book an exotic surf trip, or just accept whatever their local beach is pulling in from localized wind swell.

It turns out the later is pretty popular this summer with gas prices hovering around $4.59 per gallon. Although there are exceptions, to get free of the Island's healthy swell blockage requires a trip to Ventura, a 60 mile round trip, or North County, a 120 mile round trip. With the average car claiming 17mpg you're looking at $16 to Ventura or $32 up North. Not much for an occasional strike mission, but as a daily surf session, it'll make your $4 Starbucks seem like a bargain.

The invisible hand is already working its magic, silently filtering through surfer's actions. We started to query some surfers on if they have changed up their surfing. Not surprisingly many had been starting to reign in their surf explorations. Justin has cut out his evening hunts for surf - instead opting to go to one his most consistent local beach breaks for an evening glass off. Greg had never been one too drive too far for surf in the first place so he hasn't changed his patterns too much. However, he does have friends who recently have wanted to take him surfing much more often. You see, Greg has a parking pass for UCSB.

Perhaps the University environment (or the limited parking) has surfers finding alternative ways to surf Campus Point. Well leave it to Don to wrap us up with his experience on keeping his surfing local: "The reward for highly localized surfing is the thrill of pulling up to the point on my bicycle and just coasting right to the sand - no key hiding, no fussing with the racks, no parking lot dynamics, just a downhill glide to the sand on my long-tail cargo bike and, minutes later, paddling out. Sometimes, the best drop of the day is the smooth ride down the hill to the ocean."

The photos below were all taken locally on Tuesday.