Sandspit photos 1/19, 1/22

[apfoto]

1/22
http://photos.surfline.com/albums/userpics/17474/sndspit22.JPG
1/19
http://photos.surfline.com/albums/userpics/17474/sandspit119.JPG

http://photos.surfline.com/albums/userpics/17474/sndspit119.JPG

http://photos.surfline.com/albums/userpics/17474/sandspit19aa.JPG

http://photos.surfline.com/albums/userpics/17474/sandspit19.JPG


photos: andrew pfund
apfotodesign.com (http://apfotodesign.com/waves.html)

[Connor Lyon]

Please save these pics to yourself. Can we get these deleted?

[Connor Lyon]

Nice shots on surfline:mad:

[apfoto]

do you consider sandspit a secret spot? i dont think it is

[surfista]

do you consider sandspit a secret spot? i dont think it is

Exactly. I love it when seemingly newbie surfers get all territorial and shit about a totally known wave...especially when their posts are, like, so conspicuous in their "I'm so high right now" vibe.

Irony!

[more betterness]

Uh oh.. I sense a message board brawl coming on... :D

[waterlogged]

on another note, when did sandspit become the preferred nomenclature? I only ever heard it called sandbar growing up, only the surf mags referred to it as sandspit.

[JonS]

on another note, when did sandspit become the preferred nomenclature? I only ever heard it called sandbar growing up, only the surf mags referred to it as sandspit.

It was always Sandbar, but at some point the new name began catching on...

I get what Connor is saying, but heck, that place is one of the most heavily photographed spots in the county. On the really big swells, photogs (and surfers) from all over the West flock down there. I agree with Surfista too. Interesting to observe how either young or new surfers get so protective. At 49 years old I've watched this process unfold over and over again. There are few secrets left -- especially nowadays with literally hundreds of thousands of surfers plying the waves on the West coast. We can choose to let it bother us or accept the way things are and try to still have fun. Unless you've got $750k laying around for a 1/16th of parcel, it's only going to get worse until an equilibrium is reached and people find other ways to recreate.

... Just my $02.

[Connor Lyon]

Obviously not a secret spot but that doesn't mean Im gonna go posting shots from a couple days ago. I dont think these pictures will make tons of people want to surf there, but its not gonna help. Anybody who has surfed there knows that its almost always crowded, and its getting worse. Like I said, these pics alone wont cause a ton of crowd, but it will contribute to the hype. I guess you just dont give a crap because your a photographer, but I know I will be surfing there in the near future. And yes, it is a highly photographed wave, but only on the very large swells when tons of guys are out. Posting shots of a smaller day with less crowds is gonna make people want to surf there.

[Connor Lyon]

Maybe Im just bummed cuz I have tons of sick shots of sandbar that I feel shouldn't be posted. At least not until summer haha:)

[brown recluse]

"and it's getting worse"

Worse than when? Last week? Last year? 5 years ago? It's always been just as crowded, you just didn't surf there back then. So you have no reference. Remember, right now is going to be "back in the day" someday. You'll be complaining about the massive crowds 20 years from now saying "it was so rad in 2010 when there was only a few dudes surfing the harbor".

[JonS]

I know that for me personally, my decision that it would be permissible for me to post surf pics of places like Rincon
was based on 30 years plus of surfing there (i.e. my observations of the reality of just how many people actually surf
there, either regularly, or as a visitor). I hope that you don't give up on the fact that there are always going to be times
when the smart surfer is going to score in uncrowded conditions if/when he uses his head. And, you can also count on it
being a zoo pretty much everywhere, when we're talking about a well-forecasted swell event...

[Connor Lyon]

"and it's getting worse"

Worse than when? Last week? Last year? 5 years ago? It's always been just as crowded, you just didn't surf there back then. So you have no reference. Remember, right now is going to be "back in the day" someday. You'll be complaining about the massive crowds 20 years from now saying "it was so rad in 2010 when there was only a few dudes surfing the harbor".

I am positive that i has gotten way more crowded since a couple years ago. Im sure its always been crowded on good days, but now there are tons of guys on little days when there should only be like 5 guys out. And how about all of the spongers? There was definitely way less spongers past couple of years. Yea I have not been surfing there for 5 years but I have surfed it very consistently for the past few years and I have noticed larger crowds.

[yakas]

the reason no one was out there was because it was full of poop.

poop=uncrowded - regardless of the decade

[Russell]

Like Recluse says, same old story. I surfed HH sandbar when I was 7, 48 years ago with only 5 guys on the whole beach, rode waves from the jetty to the dredge. Kidding yourself complaining about shots on this website. When its big now bunch of out of town pros out and that has nothing do do with this website. Get a life or travel (or better yet, both!).

[GRINDER]

If you don't like everybody surfing your spot then you need to call them on it.
What is a local 1 mile or 50 miles from break? Like Jon said sometimes you have to plan for the uncrowded wave. I live 3000 miles away and I am already
planning on my uncrowded waves that I will get in May less than a 30 minute
drive from SB.
anyway thanks for all the shots and keep them comeing.

[Brandon S.]

Sit deeper. Less crowded

[JonS]

Every once in a while I try to calculate a realistic figure about how many regular surfers call SB home (guys who surf year in/year out several days per week). If you take that number, and then divide it by the number or recognized legitimate spots, what would the ratio of surfers:spot be?

Think about pure population data in the state of CA, and then extrapolate for growth over the next ten years. Factor in the so-called "surfer conveyor belts" like private or public surf camps, UCSB, the SUP explosion, what do you honestly expect it to look like in, say, 10 years? The numbers in and of themselves will blow your mind.

But, I can guarantee you this. If you are a good surfer, a committed surfer, you will still get plenty of waves.


My primary job, I am a psychotherapist, and I often counsel people who suffer from anger or depression. The truth is (myself included) we all could stay pissed off forever about the way things have become, or, we can be glad for what we have, and actually enjoy our lives....

Again, this is just my opinion. I'm almost 50. I never would have thought this way in my 20s or 30s, and especially not as a teenager. The older I get, the more I realize that some battles are not worth waging. You can't stop the population growth in California, and you cannot stop the popularity growth of surfing... And more and more photography enthusiasts are going to start clicking away.

[more betterness]

But, I can guarantee you this. If you are a good surfer, a committed surfer, you will still get plenty of waves.

+1 to this...

I grew up surfing lower trestles, and something that really influenced how I think about crowds was watching some regulars out there day after day ALWAYS getting their pick of a set. Even in a takeoff zone as compact as Lowers these guys just had this place wired and caught probably around as many waves as they would have if the place was empty.

Dont get me wrong id 100% rather surf with no one out, but thats just not a reality for me or most people in California. So developing the level of skill to be able to surf and be comfortable in a crowded lineup successfuly has always been something ive worked on.

Luckily, its pretty easy to paddle circles around people at places like sands and campus :D

[bentonsb]

ive sponged there for atleast 5 years, its always been like this.. people complain about not getting waves and it being crowded, but the few surfers that actually sit at the real takeoff get plenty of waves, and better ones too.. just saying

ps- isnt there a way to lock specific forum sections with passwords? if people are so concerned just give members the passwords, and let them drool over the pictures that people post of sensitive spots..

[JonS]

isnt there a way to lock specific forum sections with passwords? if people are so concerned just give members the passwords, and let them drool over the pictures that people post of sensitive spots..

Now there's an interesting thought...

[BrianSB]

I can see where you're coming from.

Crowding does suck, but in some ways when you get to surf a decent spot alone or with maybe just a few others out, it's all the better. I've never surfed Sandspit, nor do I plan to, but I understand that if it's good, it's probably always going to be very crowded. And the takeoff spot doesn't help. And there are going to be pros out.

Crowded days do suck though, but there can be a zen to it. Like sometimes how by virtue of someone else being out, and maybe your both going for a wave but they have priority so you let them go. And maybe it was a decent wave, but then an EVEN better wave comes after it, and your in position because of that and get it. Like it's kind of a silly thing to think, because you can never know. Because sometimes you're out there with not many people out, and you can end up missing the good waves because you take the average waves instead. Obviously it could work the other way too, were you're in a crowded lineup and get ancy and take a bad wave and then a set comes through. Food for thought.

In terms of privacy, I'm pretty sure vBulletin has an option that requires nonregistered members to register in order to see topics / posts within a forum.

[JonS]

In terms of privacy, I'm pretty sure vBulletin has an option that requires nonregistered members to register in order to see topics / posts within a forum.

When we first launched the forums here, that's the way it was set up. In order to view pics, you had to sign up. 30-40 new people were signing up every day. It required a lot (read: excessive) manual labor to individually moderate that many new members...

[morgan]

Obviously not a secret spot but that doesn't mean Im gonna go posting shots from a couple days ago. I dont think these pictures will make tons of people want to surf there, but its not gonna help. Anybody who has surfed there knows that its almost always crowded, and its getting worse. Like I said, these pics alone wont cause a ton of crowd, but it will contribute to the hype. I guess you just dont give a crap because your a photographer, but I know I will be surfing there in the near future. And yes, it is a highly photographed wave, but only on the very large swells when tons of guys are out. Posting shots of a smaller day with less crowds is gonna make people want to surf there.

hey Conner Lyon,
i seem to recall you posting pics of sandbar and skunks not too long ago.

like brandon and jon said, best surfers get the best waves. yes the whole junior high now sponges sandspit, but if you sit even just one flagpole deep you can get whatever you want. if the rocks and the drop are too much for you, then you deserve the scraps.

surfing has boomed in the last 10 years and its only going to get bigger. unfortunately its not like tennis in that you cannot build more courts.....

and remember we live less than 100 miles north of the most expansive metropolis in the world.

i've been surfing SB my whole life and have watched the crowd steady increase. i grew up 75 ft up the creek from hammonds and used to surf that place for hours with just 2 or 3 regulars, even on saturday mornings. now the Westmont contingent is so dense i dont even bother surfing that place. Sandbar, tarantulas, rincon, the islands too. 20 boats at Talcott or Skunks or the Island Packer with 15 Agoura Hill barnies at Chinese... Fark that.

but you know what!

i dont give a rats ass. i surf the days its good. i seek less crowded spots. i sit at the top of the pack or as deep as i can go. and i dont cry when the circus comes to town. when the Vaquero shows up at Eagle's nest with 10 guys from san diego on a bachelor party i dont say anything. some guys scream their heads off, shouting bloody murder out of entitlement, and i agree with their cries, but by letting it consume me and harvest hatred inside of me i ultimately lose a battle I will never win. i'd rather maintain my sanity, composer and calm then turn into a bitter person about sharing, or not sharing, something that ultimately does not belong to anyone.

if i see someone disrespect the beach or ocean though... thats a different story.

anyways TRAVEL is key. go find something to yourself. look for the moments of beauty. view surfing as more than the waves you can call your own ... cherish the places it takes you, the people you meet, the gorgeous sea you enjoy.

think long and hard how surfing will affect your outlook on life.
don't be a *****.

morgan

[CJSB]

Morg^ grab a SUP and come over to hammonds...everyone is doing it.

:mad:

[Connor Lyon]

I posted shots of 1 ft ankle-slappers man, and the shot of skunks has no caption or landmarks. I didn't think that I was being a "*****" by trying to protect one of my favorite places to surf. But I guess my opinion means nothing to you guys, I dont give a fuck. As far as sitting deeper, not really a problem for me. I just get bummed when there's tons of agro guys out on a tiny day. It puts a crappy vibe in the water and I hate to backpaddle and literally fight for waves. I guess Ill just stick to the boat and let you all battle for waves in town:p

[JonS]

I edited the language, hope nobody objects. We're all friends here. It's good that we are talking about this...

By the way, have you seen the swell model the past couple of hours? *grin*

[yakas]

surfing has boomed in the last 10 years and its only going to get bigger. unfortunately its not like tennis in that you cannot build more courts.....

morgan


I have an idea, lets use the beach north of pitas and place a series of circular bolder piles 200 yards offshore that just pop above the surface, place them every 300 yard down the entire beach. Then convert the existing camping into pay parking sites which will earn the revenue needed for the placement of the boulders. My theory is that the rocks will break up the swells and make peaks along the whole beach. that beach gets more surf in the summer than anywhere. It is large and could hold several hundred surfers.

[talcott]

I grew up a couple blocks away from the harbor and I am entertained by the circus that is the sandbar. Yeah its crowded but if you've figured out how to take off a couple poles back and negotiate the back wash you get your waves. I don't even surf it when its small, I'd rather stay in goleta. But when its good and the river is running and there is a whirlpool off the tip you will get your top three barrels of the year in one session. There are places in this world where pictures are strictly for personal use and don't belong on the internet but sandbar isn't one of them. I appreciate people sharing the stoke especially when I'm on a buisness trip and didn't get to experience it.

[urchindiver]

hey Conner Lyon,
i seem to recall you posting pics of sandbar and skunks not too long ago.

like brandon and jon said, best surfers get the best waves. yes the whole junior high now sponges sandspit, but if you sit even just one flagpole deep you can get whatever you want. if the rocks and the drop are too much for you, then you deserve the scraps.

surfing has boomed in the last 10 years and its only going to get bigger. unfortunately its not like tennis in that you cannot build more courts.....

and remember we live less than 100 miles north of the most expansive metropolis in the world.

i've been surfing SB my whole life and have watched the crowd steady increase. i grew up 75 ft up the creek from hammonds and used to surf that place for hours with just 2 or 3 regulars, even on saturday mornings. now the Westmont contingent is so dense i dont even bother surfing that place. Sandbar, tarantulas, rincon, the islands too. 20 boats at Talcott or Skunks or the Island Packer with 15 Agoura Hill barnies at Chinese... Fark that.

but you know what!

i dont give a rats ass. i surf the days its good. i seek less crowded spots. i sit at the top of the pack or as deep as i can go. and i dont cry when the circus comes to town. when the Vaquero shows up at Eagle's nest with 10 guys from san diego on a bachelor party i dont say anything. some guys scream their heads off, shouting bloody murder out of entitlement, and i agree with their cries, but by letting it consume me and harvest hatred inside of me i ultimately lose a battle I will never win. i'd rather maintain my sanity, composer and calm then turn into a bitter person about sharing, or not sharing, something that ultimately does not belong to anyone.

if i see someone disrespect the beach or ocean though... thats a different story.

anyways TRAVEL is key. go find something to yourself. look for the moments of beauty. view surfing as more than the waves you can call your own ... cherish the places it takes you, the people you meet, the gorgeous sea you enjoy.

think long and hard how surfing will affect your outlook on life.
don't be a *****.

morgan

i just had to log on to say that was pretty fuckin well said and an awesome attitude!!!