News, Events and Announcements

Lately giant squid have been invading the coast of Sothern California. This event is bringing out fisherman in large numbers to catch these elusive nocturnal creatures. Some are reporting catches of up to 300 squid in one night and if you want to eat one they starting to hit the fish markets in San Diego. Video included. Read more »

CARSLBAD AND SAN ELIJO STATE BEACHES

FORM NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Will fund facility improvements at the local campgrounds and beaches, create new Pelican Point events area at South Carlsbad and sponsor programs for campers and local citizens

A new non-profit organization has been formed to benefit popular local area beaches and campgrounds. South Carlsbad State Beach and San Elijo State Beach have formed a new non-profit group called Friends of Cardiff & Carlsbad State Beaches. The association will assist and work collaboratively with California State Parks to protect and preserve Cardiff, San Elijo, South Carlsbad and Carlsbad State Beaches. The new organization plans to do this through educational avenues providing information concerning the natural, cultural, historical and biological diversity of the parks. The non-profit will promote environmental ethics, fund interpretive programs, organize special events and enhance the recreational experiences of the visitors and local citizens.

“Our new ‘Friends’ non-profit association will enable us to make infrastructure improvements and expand our services and schedule of events at South Carlsbad and San Elijo,” said Brian Ketterer, north district superintendent for California State Parks. “This association offers local residents and businesses an opportunity to make a difference in helping preserve and protect these popular local area beaches with support through donations, time, materials or equipment.” 

At South Carlsbad State Beach, the non-profit is helping create a new special events area called Pelican Point at the north end of the campground that is sure to become a favorite of locals.

“Pelican Point will be available for rental for community events, weddings, corporate events, teambuilding sessions and other purposes,” said Ketterer. “The view from Pelican Point is just incomparable.”

The non-profit is reaching out to local businesses for donations of equipment and building materials for facilities improvements; prizes for raffles at the special events; and materials to support the volunteer efforts. Friends of Cardiff & Carlsbad State Beaches is also seeking people to participate on its board and assist with its new programs. Interested parties are invited to come to the next Friends of Cardiff & Carlsbad meeting on Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. It will be held at the south end of South Carlsbad State Beach campground at the "South Carlsbad Shop.” You can email the new group at FriendsOfCardiffandCarlsbad@yahoo.com or call board member Bill Mahoney at 917-449-3549 for more information.

Individuals will also be able to benefit Friends of Cardiff & Carlsbad State Beaches by becoming a “Friend” of the local area beaches by making a small annual financial donation; giving a gift of a membership to a friend; or volunteering time at one of the special events. The non-profit is also recycling CRV materials to turn in for cash to assist with the parks’ interpretive programs, and to fund equipment and materials for the park’s volunteer efforts. Friends of Cardiff & Carlsbad State Beaches will sponsor such programs as the Junior Rangers and special events including Carlsbad Beachfest 2010, Easter at San Elijo, Christmas in July and San Elijo State Beach Spooktacular.

Companies that have already donated to programs organized by Friends of Cardiff & Carlsbad State Beaches include Adventure 16, Curves for Women, Hansen’s Surf Shop, Koko Beach Restaurant, Norte Mexican Food & Cocktail, Patagonia, South Carlsbad Campstore, Surf Ride Surf Shops and Wave Hog Surfboards.

“We are so thankful to the many local businesses that have already stepped forward to provide support to this association,” said Andy Gillum, a volunteer board member of the new 501(c)(3) non-profit. “We encourage other businesses and local citizens to participate as we forge the mission for this organization and organize new special events. We want to ensure that future generations will be able to appreciate and enjoy the biological diversity and recreational opportunities that Carlsbad and Cardiff have to offer.”

EDITORS: PHOTOS AVAILABLE.  Please email billmahoney@aol.com

In a closed door meeting the biggest polluters in San Diego bay will only have to clean up just 16% of the pollutants they were initially ordered to clean. Read more »

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had planned to dredge the San Diego bay entrance to remove the build up of sand and allow for safe passage of ships. They had offered the extra sand to Imperial Beach, initially at 330,000 cubic yards but after Imerpial Beach permit and safety issues were raised the project was scaled back to 100,00 cubic yards. Now the project has been halted until the Army agrees to the list of requirements Imeperial Beach has assembled. Read more »

Fall may be right around the corner, but at The Pearl Hotel we prefer an “endless summer!”  So cruise on by The Pearl Hotel at 7PM this Tuesday for our surf movie night! Chill out by the pool with OB Surf and Skate’s featured surf movie of the month while macking on burgers and beer at The Pearl’s B&B Tuesday (a famous Pearl burger and a beer of your choice for only $15!).  Stick around till the end to win some great raffle prizes courtesy of The Pearl Hotel and OB Surf and Skate.  Check us out this week with OB Surf and Skate and get ready for some good times and epic movies.  The featured movie premiere for October 27th, will be Dude Cruise, a Matt Beauchesne film (2008, 30min.).  Movie starts at 8PM.  

RSVP to jmiura@thepearlsd.com

The Pearl Hotel, 1410 Rosecrans St., San Diego, CA 92106
www.thepearlsd.com   www.oceanexperience.net

The San Onofre power plant will be testing it's emergency sirens today from 10 am to 12 pm today. If you're in the lineup don't let the drone of 52 sirens affect your perfect ride. Read more »

Heres a great story on San Diego 6 about a group of surfers saving the life of another. Read more »

In an ongoing effort to study how pollution travels when it reaches the ocean, scientists have created pink waves. Read more »

A tsunami triggered by a strong quake in the South Pacific has killed at least 65 people in Samoa and more than 20 in American Samoa, say reports. Read more »

With 85 percent of cleanup sites reporting, a total of 9,587 volunteers participated in the cleanup effort at a record 80 cleanup sites throughout San Diego County and Tijuana.

The volunteers removed more than 65,000 pounds of debris from more than 120 miles of land and even underwater at two dive sites.

This Sunday is the Surfrider's 2009 Paddle For Clean Water in Ocean Beach. The day will be filled with waves, beer and music starting with a 1-mile paddle around OB Pier. The event is to "raising awareness of the border pollution issues in southern San Diego County and raising awareness of fresh water issues that impact our local coastal waters in our current drought." Hope to see you there! Read more »

This Sunday, August 23rd, 2009, Scripps pier will host the 2009 Luau & Longboard Invitational. Events start at 7:00 am with the longboard competition and then by noon the luau and silent auction begins. 16-years running this event sponsored by "Surf For A Cure" is to help raise money and awareness for cancer research.
 

The day begins at 7 a.m. with the Longboard Invitational at the beach near Scripps Pier (directions).  Each company-sponsored team of four is paired up with a longboard legend to compete in the surfing contest. The contest is free to watch. Many come to watch the event, get autographs, and buy souvenirs. Live surf music is provided by The Professors – "the band on the sand" for the fourth year in a row.

The Luau begins around noon as guests head up to Pawka Green on the campus of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Guests dine on a tropical buffet by Waters Fine Catering and are entertained by a variety of live music and traditional Polynesian dancing from the Heali'i's Polynesian Revue. Opportunity drawings and live and silent auctions offer the chance to get one-of-a-kindsurfboards, memorabilia and trips. To close the day, the memorable Rell Sunn Award is presented.

Head down to Oceanside Pier today and tomorrow for the 2009 Supergirl Pro Junior surfing contest. The event is also being held in conjunction with a whole range of extreme sports.

The Supergirl Pro Junior is being held in conjunction with the 25th Annual Oceanside Longboarding Surfing Club Surf Contest and Beach Festival, and kicks off the 3rd Annual Supergirl Jam, the action sports industry's largest all-female action sports competition and lifestyle festival which features more than 100 female pros in surfing, skateboarding, inline skating and snowboarding.

UPDATE on 08/16/2009 7:44 am:

Photos of the event can be found at Hanging Ten in O'side

On Thursday the California Coastal Commission denied San Diego's request to extend its time operating the Point Loma sewage treatment facility at sub-standard levels. The effect of this ruling could force San Diego to spend $1.5 billion to upgrade its facility. San Diego loses major sewage treatment battle
 

The Point Loma plant treats sewage from 2.2 million people inside and outside the city limits, and it discharges about 170 million gallons a day into the Pacific Ocean. It's by far the largest wastewater facility in the nation that doesn't meet the federal threshold of “secondary” treatment.

Mayor Jerry Sanders has worked for more than two years to convince regulators that San Diego is meeting the terms of its current exemption and should be permitted to keep processing sewage without a major retrofit. The city seemed to be headed for success after collecting support from the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, the EPA, the Coastal Commission's technical experts and some environmentalists.

This year the Morning After Mess Cleanup Day presented by Sun Diego Boardshops will be on Monday July 6th. T-shirts to 50 volunteers at each site and 50 concert tickets at each location to see Slightly Stoopid, 311 or Incubus later in July at Cricket Amp. in Chula Vista!!! Raffle prizes for volunteers at each location including gear from Sun Diego vendors.


Five cleanups on 7/6 from 8-11am:
Ocean Beach Pier - meet at grassy area by the end of Newport Ave.
Mission Beach - Belmont Park - meet south of roller coaster, on the grassy area by the boardwalk
Pacific Beach - meet at the end of PB Drive on the beach
South Carlsbad State Beach - Ponto Beach - meet south of Ponto jetty
Oceanside - South Harbor Jetty - meet on the beach near the parking lot where Harbor Dr. meets Pacific St.

This week Chicago could remove a ban on surfing in Lake Michigan. The ban was enacted decades ago to prevent accidental drownings. If caught surfers faced a $500 fine.

Still, aficionados continued to sneak into the water, and after one ticket too many, a group of surfers last December sent Chicago's Park District a proposal asking that surfing be allowed at four of the city's beaches during the traditional beach season, Memorial Day to Labor Day, as well as year-round at a fifth beach. Officials are still sorting through various details of regulating surfing, such as whether there should be an age requirement and what, exactly, signs along beaches should say (for example, "Surf at Your Own Risk"?).

This last Friday and Saturday Purina held it's annual Incredible Dog Challenge at the San Diego County Fair. This year organizers added surfing to the list of normal events.

NBC San Diego cover's the story of one dog and his owner's attempt to capture the win.