Lost Boys & Co.

Lost Boys & Co... T omorrow evening as the sun hits the horizontal, we'll be at Kincaid's watching the sizzle.  4pm is the appointed meeting time and the sun is scheduled to hit the deck at 4:54pm.  This will give you time to get a drink and a spot on the rail...  We're expecting to see you.  Surprise us, show up! F oggies this morning with just a ¼ mile visibility.  Winds off at 3.2kts and the sea surface is imagined to be smooth.  The air temp at checkout was 53.2° and the water was 58.5°.  Low tide at 7:18am +2.3' and high tide will follow at 12:39 +3.8'.  The buoy is showing a west swell out of 275° at 3.3'.  We're calling what we can see 3' to 4' and breaking damned close to shore.  No room for errors, so don't make any... D anger Boy continued... I like the sneer . I'll bet, now that he's retired, we could get DB a guest starring role on American Chopper. That sneer makes Paul Sr. look like a weenie! Big Daddy P.S....

Lost Boys & Co... W e were trying to show off Danger Boy's shiner to the best effect, but it wasn't coming out right.  So, Ivan suggested that he try some different facial expressions.  Good!  This was the "sneer."  Kinda obvious that he hasn't practiced his sneer in a while... C lear this morning with 25 mph visibility.  Winds were offshore by 2.7kts and the sea surface was smooth to glassy.  The air temp was warmer at 54.2° and the water held steady at 58.6°.  Low tide was at 6:03am +2.3' and high tide followed at 11:44am +4.5'.  We have a WSW swell out of 258° at 3.6' and it was a solid 3' with some fatter, bigger outsides.  The swell's been holding and should work through the weekend. T his IS a caution... Caution about drinking and driving this Christmas Season I would like to share an experience with you all, about drinking and driving. As you well know,  some of us have been known to have had brushes with the authoritie...

Lost Boys & Co... I t was Christmas Day and Randy Ruby was out getting some sunset shots.  If you're not familiar with Randy's work, they have some cards on sale in Card-d'-A in the village.  Randy took up photography relatively recently and has built up a rather respectable body of work.  He's taken some fantastic nature shots as we as photos of all of the hot young local surfers.  Part of the reason he gets so many great photos is that he's out there everyday paying his dues...  like even on Christmas! A nother day featuring cloudless skies and almost unlimited visibility.  Winds were offshore by 4.2kts and the sea surface was smooth to glassy.  The air temperature at checkout was 47.3° and the water was 58.5°.  Low tide starts out the morning early at 5:02am +2.2' and high tide fills in at 10:57am +5.3'.  The 46221 Buoy tells us that we have a west swell out of 269° at 3.6'.  We're calling it 3' to 4' and poor to good shape......

Lost Boys & Co... W e made our way over to Danger Boy's, "Temple of Danger" this morning after a chilly session at Topaz to check on the boy.  He was installed in his throne room, so we politely waited until he granted us an audience.  Danger Girl allowed us to tour her gardens and they were beautiful even for this lean time of year.  She has an impressive collection of orchids and other plants which we have had no luck in propagating ourselves.  In due time Danger Boy made his appearance and he allowed us to take his photograph (mainly to demonstrate to his detractors, that he was, in fact, ambulatory and in only slightly little less than "chipper.")  He does have a great shiner, however... U nder clear skies the Sierra Madres loomed like a family of bears just east of Pasadena.  Winds were offshore by 3.4kts and the sea surface was smooth.  The air temperature was 44.3° and the water, though listed as 59.0° seem colder than advertised.  Hig...

Lost Boys & Co... D anger Boy.  How can we say anything we haven't said before?  We could say it backwards!  Actually, he called around one and he still hadn't gotten sewn up!  He went to the emergency room and probably got a bunch of stitches.  His eyebrow will never be the same.  He flagged the lifeguard down and the guard staunched the bleeding and put on a much too small band-aid.    His loose board came bounding at him on the wave behind the one he caught and cracked him right above the right eye.  He caught his third wave and it was another pretty nice right and he just jumped off at the end - like ya' do.  Danger Boy and the Professor, just surfin' a beautiful winter's day... (We have included for your viewing pleasure and for those who tend toward the squeamish, a photo of Danger Boy with his right eyebrow intact.  Currently, the eyebrow can be found in two distinct locations, north and south of their former coordi...

Lost Boys & Co... C hristmas.  This is what Christmas time looks like in Hermosa Beach.  N o matter how good you've been this year, it hasn't impressed the surf gods...  25 miles visibility and nary a cloud in the sky.  Winds are out of the east by 2.3kts and the sea surface is smooth to glassy.  The air temp is 46.1° and the water is 58.5°.  Really high tide at 1:19am +7.0' and really low tide at 2:36pm -1.6'.  The new moon is conspiring to really tweak the tides.  Take advantage of the low tides the next couple of afternoons to do a bit of beach combing.  Bring your own comb.  Our buoy has refused to take the holiday off and is telling us that we have a west swell out of 260° at 2.6'.  The tide is so high that it's really not breaking in the traditional sense of the word.  In fact it looks like the waves are going away from the beach.  That might make it really good on the east shore of Hawaii or maybe Japan. M err...

Lost Boys & Co... C hristmas in the So. Bay, Manhattan Beach style... C lear skies this morning and 25 miles visibility.  You could see the north pole if you got enough altitude.  Winds were calm and the sea surface was smooth to glassy.  The air temp was 49.3° and the water was brisk at 58.6°.  High tide was at 6:33am +6.8' and low tide will follow at 1:52pm -1.3' for a pretty generous swing.  On this winter solstice we have a west swell out of 269° at 3.0' and we're waiting for that medium tide window to open up and let us in the water.  We'll call it 2' to 3' almost to probably... P hoto #2 is simply called "war."  We thought "horse" or "gas" would have also worked.  Lethal Keithal says he was surfing the web and found this photo.  He asked if that counted as "surfing?"  We said, "No."   "When the surf breaks, we'll fix it..."  The Professor!!

L ost Boys & Co... "T hree colored sky at dawn, go back to bed with a yawn."  Yeah, but it's almost Chreesmas and dem kanis and wahines are being their bestest.  This is how things looked this am in Hermosa...  almost. C lear skies and 20 miles visibility on this last day of fall.  Winds were offshore by 3.4kts and the sea surface was smooth to glassy.  The air temperature was 49.0° and knock that down a few degrees for windage and the water was 58.6°.  High tide was at 5:47am +6.4' and low tide will expose the bottom of the barrel at 1:06pm -0.8'.  We've got a WSW swell out of 254° trying at 3.0' and if you crawled in the window at the right time you got it at the advertised height and some nice peelers. R egarding George Freeth Dear Prof, If memory serves --an increasingly doubtful prospect--the original Freeth bust probably was melted down by ignorant vandals.  What's there now is a recreation of the original.  Terry O'Donnell, now...

Lost Boys & Co... W e were cruising the other day and stopped at the bust of George Freeth near the entrance to the Redondo Pier.  Not too long ago George was returned to the pier after almost being melted into scrap by some metal munching bandits.  We re-read his accomplishments and considered how fortunate Redondo was to have a real hero who we could call our own.  People will argue about who was the "first" surfer on the mainland, but in his time he was definitely the best.  Good on ya' George! A pretty much perfect winter's morning, even though we've got a couple of days to go (the 22nd is the solstice.)  Clear and cloudless skies with 25 miles visibility.  Winds were offshore by 5.7kts and the sea surface was smooth to almost glassy.  The air temperature was 50.6° and the water was 58.6° head-chilling degrees.  High tide is at 5:00am +6.0' and low tide clips the minuses at 12:16pm  -0.1'.  We have a west swell out of 271° at 3...

Lost Boys & Co.. . I t keeps trying to spit a bit, but the sun insists on poking through.  Remember "Holy Cards?"  They had images of saints or sun and clouds with inspirational sayings.  If you don't remember them, they looked like this... P artly cloudy this morning, 20 miles visibility and when the sun would disappear the temps would go down 10°.  Winds were offshore by 3.5kts and the sea surface was smooth.  The air temperature was 49.2° and the water seemed a bit chilly at 58.8°.  Low tide is late at 11:129am +0.8' and high tide is even later at 5:10pm +3.3'.  We're setting up for another week of minus tides in the pm starting tomorrow.  The buoy is showing a west swell out of 261° at 3.0' and it was 2' to 3' this morning and trying it's best.  If the swell drops a bit south into the high two-hundreds it could get a bit better!  Check it out... ✠   "When the surf breaks, we'll fix it..."  The Professor!!

Lost Boys & Co... H ere we have Edric and Rock, getting ready to make their way down to the water.  They were in full regalia, with wetsuits, drysuits, booties, gloves, fins,  faceplates, tanks, regulators, etc.  Every piece of equipment necessary for a safe dive.  They were happy and ready-to-go, but it still looked like a lot of equipment to be lugging around.  Rock assured us that it was no problem and wondered how we got along with those unwieldy surfboards? C lear beautiful skies this morning with 20 miles visibility and a bit of marine haze.  Winds were out of the NE by 2.3kts and the sea surface was smooth to glassy.  The air temp was a chilly 45.1° and the water was 59.7°.  Low tide was at 6:59am +2.6' and high tide will follow at 12:26pm +4.3'.  Our buoy has a WSW swell out of 255° at 2.3' and we're working every bit out of that with Hermosa up to waist to chest high.  27th St. Manhattan was 2' to 3' and Redondo met Mira Co...

Lost Boys & Co... W e're thinking that in the history of transportation there has never been anything quite like this.  Yes, it's a "Beach Bar Cycle."  You and 13 of your favorite friends can rent this velocipede and mow down as many unsuspecting pedestrians as possible.  And you can do it while swilling down your favorite potable!  We have had a few inquiries regarding where you can legally use this contraption, since we always thought you couldn't drink and drive, drink on the Strand (let alone the public thoroughfares) or peddle your ass down the street while you have an open container staring you in the mouth.  Like we're hoping that you at least have a designated driver...  Oh yeah, and that you invite US!! S tarted out clear as a bell this morning and then started to cloud up.  20 miles visibility.  Winds were offshore at checkout by 4.7kts and the sea surface was smooth to almost glassy.  The air temp was a chilly 48.3° and if y...

Lost Boys & Co... Y eah, well it was cold this morning and our thoughts just kinda wandered back to this spot.  Sun's going down, the trio is warming up and the rum has been ordered.  A little salt in the corner of our eyes and those paddling muscles are sore, but it's a good kind of sore... S tarted out clear this morning and the clouds have been moving in since around 9am.  15 miles visibility, with a bit of local haze.  Winds were offshore by 3.4 to 5.0kts and the sea surface was smooth.  The air temperature was a chilly 47.4°, but the wind brought that down a few degrees and the water was 58.6°.  You were good until you got out - then the fun started!  High tide at 10:34am +5.5' and low tide will be still be rockin' the minuses at 5:56pm -0.2'.  The buoy has the swell at 217° our of the SW.  Buoy height is 2.6' and we got all of that and a bit more at 2' to 3'.  Fun until the tide pushes it out...   ✠   "When the ...

Lost Boys & Co... T ook a stroll down to the RB Pier last night during a break in the weather.  In the clean air, everything seemed to look a bit jewel-like. R ain predicted all morning long, but evidently the prognosticators didn't look out the window.  Partly cloudy with 15 miles visibility.  Winds are still off by 5.0kts and the sea surface is smooth, with a slight bump.  The air is a cool 50.6° and the water is 59.2°.  High tide is at 9:53am +5.8' and low tide will minus out at 5:16pm -0.4'.  We have a WSW swell out of 238° at 3.0'.  We'll go with that, except for the high tide slapping everything onto the sand.  Maybe around the noon hour, as long as the wind holds off...   "When the surf breaks, we'll fix it..."  The Professor!!

Lost Boys & Co... H ere we have what appears to be a palm tree made out of sky rockets.  This happened last night at what appeared to be the battle for Manhattan Beach.  The forces of darkness were ultimately conquered by colorful displays and aerial assaults, as the Manhattonians marshaled their tanned and well rested forces and took over every eatery within two blocks of the beach.  The faithful wrote poems and spoke in verse as the battle waged overhead.  The finalé was an extraordinarily ostentatious exhibition of the pyrotechnic arts, as the locals charged the pier with strollers, light sabers and all manner of holiday armor to watch the triumph of their struggle.  They weren't disappointed... M eanwhile, the clouds have moved in and we have 5 miles visibility under rainy, unsettled skies.  Winds are offshore by 7.2kts and the sea surface is glassy.  The air temperature is 51.0° and the water is 58.8°.  High tide is at 9:15am +6.1' and l...

Lost Boys & Co... B arahona and Wheatley smiling for the camera while they discuss design.  Okay, maybe they were talking about what they should get for their "Secret Santa" gifts for the company party.  Or maybe they were wondering who was their Secret Santa? D idn't seem so brutally cold this morning, as we watched the sun scratch it's way over the mountains.  20 miles visibility and a bit of marine haze on the water.  Winds were off by 4.3kts and the sea surface was smooth, with a bit of ripple on the outside.  The air temp was 46.1° and the water is holding this week at 59.0°.  High tide is at 7:36am +6.1' and low tide follows this afternoon at 2:55pm -0.5'.  We're sporting a WSW swell out of 240° at 2.3'.  Right now we're calling it 1' and poor, but everyone keeps telling us that it's going to be better tomorrow.  We sure hope so...  It's the Hennessey Cup and the action starts at 8am at the Hermosa Pier, but if it's not ...

Lost Boys & Co... L ots of peachy glow in that sky last night, with the lights coming on around the Queen's Necklace.  Like Christmas in the So. Bay. T he coolness continues as a low sun popped up this morning and sent some rather oblique rays our way.  Hazy at that, with 20 miles visibility.  Winds were off by 4.3kts and the sea surface was smooth, wind scuffed.  The air temp. was triple-quads at 44.4° and the water is 59.0° and 58° even at Hermosa Beach.  High tide is at 7:05am +6.0' and low tide follows at 2:23pm -0.3'.  Beachcombing Harvest Alert:   Green .  Swell out of the SSW 206° at 1.6'.  We're calling it 1' and poor, but looking more hopeful than yesterday.  Not as scary... P hoto #2 has Oscar applying a paste to the decal to seal it in place, so you can sand it level with the rest of the board.  #3 has him making sure that all of the bubbles have been popped and that there aren't any voids.  He sees bubbles that ...

Lost Boys & Co... H ow many laminators does it take to put a decal on a surfboard?  Well, apparently, sometimes it takes four or five!  Here we have John Mangiagli, Steve Mangiagli, Birdie and Oscar making sure there aren't any bubbles under the Rat Fink they're laminating on Kevin Holmes new battleship.  The disembodied hand in the lower left belongs to Jimmy Barahona...  There's a lot of quality control going on here... FLAT!  FLAT!  FLAT!  FLAT!  FLAT!  FLAT!  FLAT!  As Boomfwappa said some time ago, "It's so flat it's scary."  Here it is by the numbers:  25 miles visibility under clear skies .  Winds are out of the NE by 2.1kts and the sea surface is glassy.  The air temperature is 43.4° and the water is 59.7°.  High tide is at 6:36am +5.8' and low tide is at 1:51pm +0.0' as we get ready for a week of afternoon minuses.  A good week for a little beachcombing!  There is a 1.6' swell out of ...

Lost Boys & Co... Y ou can't get'em in the water too soon...  Domenic Bruzzese, giving the boys a little salt water rinse... C old this morning, if you didn't notice...  25 miles visibility under clear skies and winds are out of the east at 3.4kts.  The sea surface is smooth to glassy.  The Santana's are buffing everything to a metallic shine.  The air temperature was 41.6 bone-chilling °'s and the water wasn't exactly warm at 59.5°.  High tide is at 6:07am +5.5' and low tide is groveling at 1:19pm +0.3' and heading to pm minuses later in the week.  The swell is out of 223° SW at 2.0' and it's 1' and poor by the time it hits the sand.  T he contest tomorrow (Wednesday the 7th) between Redondo and Mira Costa will be rescheduled due to lack of interest by the Pacific Ocean.  We'll let you know when it's back on...   ✠   "When the surf breaks, we'll fix it..."  The Professor!!

Lost Boys & Co... T he hardest working magicians in the business.  No, not Sigfried and Roy, it's Birdie and Oscar doing their stuff on Kevin Holmes epoxy Rat-Fink model. A hazy morning with the sun coming up cold and distant.  Winds were offshore by 3.3kts and the sea surface was smooth to glassy.  The air temperature was 43.3° and the water was chilly 59.4°  High tide was at 5:38am +5.3' and low tide will be at 12:44pm +0.8'.  We have a SW swell out of 231° at 2.3', but it's not really 2.3', it's more like 1' and really poor...  Ask Santa for some surf... A sincere prayer from Right Wing Fred... Dear God, Please send clothes for all those poor ladies in Dad's computer. Amen   "When the surf breaks, we'll fix it..."  The Professor!!

Lost Boys & Co... W e thought these were mariachis in their civilian clothing, then someone said, "No, those are obviously rock musicians."  Rock musicians...  You mean rock musicians...  We got it... W e finally got a break from the wind here in the South Bay and things calmed right down for the morning surf.  15 miles visibility, under hazy skies that still look a tad dusty.  At checkout winds were 3.7kts from the SE and the sea surface was smooth.  Later, the wind's gonna be kicking up, so don't wait too long.  The air temp is 54.2° and the water got blown down to 59.9°, although most of the folks thought it was colder.  Low tide is at 9:57am +2.4' and high tide will follow at 3:09pm +3.6'.  The 46221 buoy is calling a west swell out of 274° at 3.0'.  We agree it's about 3', attesting to the fact that the "wind event" was pretty much a surface phenomena and didn't have any swell behind it to speak of.  Maybe a bit smaller t...

Lost Boys & Co... G idget, checking the surf from the new improved berm at Hermosa Beach. D ecember took a cue from March and came in like a lion last night.  Gusts to 35kts and tons of palm fronds on Catalina Ave.  10 miles visibility this morning and a hazy sun trying not to get blown outta the sky.  Winds currently out of the NNW by 10.2kts and the sea surface is sporting some windblown whitecaps.  The air temp at checkout was 56.0° and the water is hanging at 60.1°.  Low tide at 8:18am +2.7' and high tide follows at 1:37pm +4.1'.  We have a WNW swell out of 295° running at 4.9'.  That's right in our assessment of 4' to 5' waves.  Although there is a fair amount of chop and whitecaps, it looks like this is a surface event, rather than a deep churning.  If the wind backs down, we could have some rideable waves tomorrow!  W e just heard that the Pheasant Pluckers will be at Keegan's tomorrow from 7pm to 10pm.  Some great dance...

Lost Boys & Co... K eeping things local.  LoLa buying stuff in the mercado... F oggies this morning with limited visibility, down to about a ¼ of a mile in places.  Winds were off by 5.2kts and the sea surface was smooth.  The air temperature was 55.5° and the water was 60.8°.  Low tide wasn't that low at 6:39am +2.8' and high tide isn't that high at 12:22pm +4.8'.  The buoy is reading a west swell out of 268° at 3.9'.  We're calling it 3' steady with some shoulder high outsides.  Fun in most places with the rising tide giving it a bit of a push... For all of you with any money left, be aware of the next expected mergers so that you can get in on the ground floor and make some BIG bucks. Watch for these consolidations in 2012: 1. Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W. R. Grace Co. will merge and become: Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace. 2. Polygram Records, Warner Bros., and Zesta Crackers join forces and become: Poly, Warner ...