Wild World of Wednesday - October 28, 2009

Surfing Reef: In college I was involved in fish counts for artificial reefs. We went out to the locations that the material was dropped, put on scuba gear, and surveyed the biological diversity with the primary researcher. Many times the reefs were designed with the purpose of bringing back diversity to the marine ecosystem and then are a haven for fishing and scuba diving enthusiasts. In Bournemouth there is a new reef designed to make better waves for surfing. The Boscombe Surf Reef is not a beginner spot and has drawn mixed reactions. Only time will tell if this is a success but I wonder about how it will change the natural patterns of wildlife and beach erosion and what the long-term effects are. Here is a tourist video of the reef at low tide:



Every Surfer's Nightmare: Last week a 40-year surfing veteran was swept out by the current and lived to tell about it. John Baker of Texas survived 14 hours at sea by finding his way to an oil rig after dark.

We've got some pretty good winds in California today so I just thought I'd post this to remind all of my surfing buds to be careful. It's always good to know your limitations, surf near a lifeguard or at least let someone know where you are, and come in when you're good and beaten up.

Today's Info Came From: These tidbits came from the Surfrider newsletter SOUP. Sign up for this email newsletter on the Surfrider website and get stories like this and more.

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1952 - Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA Women's Texas Golf Open

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