Dangers - Pollution

What has this world come to when it is not advisable to go surfing for 3 days after a heavy rain? This is an issue hard to fix but we can take steps to avoid them.

Oil
Danger Rating: 10

This is not good. Remember Exxon Valdez? Although we are not in Alaska, oil does tend to be a problem in every coastal city. One problem is that people sometimes pour old oil down storm drains, guess what... they go staright to the ocean in San Diego. When it rains, the water flushes out all the crap that has accumulated in these storm drains since the last rain. All this crap goes straight to our ocean.

How unfortunate. The best thing to do is to wait at least 72 hours after a heavy rain to avoid getting sick off of oil in the water.

Bacteria
Danger Rating: 10

Ewwwww. Same principle as above except it is not oil, it is bacteria like E-Coli. This is one reason why many people end up getting sick after going surfing right after a big rain. You end up paddling and surfing in water laced with traces of oil, bacteria, and all types of other infectious stuff. We have all noticed how the water is not that pretty after a rain also.

Plain Ol' Trash
Danger Rating: 5

Most of us have been in this situation where we are surfing, spot something that looks like Jellyfish, but it is a plastic bag or ballon. Trash is not a real danger, but it is annoying when you see such a beautiful thing like the ocean full of trash. It can also suck when your coming down a wave and some trash snags on your leash.