Surfing Waves

I think I'd probably drop out of the Olympics before I'd get in that water.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/27/world ... mpics.html

We have to be careful too!

In California, what types of infections/diseases am I exposing myself to by surfing after or during the rain?
-Asked by Joe McBride

The Surfrider Foundation has always advised the public never to swim or surf after a rain. The coastal waters are polluted with urban runoff and sewage from leaking water logged sewer pipes. In most places, and especially in Southern California, ocean water quality after a rain is dangerous.... Most counties issues a 72-hour advisory after it rains. Unfortunately, they do not post the beaches... Here are a couple (very) extreme Surfrider examples from last year that resulted from presumed sewage spills:

Chris O'Connel had a cut on his arm and went in Mission Bay San Diego after a recent rain. His arm became infected with the Streptococcus bacteria and he almost died. Three operations and two and half weeks in the hospital saved his life.

Also, a member of the Long Beach Chapter of Surfrider Foundation became infected with the same bacteria after surfing near the San Gabriel River Mouth. Charles Moore of Long Beach was also hospitalized for two weeks.

http://www.surfline.com/community/whoknows/whoknows.cfm?id=1157

According to that article...

An investigation by The Associated Press last year recorded disease-causing viruses in some tests that were 1.7 million times the level of what would be considered hazardous on a Southern California beach.

the development of sanitation/sewer systems is arguably the greatest invention of humankind. Certainly without it we would not have big cities or long lives.

saltydog wrote:According to that article...

An investigation by The Associated Press last year recorded disease-causing viruses in some tests that were 1.7 million times the level of what would be considered hazardous on a Southern California beach.

It's likely that the Associated press know nothing about what they are talking about. It is very common for people lacking understanding of disease causing organisms to call them all "viruses". But perhaps it was intentionally overstated for dramatic effect as many agenda driven organizations are prone to do .

oldmansurfer wrote:It's likely that the Associated press know nothing about what they are talking about. It is very common for people lacking understanding of disease causing organisms to call them all "viruses". But perhaps it was intentionally overstated for dramatic effect as many agenda driven organizations are prone to do .

True. For the most part this article and typical water quality analysis discuss more of bacteria and chemical compounds, with the occasional mention of virus. And it seems every organization likes to spin stories to promote its agenda.

Meanwhile at this point isn't it too late to do anything about the water but stirs up fear? The whole things is pretty fishy. I feel for the athletes for having to deal w/ all this.

some organisations want to educate people with the truth rather than lies that support their own beliefs

oldmansurfer wrote:

saltydog wrote:According to that article...

An investigation by The Associated Press last year recorded disease-causing viruses in some tests that were 1.7 million times the level of what would be considered hazardous on a Southern California beach.

It's likely that the Associated press know nothing about what they are talking about. It is very common for people lacking understanding of disease causing organisms to call them all "viruses". But perhaps it was intentionally overstated for dramatic effect as many agenda driven organizations are prone to do .

No offense, but I think it's more likely that you don't know what you're talking about and the Associated Press does. In the US we treat our sewage before we offshore it. If you had read the article, you would know that the sewage treatment plants in Brazil are largely abandoned and not functioning. So, it's not far fetched to imagine that the untreated sewage flowing out of favelas and overpopulated Brazilian cities can have 1.7 million times the viral load of ocean water in California.

saltydog wrote:Meanwhile at this point isn't it too late to do anything about the water but stirs up fear? The whole things is pretty fishy. I feel for the athletes for having to deal w/ all this.

No, it's not too late. In fact, it's high time we start taking this sh!t seriously. You should be scared of it, especially if you consume seafood.

I can tell this level is significant because there are outbreaks of viral diseases from exposure to this water all the time in Brazil.................or not. 17 million times what virus level? There are lots of viruses each with their own significant level of exposure. Sounds to me like iditots ranting

RinkyDink wrote:

saltydog wrote:Meanwhile at this point isn't it too late to do anything about the water but stirs up fear? The whole things is pretty fishy. I feel for the athletes for having to deal w/ all this.

No, it's not too late. In fact, it's high time we start taking this sh!t seriously. You should be scared of it, especially if you consume seafood.

I meant whether they could clean that all up in time for Olympics. If we are talking about longer term improvement, no it's never too late to act on it. Looks like they need more than environmental/public health issues to deal w/... what w/ their political climate is as it is. Where is Greenpeace when we need it?

The foreign athletes are already complaining of the toilets backing up. That can't be good to keep you focused on getting a gold medal.

saltydog wrote:I meant whether they could clean that all up in time for Olympics. If we are talking about longer term improvement, no it's never too late to act on it. Looks like they need more than environmental/public health issues to deal w/... what w/ their political climate is as it is. Where is Greenpeace when we need it?

Oh, I goofed. I see your perspective. I still think the fear is good. Athletes and ordinary people should not passively accept as a norm that their time in the sea is essentially time in sewer water. If people don't speak up about it or just grouse about how they hate when others bring up politics, then they're essentially saying, "I don't mind surfing in sewer water so please stop being so political."

oldmansurfer wrote:I can tell this level is significant because there are outbreaks of viral diseases from exposure to this water all the time in Brazil.................or not. 17 million times what virus level? There are lots of viruses each with their own significant level of exposure. Sounds to me like iditots ranting

I'm not a water treatment specialist, but I can imagine they pick a number of nasty viruses (e.g., Hep B&C, Zika, Dengue . . .) and then test for them in the water. I don't think they test for every virus, but I hope they're testing for the ones that are particularly virulent and pose a threat. It's not too difficult to compare water testing results from California with water results from Brazil. Anyway, the article didn't say the 1.7 million times stat was consistent; it simply stated that the water testing difference between Brazil and California could reach those extremes.

"An investigation by The Associated Press last year recorded disease-causing viruses in some tests that were 1.7 million times the level of what would be considered hazardous on a Southern California beach."

There is a reason they don't mention what viruses or where or under what conditions. Here on Kauai organizations have measured animal pathogens in the water and blamed humans for it.

It's not just a coastal issue.

In Napa Valley, the river fills with pesticide, fertilizer, and animal waste as well as treated sewage. Winter storms push this into San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Wine makers are responding to consumer interest in organic farming systems and seeking "green certification" for their labels.

https://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/c ... -practices

We can expedite this by shopping for organic products.

BoMan wrote:We can expedite this by shopping for organic products.

Speaking of shopping, consider what's making contact with your scalp and running down your drain after you shampoo in the morning.

-snip-

Shampoo, for example, contributes to high levels of estrogen and estrogen-like substances (endocrine disrupters) in freshwater downstream of sewage treatment plants that damage fish populations and cause male fish to grow ovaries, a sort of liquid feminism. My hometown of Calgary, Canada, studied the fish downstream of where we add our treated sewage to the river and discovered that female fish outnumber male fish 9 to 1. Estrogen runs through it. One study identifies more than 200 chemicals that are still present in wastewater after treatment. But the problem is likely much larger: environmental damage is difficult to estimate because we’re dumping chemicals into the environment that have never been studied. http://www.salon.com/2009/08/13/shampoo/

-snip-

So I can live without the bottled psychology. My new shampoo, Sunlight Dish Detergent, has just four ingredients. It’s runny and slightly acidic, smells vaguely lemony, doesn’t foam excessively and looks anemic. It’s not perfect, just better. I need to apply it only once when I shampoo. With each shampoo, I use a 10th of the volume that regular shampoo requires. The bottle will last at least a year, as my last one did. And though its ingredients aren’t worth celebrity endorsement, my hair gets clean and I expose my body and the environment to less risk. http://www.salon.com/2009/08/13/shampoo/

RinkyDink wrote:Shampoo contributes to high levels of estrogen ... in freshwater downstream of sewage treatment plants that damage fish populations and cause male fish to grow ovaries, a sort of liquid feminism.

Good point, but DANG, I thought my pecks were bigger from surfing more in the summer!

BoMan wrote:

RinkyDink wrote:Shampoo contributes to high levels of estrogen ... in freshwater downstream of sewage treatment plants that damage fish populations and cause male fish to grow ovaries, a sort of liquid feminism.

Good point, but DANG, I thought my pecks were bigger from surfing more in the summer!

Nope, you've been surfing in a giant pool of estrogen. That's why you'll hear surfers sometimes refer to Bolinas as Bogina.