The Joy of Outdoor Showers

I love how memory snaps photos of moments in our lives when our senses are heightened. They live quietly inside us and pop up from time to time or we go looking for them. Sometimes, on more rare occasions, we find ourselves physically there again, like a déjà vu but for real. My memory did not snap the number of the year but I’m guessing it was 1972 or 1973 when I first came to Santa Barbara from the frosty winters of Boston. I couldn’t wait to have summer all year round.

It was a whole new world; the sunshine, palm trees, the smell of eucalyptus, and the wicked cool sunsets that people actually applauded. But what stands out the most is my first day at Leadbetter Beach. I was dazzled by it all; the color of the Pacific and how massive it seemed, seaweed that was too big to pop, people eating things called “tacos,” and the use of beach lounge chairs set on their sides in the sand to block the breeze, while people tanned. I even loved the beach tar on my feet — Oh my God, I’m just like Joni!

I also remember rinsing off in the outdoor showers. There were lots of people there and we just took turns. I thought, how cool is this? It was built for all the people at the beach!

I went into the changing area and started peeling off my wet bathing suit. There were little birds chirping on the wall and I looked up. That’s when I saw that bright, blueness of the California sky above me and I suddenly became very aware that I was actually still outside. There was no roof! I distinctly remember thinking — This, is Santa Barbara!

In 2009 I moved back to Santa Barbara. As much as I love to swim, I was reluctant and kept to my morning walks by Leadbetter for the first couple of days. Then I saw people swimming pretty far out in the ocean.

On my walk back, a large group were taking turns in the showers. I asked if they were the ones swimming. Indeed they were and I was invited to join them the next morning. And I did. Believe me, I was shaking in my two piece at 8 a.m. But I walked down to the water between two of those swimmers and admitted my fears.

Daniel said, “Just swim fast at first and you’ll warm up.”

I said it wasn’t the cold, it was the creatures.

Mary Pat said kindly, “Well, you need to leave your fear back in your car, or go back to your car and sit with it.”

And with that, I waddled through the kelp and swam with them and whatever other creatures were underneath us.

After our swim I was lit with energy and gratitude and freezing cold. We ran to the bathhouse, put our towels and clothes on the concrete bench in the center where they would stay dry. Some sat on the bench to remove their wet suits, and we all took turns showering.

Shivering, I got my clothes, went into the changing room and began to peel off my suit. The moment of recognition. I remembered the wall. The color, the texture. Immediately, I looked up.

There it was, that California blue sky. And there I was, standing in the snapshot of my memory. And I thought — I’m in Santa Barbara! This! Is Santa Barbara!

Since then, I’ve been swimming with many groups at different times of the day. Some groups swim all year round. COVID brought tons of pool swimmers to the ocean. And this increased the value and our appreciation of our six outdoor shower heads with wall protection and our outdoor changing rooms, with fresh air and no roof!

I am part of the Leadbetter Beach community who use the Leadbetter Beach bathhouse facility daily. We are families, swimmers, surfers, runners, kiters, wingers, students, field trips, camps from the various schools and clubs of Santa Barbara County, and teachers/instructors of ocean sports, including SBCC classes. We come from all walks of life and are unified by our love for the ocean.

I stand behind all the points made in the Leadbetter Beach Community letter opposing the proposed renovation of our Leadbetter Shower Facility.

Below, I’ve pulled from our community written letter:

We 100 percent support the much-needed ADA-compliant toilets.

We are aware of behavior at night that raises public safety issues. Both of these concerns can be addressed simply without demolishing the existing facility that serves the public so well.

Security solutions: Patrol the area after sunset with scheduled “security walk- arounds” in addition to driving by.

Add gates to the changing area and anti-climbing devices.

The Leadbetter Beach Bathhouse has become a part of Santa Barbara’s history. It has survived every storm that Santa Barbara has seen since it was built. The structure was designed with such a mindful knowledge of its users, we hope it will survive the proposed plans for renovation.