Where Can You (Safely) Go Surfing This Weekend?

Two Santa Barbara County beaches have been deemed safe for surfing and swimming, public health officials announced Friday. Test results from ocean water at Hope Ranch Beach and Leadbetter Beach show the bacteria counts no longer exceed harmful levels.

Since the devastating January 9 Montectio storm, several other beaches remain officially closed to swimmers and surfers: Arroyo Burro, Carpinteria, El Capitan State Beach, Goleta Beach, Summerland Beach, and Hammond Beach. Testing by the county’s Public Health department on Monday showed bacteria in the ocean water at these locations topped normal amounts. (See the chart.)

It is, however, safe to jump in the water at many county beaches, including Gaviota, Refugio, East Beach, Butterfly Beach, and Sands Beach at Coal Oil Point, according to county officials.

County flood control workers, operating under an Army Corp of Engineers permit, have been dumping truckloads of mud collected from Montecito at Goleta Beach and Ash Avenue in Carpinteria. On Monday, bacteria counts at those two beaches were off the charts. Public Health reported that the results at all but the two beaches are unchanged.