So what has been lost with the development of the beach in Ventura, or it's actually the redevelopment of the beach?  How has it affected the surf scene?

 

Originally the point had your typical sand and cobbled shore line. Typical for the coastal area from Ventura pier up to Figueroa St on to stables, pipe and the Ventura river.  At low tide it looked similar to the way low tides look now. But at high tide the water line was much more gradual because the shore line was not disturbed by development but was natural. When we had big winter rains sand from the river would spread out from pipe and begin it's migration down the point and on down the coast. 

 

Initially the 7 jetties were installed to hold sand and keep the natural beach erosion at bay. One of the first surf spots to disappear was the San Jon Rd . beach break south of the pier. Because of the jetties bottom sand stopped forming favorably for surf.

 

To stop beach erosion along the point a revetment of large rocks was deposited just inside the high tide line from the pier to Figueroa St.  These rocks are piled from sea level to about 8 feet above sea level. Fill dirt was dumped on top of the rocks and then the area from California St. to Figueroa St. was graded from that level back to Harbor Blvd.

 

Those big rocks under the promenade keep the beach from eroding. As well, combined with the first jetty hold sand from the jetty on up the beach well past "C" St. 

 

The first change to the surf from the revetment was the inside point or old "C" St break.  No more would the south swells peal way down the point but instead began to wall off and close out.

 

The second change was to the south side of the pier. Actually it's the east side but it has always been called the south side.  No longer, or at least very seldom do you see the old south side peak.  Once a regular spot for the local crew. My son surfed there regularly. 

 

Yeah, the pier used to be a regular spot. When all we had was long boards, shooting the pier was a common move. I've shot the pier from the south side and then caught another wave on the west side and gone back through.

 

The old picture below, taken from the pier, shows the south side peak in action.  I'd say on a pretty good sized winter swell.  Back in the early seventies some of the local guys would take their boards and jump off the pier to surf the bigger swells.  As well, there was a rope tied to one of the pilings to hold on to so you could keep your position....the current on big swells is really strong. 

 

D.R.  



 

 

 

Here are a couple more pictures of "C" St.  You can click the pictures to enlarge 



 

The house from my last post has those real tall palm trees in front of it. The picture is from the 1940's I believe judging by the old cars parked in the old beach parking area. Also I'd say the picture was taken in the winter because of all the cobbles on the beach.  If it was in the summer months there would be more sand visible.

 

Keep in mind,  this house was demoed in 1967.  That year was when everything in the above picture was removed and the beach revetment was started.  The big rocks you see under the Promenade in the picture below and dirt was what was installed after the last houses were destroyed.



 

This picture is what you see now from about the same spot on the beach.  I don't know what time of year this one was taken but you can see how much sand is now on the beach. Even in winter you'll see this much sand.  The revetment that the Promenade is built on and the first jetty south of the pier keep the sand from eroding.

So, here comes the population explosion.... from a hand full of single family homes on the beach to a hotel, condos and apartments.  The huge increase in population of the town of Ventura out the east end. As well as the neighboring towns of Oxnard and Camarillo with a nice 4 and 6 lane Freeway to make drive time short and comfortable.


The Ventura surf community inherited a general population expansion from the 1960's a casual 50,000 or so in the city of Ventura to over 100,000 now. Plus the over 100,000 in each of our neighbor cities.

 

When the surf is good and the lineup is full of 100 surfers there are still guys in the water that know what the old days were like and all about.  And, also in the line up on any give day are the old core guys kids.

 

I may not surf with some of the old core, because they don't surf any longer, But I do surf with their kids on a regular basis.

 

As Wayne Rich would say, the underground lives.

 

D.R.

What was " C " St. like back before there was a freeway that connected LA with Ventura?

In a word... different. In 2 words... very different.

 

The core group of surfers from the early days before the beach got developed in Ventura is what made or gave the local surf community it's personality.  The collective mind set.  Watching the  beach change and the surf along with it... not for the better, can have an effect.

 

Watching single family homes being demolished for a three level parking garage to accommodate the patrons of a large hotel that was also erected right on the beach. Then seeing a large condominium project build out and a 100 or more apartments go up, again right on the beach may have had a hardening effect on that local mind set.

 

Sure we changed or as one friend of mind has said " I've evolved ". But that memory of what was and how things were is still under the surface... And that mind set is passed on to the newer younger guys as well.  So the local surf community mind set lives on and most likely will for some time.

 

It's hard to articulate but maybe this picture will help.  And the question is... what would you think the feel and atmosphere of " C " St. would be like if when you came down California St. to the beach and instead of turning right and going on to Paseo de Playa or up to the free lot at the point or the 2 dollar lot you went straight down to the sand and stopped in front of this house to look at the surf?

 

D.R.

 



Click on the picture to enlarge and note the street sign.

The beach was directly to the left.

Sadly, I watched the wrecking ball go through this house.