Black's Beach Bares

Newsletter Archive

Solstice and Perihelion:
This December 21^st will be the winter solstice, meaning that the sun reaches its southern-most point in the sky.  That will be at 4:36am.  It also means that will be our shortest day, starting at 6:51am and ending with sunset at 4:44pm.  There will be only 9 hours and 53 minutes of daylight.  Although this marks the first day of winter, it also means the days begin to get longer. 

Perihelion occurs a little after midnight January 2^nd.  This means Earth is closest to the sun, about 91.5 million miles instead of the typical 93 million miles.  The fact that perihelion occurs during our winter makes our winters short and mild. 

The Beach in General:
There were many great warm and sunny days in October, but there were also two rain storms that hit the beach.  Both storms flooded the beach with mud, carved trenches into the sand and eroded the trails.  Much of the beach is still covered in mud and there is less dry sand to go around.  Furthermore, the annual loss of sand will take away even more.

Spring Tide:
Spring tide is a condition of very high and very low tides in the same 24 hours.  The highest tides typically occur at about 9am and 9pm, and are closely tied to new or full moons.  There is less sand on the beach in the fall and winter, so high tides become more of a problem.  The high tides coming up in November and December will be a problem for a few days in a row.  And, they mostly occur earlier in the day, when there are few people on the beach. 

This may leave us with only wet sand on the beach for the rest of the day.  It would be a good idea to bring a chair or tarp those days, to keep off the wet sand.

Clothing Optional Oases:
I’m providing a list of some of the other clothing optional opportunities in and around San Diego, for the benefit of readers who don’t yet know.  Consider them a backup plan for rainy days.

Camping Bares is a travel club that takes day hikes, camps and hosts potlucks.  Naturally California is club uniting nudists for pizza (Nov 9 & Dec 7) and for swims in Escondido (Nov 14 & Dec 12).  The nudist resorts in the area include De Anza Springs and Swallows Sun Island.  A little farther away are Glen Eden, Mystic Oaks and Olive Dell.

Trail and Cliffs:
There are rockslides and landslides all the time here.  Many of these fall high up on Valentine Slide.  Others do reach the beach.  The area just north of Valentine Slide is still a very active area.  Try not to be there when they fall next time. 

The trail suffered significant damage from the two storms.  Some rocks fell from the ravine wall just below the Stairway to Heaven.  Those rocks cover some cinder block steps, but it’s still very passable.  Some boards in stairways are split, but not yet broken.  Erosion has exposed bare rock in the ravine at the bottom, because so much water is funneled through there during a storm. 

Signs of erosion were obvious on many parts of the trail.  Many sand bags didn’t survive.  Worn bags have been removed and replaced by Black’s Beach Diggers. 

Parking Problem:
The Buick Invitational will be early this year, January 20-23.  This always impacts our parking and traffic.  On these dates you may have trouble reaching the parking lot, finding a space and leaving in a timely manner. 

In the past, street parking has been marked a no parking zone.  Attendants have also been posted at the parking lot entrance.  Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t park there.  Tell the attendant that you’re going to the beach, and they must let you through.  That doesn’t mean you’ll find a space though.  If you leave late in the day, you will encounter lots of traffic. 

Scuba Diving the Reef:
Three Bares (Dan, Lloyd and Rich) dove the reef October 3^rd.  The expedition began in Mission Bay where Dan and Lloyd loaded the gear onto the boat.  Rich swam to the boat off-shore at Black’s Beach and joined the expedition. 

The dive began about 12:30pm.  We saw plenty of lobster, but they were all in large caverns with small entrances.  We also saw garibaldi, kelp bass, a moray eel, halibut, a large grouper, sargos, keyhole limpets, sculpin, brittle stars, urchins, California sheephead and lots of starfish.  We didn’t bring back a single lobster, but the dive was fun.  We’re sure to repeat it, without the expectation of catching lobster. 

The Naturist Minority:
When we are surrounded by like-minded people, we forget that we are an oppressed minority.  We have only a few oases where clothing is optional.  Without the Naturist Society (TNS), even these oases would not exist.  Many of us feel secure on our oasis.  Things have gone well here, but we can’t count on that forever.  We all hope for the best, but joining an organization is the first step in preparing for the worst.  The best way to avoid a fight is to show that we’re ready for anything. 

TNS membership is a good start.  With TNS membership you get a subscription to their quarterly magazine, discounted admission to resorts, invitations to gatherings and festivals, discounts on Skinny Dipper merchandise and voting privileges.  Most importantly your membership adds strength in numbers to protect our choice not to wear clothes.  Please join TNS through Black’s Beach Bares, or directly, if you prefer. 

Subscriptions:
I don’t send individual reminders to renew subscriptions, which are still $10/year.  Please renew your subscription or make a donation, if you value these newsletters.  I ask a $2 donation for email subscriptions, but most email subscribers pay me nothing.  Many people take free copies from the bulletin board and the people who read newsletters from the website are uncounted too.  These free sources of the newsletter will continue, because keeping people informed is more important.  Please consider making a donation anyway.   There are operating expenses for the website.

The end of summer picnics is a bitter-sweet feeling.  We love doing the picnics, but they are a lot of work.  A day at the beach has a different meaning for us.  If they made your day better, then it was worth it. 

Error in Last Issue:
In the September issue I erroneously reported that there would be sunsets in the southeast.  There will in fact be sunrises in the southeast and sunsets in the southwest.

The Beach in General:
September was dominated by hot and sunny days, although there were a few that were marked by hazy sunshine.  The water was warm, perhaps record-high temperatures.  I recorded a temperature of 77°.  Sometimes the sand is too hot for bare feet, but not as often and not as hot. 

Hundreds of people still show up on sunny weekends, but only dozens materialize on weekdays.  The shorter and cooler days mean it’s worthwhile to check the weather before making the trip.

Tides have been reaching farther up the beach and flooding people, including myself.  Soon the waves will cut trenches in the beach and take away our sand until summer.  People will keep warm and dry by sitting closer to the cliffs.

Past Events:
Black’s Beach Bares hosted five picnics in September.  We made ice cream on Labor Day, including blueberry, raspberry and mint & chip.

Spring Tide:
Spring tide is a condition of very high and very low tides in the same 24 hours.  The highest tides typically occur at about 9am and 9pm, and are closely tied to new or full moons.  There is less sand on the beach in the fall, so high tides become more of a problem.  The high tides coming up in October and November will be a problem for a few days following spring tide, and nearly as late as noon.  I have listed some of the highest. 

Don’t be caught off guard when it reaches your spot.  If you’re thinking that you’ll move soon because the waves are coming close, don’t wait for the next big waves to tell you it’s too late. 

Lunar Eclipse:
A total eclipse of the moon will be visible Wednesday evening, October 27^th.  The umbral phase begins at 6:14 and becomes total at 7:23.  During totality you can see that the moon is bathed in reddish light.  This is light that passed through Earth’s atmosphere, which scatters blue out.  Totality ends at 8:44 and the eclipse ends at 9:53.

Stingrays:
There are stingrays in our water all year, even knee deep.  Sting rays don’t attack people, but if you step on one, you will learn that their defense mechanism is very painful.  It’s treated with heat.  Bury the affected area in hot sand.  The pain takes hours to pass and rarely requires medical attention. 

Trail and Cliffs:
The trail is suffering damage from heavy use, and Black’s Beach Diggers have not been on hand to make the repairs yet.  But, the trail is still passable. 

There was a rockslide September 17^th.  It was far to the south, in clothing compulsive territory.  Nobody got hurt, but it should serve as a reminder of what can happen at any time. 

The Black’s Beach Bares picnic area just north of Valentine Slide continues to be unstable.  Dust and gravel slide down almost daily.  Eventually that will undermine the larger rocks and bring them down.  Try not to be there when it happens. 

The Value of Etiquette:
Let's not forget that in 1999 the city of San Diego decided to begin enforcing a law passed twenty years before.  That would be the law banning nudity, taking away 1/3 of our clothing optional beach.  That action, combined with recent closure of Los Angeles beaches and Santa Barbara beaches, prompted me to reform Black's Beach Bares.  I have made it my mission to see that Black's Beach does not suffer the same fate. 

Sexual activity was the reason cited for closing those beaches.  Sex on the beach is seductive, but the price is too high.  Public sex does not become legal just because you have a partner, even if you're married.  Have your romance at the beach, but have sex in private.  What you do in public is everybody's business, especially when it puts the beach at risk. 

Every once in a while some people need a reminder of why etiquette is necessary.  Etiquette is not a set of rules imposed by one individual.  It is a set of tested standards designed to keep parks open to nude recreation.  It also makes the environment pleasant enough for people to try it for the first time and keep coming back. 

The rangers tell me the beach would be clothed by now, if not for our group.  I don't know if this is true, but it's clear the rangers believe it.  Some people seem to think Black's Beach is enchanted and nudity will always be legal.  It has been lost at other California beaches and in other states.  It can happen here, if we’re not careful. 

I know there are people who think we don’t need good relations with rangers or lifeguards.   Imagine a beach where you can take off your clothes, but have to put them on when you see a lifeguard coming.  It has been like that here at Black's.  Let’s not let it happen again. 

We must realize that with population growth and expensive real estate nearby, complaints will come more often.  If we ignore complaints, will they go away? 

The opponents of etiquette would have us put all our eggs in their basket, a basket where men of good conscience do nothing, leaving them free to do as they please.  They see us as erotic entertainment.  Why should we risk everything for their brief pleasure? 

The enemies of nude recreation are busy attacking other sites right now, but they will come to our beach someday.  Must we give them the ammunition they need?  Must we make it easy for them to call this beach adult entertainment, and then regulate it as such?  Those are the strategies that are working for them. 

We can keep this beach open, but not if other people are going out of bounds.

The equinox is coming!
September 22^nd is the date of the impending equinox.  The day and night will be equal in length and the sun will cross into the southern sky at 8:24 am.  The sun will rise in the east, rather than northeast, and set in the west, rather than northwest.  This marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall.  Soon the days become shorter than the nights.  Longer shadows and sunsets in the southwest will also show us that summer is over. 

The Beach in General:
Thousands of people have been taking advantage of sunny weekends.  Hundreds still enjoyed sunny weekdays. 

The entire month was filled with hot and sunny days, though sometimes the sun didn’t burn through the marine layer until nearly noon.  

The water has been warm and clear, temperatures near 70 degrees and visibility about 50 feet.  The water has been clear enough that the reef, 30 feet underwater, can be seen from the surface.

The seasonal loss of sand has already begun, as of August 29^th.  High tides and big waves reached far up the beach and took away some sand, leaving a few trenches. 

Past Events:
Black’s Beach Bares hosted Sunday picnics through August.  Some of the hot food from the grill included hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken, shish kabobs, sweet corn, hot dogs, corn dogs, sausages, bratwurst, pineapple, shrimp, salmon, pork loins, potatoes and banana. 

Future Events:
The picnic season is drawing to a close.  Only five more picnics remain.  Ice cream will be made Labor Day.  Come join us, even if you don’t have something to share.

Spring Tide:
Spring tide is a condition of very high and very low tides in the same 24 hours.  The highest tides typically occur at about 9am and 9pm.  As a result, we get a wide beach during the busy day and it gets narrower late in the afternoon. 

Don’t be caught off guard.  Back off before the biggest wave soaks your stuff.  Keys are very hard to find in the surf and towels are heavy when soaked. Keep in mind that the tides a few days before and after are comparably high, as are the tides 12 hours apart. 

While the highest tides are closely tied to the new and full moon, this month they are actually a little higher a few days before and the seasonal loss of sand means our highest tides will come higher than you might expect.

Torrey Pines Reef II:
It seems many people are unaware of the artificial reef offshore.  It’s about ¹/₂ km directly west the Black’s Beach Bares picnic area.  Several people swim to it daily, using markers on the cliff to triangulate.  Only two swimmers have managed to swim thirty feet down to the reef, but with good visibility, the reef is visible from the surface. 

Some of the wildlife near the surface includes cormorants, yellowtail and kelp bass.  Life on the reef is much more varied.  So far garibaldi, sculpin, halibut and a keyhole limpet have been identified.  Many smaller blue fish have been seen, but not identified.  Since we sometimes find crabs and lobster near shore, it’s likely they will be found on the reef too. 

Some people wear masks and fins.  Some people even use a body board. Capable swimmers are welcome to join us.  Most people take more than thirty minutes for the round-trip swim. 

There is also an effort to organize a scuba expedition to the reef, on or about October 1^st.  That would be about the time lobster season begins.  Interested parties should contact us through the website. 

Beach Toys:
Black’s Beach Bares continues to supply a wide selection of beach toys for general use.  Body boards, football, Frisbees, sand castle molds, shovels, paddleball and dive masks are some of the things we make available. 

Trail and Cliffs:
The Black’s Beach Bares picnic area just north of Valentine Slide continues to be unstable.  Dust and gravel slide down almost daily.  Eventually that will undermine the larger rocks and bring them down.  The rocks you see on the beach probably fell there recently.  Try not to be there when more come down. 

Parking Lots:
A few potholes have developed at the entrance to the parking lot.  Users should be careful that they don’t bottom out their car.  Somebody has partially filled that with gravel, but it’s hardly a permanent repair. 

The parking lot is often locked promptly at 8pm.  Newcomers should know how to get out if they find it locked before they leave.  Left of that gate and a ways across the gravel lot is another exit.  Look to the right. 

Stingrays and Jellyfish:
There are stingrays in our water all year, even knee deep.  Sting rays don’t attack people, but if you step on one, you will learn that their defense mechanism is very painful.  It’s treated with heat.  Bury the affected area in hot sand.  The pain takes hours to pass and rarely requires medical attention.

Jellyfish are seen washed up on the beach, but how many people give thought to the fact that there must also be some in the water.  These animals are unable to see you and pursue you, especially near the shore.  They are very much victims of water currents.  If you see one in the water, note the direction the water takes them and keep out of the way.  Even a dead piece of a jellyfish stings on contact. 

If stung, don’t spread it by scratching.  Untreated, the itch passes quickly.  Lifeguards spray on rubbing alcohol, but it’s unclear that it actually helps.  Rinsing with seawater may be just as effective.  

Subscriptions:
Ten newsletters are published yearly.  Subscriptions via US mail are $10/year.  For email subscriptions, I ask a $2/year donation.  Free copies can still be obtained on the beach, or downloaded from the website.  So far the disk quota still allows space for a complete newsletter archive.

The Beach in General:
July started out hot and sunny. Then it was cloudy and cool for about a week, and ended hot and sunny. Even the trail has been too hot for bare feet.

Hot and sunny weekends have brought over a thousand people to the beach. Over a hundred show up on weekdays.

Past Events:
Black’s Beach Bares hosted picnics July 4, 5, 11, 18 and 25. We didn’t just cook the usual hamburgers and hot dogs. We have also been known to grill salmon, bratwurst, sweet corn, zucchini, squash, pineapple, surf perch, shrimp, shish kabobs and chicken. Ice cream was made July 4th and 18th. The flavors included blueberry, mint & chip and vanilla with chocolate chips.

Future Events:
We continue to host Sunday picnics. We light the grill about 12pm. Ice cream will be made on exceptionally hot Sundays. Please come to the grill with some of your own ideas. Even if you don’t have any food to contribute, come anyway.

La Jolla Light:
The July 15 issue of La Jolla Light featured Lloyd Johnson on the front page with a lifeguard holding up a newsletter. Will Carless wrote a feature article on the legal status of Black’s Beach. The article included the points of view of lifeguards, rangers, tourists, residents and us regulars. The article started with a quote from Dave Cole and ended with a quote from Lloyd Johnson.

The article did not draw a conclusion regarding the legal status. It was instead a balanced presentation from all sides. For example, one man at La Jolla Shores was concerned that his kids were within walking distance of a nude beach. Another man said that his kids love to visit Black’s and take off their clothes.

The article did portray Black’s Beach Bares favorably. One of the better quotes was from Ranger Gary Olson, “The Black’s Beach Bares and others have been very helpful in keeping the beach clean and in self-regulation, and take a very aggressive stance towards any lewd behavior.” 

There were a few small errors and some dubious claims made. Corrections and concerns are posted on our website. The following week two letters to the editor were included, both in support of nudity here. 

La Jolla Light is a free weekly publication with a circulation of about 35,000. Dave and Lloyd have retained extra copies with the intent of circulating the article through the summer. Look for copies at our bulletin boards, or come to us directly.

The Naturist Society (TNS):
TNS is a member organization formed to promote nude recreation and body acceptance. They do this by defending clothing optional use of public land through participating groups like ours. Without their hard work in years past, you would not be nude on this beach or any other.

We constantly need your help. You say you’ve been coming to Black’s Beach for how many years? Has it gotten better? Has it gotten worse? What have you done? What have you given back?

TNS membership is a good start. With TNS membership you get a subscription to their quarterly magazine, discounted admission to resorts, invitations to gatherings and festivals, discounts on Skinny Dipper merchandise and voting privileges. Most importantly your membership adds strength in numbers to protect our choice not to wear clothes.

Stingrays and Jellyfish:
There are stingrays in our water all year, even knee deep. Sting rays don’t attack people, but if you step on one, you will learn that their defense mechanism is very painful. It’s treated with heat. Bury the affected area in hot sand. The pain takes hours to pass and rarely requires medical attention.

Jellyfish are seen washed up on the beach, but how many people give thought to the fact that there must also be some in the water. These animals are unable to see you and pursue you, especially near the shore. They are very much victims of water currents. If you see one in the water, note the direction the water takes them and keep out of the way. Even a dead piece of a jellyfish stings on contact.

If stung, don’t spread it by scratching. Untreated, the itch passes quickly. Lifeguards spray on rubbing alcohol, but it’s unclear that it actually helps. Rinsing with sea water may be just as effective.

Spring Tide:
Spring tide is a condition of very high and very low tides in the same 24 hours. The highest tides typically occur at about 10am and 10pm. As a result, we get a wide beach during the busy day and it gets narrower late in the afternoon. Don’t be caught off guard when it reaches your spot.

Keep in mind that the tides a few days before and after are comparably high. While the highest tides are closely tied to the new and full moon, this month they are actually a little higher a few days before. 

Rock Slides:
The Black’s Beach Bares picnic area just north of Valentine Slide continues to be unstable. Dust and gravel slide down almost daily. Eventually that will undermine the larger rocks and bring them down. Try not to be there when it happens.

Parking Lots:
Heavy summer use means the west lot will fill