The Association of Surfing Professionals reported that Gudauskas, 20, took third place today in a junior men’s championship event won by Hawaii’s Kai Barger at North Narrabeen, Australia. Conlogue, 16, placed third Tuesday in the junior women’s event won by Pauline Ado from France.

Click here to read more of Swegles’ story and to see photos.

When Register reporter Peter Larsen asked whether I had seen Surfrider’s ad campaign, I figured it might feature some cute kids cleaning up trash, or maybe a surfer riding waves … let’s just say it was a bit more shocking.

The Web site shape + colour called the in-your-face campaign “smart. Super smart” and “an actual, honest to goodness guerilla campaign.”

It definitely makes you think.

And what’s smack dab on the top of the list of items shown: A neatly packaged group of sandy condoms found in our own back yard in Newport Beach.  

They’ve taken junk found during cleanups, packaged it, and called it “Catch of the Day,” according to the Web site. Not sure who would pay $1.36 for that!  The packages are being displayed at farmer’s markets.

See more of the ads - such as a gross pile of cigarrette butts and styrofoam - by clicking here.

I’m just wondering if people will get turned off by it, or if people will like the ad.  

The San Clemente native is no stranger to the notoriously gnarly left-hand reef break.  Fletcher apparently took off on about an eight-foot wave, where he did a cutback, and that’s when things went wrong.  He ended up breaking his femur in two places and was rescued by North Shore lifeguards.  

Fletcher underwent surgery at a hospital in Hawaii and is likely to be out of the water for the next three months.  This means he won’t be competing in the Mavericks Big Wave Contest in Northern California, which has a waiting period through the end of March.

The first batch of grays showed up unusually early this year in November, when a number of charters reported seeing them cruising the coast.  The sightings slowed a bit since then, but should be picking up soon. The best time for whale watching for grays is usually January through March.

Sciencedude Gary Robbins had some info on this the other day, reporting that the naturalists at the American Cetacean Society have had 86 sightings since Dec. 1 out of Palos Verdes. Read more here.

The gray whales have the longest migration in the world, and are headed down to Baja for warmer waters to breed.

Here’s a list of whale watch charters out of Dana Point and Newport Beach:

Dana Wharf Whale Watching: 10 a.m., Noon and 2 p.m. daily; $19-$29. Dana Wharf Sportfishing, 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point. Reservations and information: www.danawharfsportfishing.com or 949-496-5794. (Every Tuesday is half off)
Davey’s Locker Whale Watching: 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday-Friday. 9 a.m., Noon and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; $20-$25. 400 Main St., Balboa, Newport Beach. Reservations and information: www.daveyslocker.com or 949-673-1434.
Newport Landing Whale Watching: 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m., Noon and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Sightings are guaranteed; $20-$25. 309 Palm, Suite F, Balboa, Newport Beach. 949-675-0550.
Captain Dave’s Dolphin Safari: 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. Dana Point. Cost: $49 adults, $35 kids. Reservations and information: www.dolphinsafari.com or 949-488-2828.

The main way it has changed my life is that I can reach over in the morning without getting out of bed to determine whether it’s worth getting out from under the covers. The one downside is it doesn’t show the cams.

I’ve used it in a few other situations. While coming home recently from a trip to Florida, I sat next to a young surfer who was hoping to get some waves in Newport during his vacation. As soon as the flight attendent gave us the OK after landing, I switched off the phone and gave him the sad news that the waves were pretty lackluster for the next few days.

I’ve also used it while bored, just to see what I might be missing while attempting to work.  

 The Huntington Beach-based surf forecast company and Oakley just reported that after only six weeks, there have already been more than 200,000 downloads from around the world. The top countries of interest have been United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada and France.

Specifically, the ap allows surfers to check swell direction, monitor the weather, view a two-day forecast, receive daily mobile surf reports for their favorite beaches and search thousands of beaches around the world. It also has news, photos and videos.

For more info, go to www.oakley.com/SurfReport  or www.surfline.com/iphone.

That recipe is making for some fairly mushy broken up lines with a few fun ones.  Most OC beaches are running about knee to waist high with the top combo spots pulling stomach to chest high waves with a maybe a few plus sets.

At 6:08 a.m the tide climbed up to a 6.6 high which has some spots pretty swamped or shut down right now.  It then drains out to a negative 1.3 low at 1:40 this afternoon.

If you’re gonna grab a session, the 4/3 fullsuit and the booties will do you right with the water temp at most spots hanging between 54 and 56 degrees.

For more surf info. check out surfline.com

Have fun!!

It’s nice and clean or light offshore with a mix of leftover south southwest swell and new west northwest energy.  That recipe is offering us some kinda soft broken up lines with a few good corners.  Things should improve and get steeper once the tide drops a bit.

Most OC beaches are running about knee to chest high with the top combo breaks pulling shoulder high waves with a few head high plus sets.

At 5:16 a.m the tide climbed up to a 6.1 high which has some spots pretty full and slow early on.  The tide then drains out to a 0.7 low at 12:54 this afternoon.

If you’re gonna grab a session throw on the 4/3 full and the booties with the water temp at most spots hanging between 54 and 56 degrees.

For more surf info. check out surfline.com

Have at it!!

Participants handed over more than $1,500 to go to the Huntington Beach Lions Club. The money will be used to help pay for dogs that help people with disabilities.

The awards are also in. Here’s more from a press release on the event:

The “Youngest Splasher” goes to 5-month-old Luke Levassar of Huntington Beach.  Local Kathleen Ellis is registered as the “Oldest Splasher” (let’s just say she’s over 60), and the “Largest Organized Group” was awarded to the HB Lions.  We had two winners for the “Greatest distance Travelled to Participate”:  Roland Wimmer from Asselfingen, Germany, and 10-year-old Kyle Yule from Glasgow, Scotland.    Local 4-year-old Zack Vuncanon won the “Most Creative Costume” award by dressing as a New Year’s Surfer “Baby”.

If you missed the original story by Register reporter Ellyn Pak, you can read it here.

Meanwhile, plungers in San Clemente also helped raise money for a cause. About 25 people who jumped into a 56-degree ocean at Calafia Beach to help Bret Daniels of San Clemente raise $3,000 to go toward providing drinking water to less fortunate in a village in the Nkhoma region of Malawi.

Read Reg reporter Fred Swegles story here.