Surf reports that go deep

Surfers and Internet sites devoted to them are plentiful, but finding what you want -- wave forecasts, eye candy, shopping or journalism -- can mean wading through dozens of search results that are too local or contain the term “surfing the Web.” The Ventura-based makers of Wetsand.com say they have “hand-picked the best” sites, and, unlike spiffier rivals, make everything available for free.

The surf forecasts try to span all the world’s waves but are most comprehensive for Southern and Northern California. The three-times-a-week reports, found online or delivered via e-mail, are also available for the East Coast.

Weather and wave lingo can be weird science, but this site can steer you past the data with descriptions such as, “In SoCal, south-facing breaks are doing best with chest- to shoulder-high sets.”

Finally, Wetsand.com’s Green Room page contains surfing miscellany that otherwise might stay lost in the Internet sea. Recent posts include the first fully televised surfing event (Malibu in ‘64) and a treatise on the collapse of ocean ecosystems.

-- Emmett Berg