Solid Sunshine Heats Up Businesses After a Simmering Summer Season in Santa Barbara
John Palminteri
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The summer season is finally heating up for many businesses after a moderate weather pattern since June.
Ocean water temperatures are coming in about 65 degrees and people going in and out of the water said Thursday was the warmest they had experienced in recent memory.
Earlier in the summer, there were several days that were below the average temperature and lingering fog. That’s all changing now.
The current heat wave has had temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s in coastal cities. Over 100 degrees in the Santa Ynez and San Fernando Valleys. Causing some residents to look for a cooler place, like the Central Coast waterfront.
For businesses specializing in water sports, it is bringing out more customers – both local residents and tourists. They are renting paddle boards, kayaks, jet skies and surf boards. Those can be located on the beach west of Stearns Wharf, in the harbor, and at the Santa Barbara Landing.
Lil’ Toot Captain Milo Wolf tours passengers around the harbor and wharf, along with a stop at a sea lion fulled buoy. “We’ve seen people just this week from the Valley, from Phoenix. And we’ re all on board roasting! And they’re (saying) ‘oh, this is so nice. We should like this every day.’ No! We’re cooking here, but enjoy it!”
Outside cafes near the ocean and elsewhere in the coastal cities also are seeing better business compared to days that were gloomy or overcast until the middle of the afternoon.
They are expecting this pattern to ramp up through the weekend with the temperatures still staying high.
Lily McMahon stopped in between serving tables at Brophy Bros. “We get a lot of people from the L.A. area. Thousand Oaks, inland everywhere, Irvine. A lot of even from Santa Maria and Lompoc. They pretty much sit down and they’re like, oh my gosh, it was 115 degrees today! !So we decided to drive down here and I’m like, oh my gosh, it’s still so hot here!”
Jeff Bohn was strolling with his wife along the breakwater wall walkway. He said this week at his house in Thousand Oaks, “it was about 102 degrees. It was about what we hit. ” That helped to make the decision to drive to Santa Barbara. “Oh, yeah. This is our escape”
Unfortunately for some of the travelers and businesses, school is underway in many areas, which has changed the summer vacation travel patterns.
They are still hoping for a wave of European travelers, which have come in stronger numbers in the fall.
“Absolutely. This is prime time for anywhere in Santa Barbara,” said McMahon.
(More details, video and photos will be added here later today.)
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