It is National Beach Safety Week! The most important thing you can do when coming to the beach is talking with a lifeguard when you show up. All our lifeguards are very knowledgeable about all ocean/beach conditions and can direct you to the safest swim areas.

Summer Board Swap is upon us! Join Bay Streets Boards on Sunday, May 28th for some wicked deals and bomb food!

No registration needed, just pull up and make a deal. A little later than the typical board swap for the Sunday sleepers or early morning shredders. Freshly baked Neapolitan pizza provided by Citrea Bakery

Come by from 11am-3pm for a good time!

For more info, Click Here

From Santa Monica Close Up:

"The City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works carried out a cleanup operation of homeless encampments at the Venice Beach restrooms on Friday, May 19, 2023. Sanitation workers were donned in white hazardous materials suits as part of the safety protocol for the cleanup. LAHSA (Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority) was on site and provided homeless outreach during the cleanup operation."

Santa Monica Close Up is a photo blog by Santa Monica based Photojournalist/Press photographer Fabian Lewkowicz. Fabian is the former staff photographer for the Santa Monica Daily Observer Press, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Corsair.

Support Santa Monica Closeup/Fabian Lewkowicz with Venmo or PayPal to help earn money to make these videos:

https://venmo.com/u/santamonicacloseup

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/fabianlewkowicz

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is warning residents who plan to visit local beaches to avoid swimming, surfing and playing in the ocean water due to high bacteria levels. The ocean water warnings are for the following beaches:

Leo Carrillo State Beach in Malibu
Malibu Lagoon at Surfrider Beach
Zuma Creek at Zuma Beach
Marie Canyon Storm Drain at Puerco Beach
Las Flores Creek at Las Flores State Beach
Solstice Creek at Dan Blocker County Beach
Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica
Santa Monica Canyon Creek at Will Rogers State Beach
Mothers Beach in Marina Del Rey
Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro

Laboratory results from three local agencies are displayed on the map. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) Environmental Health Recreational Waters Program, collects ocean water samples from the mainland, once a week throughout the year. DPH collects an additional five samples from Avalon on Santa Catalina Island beginning in April through October. The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (SD) collects ocean water samples at selected sites on the mainland, once each week throughout the year. The Beach Cities of Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, Palos Verdes Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes (BC) jointly collect water samples within their cities, once a week throughout the year. DPH, SD, and BC also resample sites that have exceeded State Standards for bacteria in ocean water. The City of Los Angeles, Environmental Monitoring Division, LA Sanitation (HYP) collects water samples from various sites, one to five times per week, all year round. LA City also collects samples at some DPH sites as required by their State NPDES permit.

The public is notified when a site has exceeded State Standards for bacteria in ocean water on this website, by telephone hotline, and by signs posted at the impacted beaches.

Use the map below to obtain the current water quality status of your favorite beach location. Use your mouse wheel to zoom into a particular location. Click on the marker to identify the sampling location. This map is updated as conditions change.

LA’s beloved grassroots LGBTQ+ Pride celebration returns with FREE party in the street!

Be who you are at the Venice Pride Block Party on Friday, June 2, 2023 from 5 PM to 11 PM at 99 Windward Ave, Venice, CA. Featuring community booths, food trucks, queer market, and more! Celebrate Pride at the beach, it’s open to the public—and all ages!

Special Pride month edition of everyone’s favorite westside queer dance party, @gaywatchparty (21+) to follow Block Party at Baja Cantina from 10 PM to 2 AM. Proceeds from the Block Party will benefit Venice Pride, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit aimed at saving lives through the acceptance of diversity by giving back to the local community through volunteerism, partnerships and events throughout the year.

For more info and tickets, Click Here

Suit up for summer and salty days with a $500 RVCA shopping spree to dial in your perfect coastal kit.

Click Here

Here's surfing photos from Wednesday, May, 17th at Topanga.

This set of surf photos was shot by Six12 Media and brought to you by RVCA. Take an Extra 50% Off all sale items right now at RVCA.com.

These are just a few of the 600+ photos from this session. If you were out there, you probably got some surfing shots, probably multiple photos, they will be in the complete photo galleries for this day, check them out, the links to the complete galleries are down below.


















You can find about 100 more photos from this session, all full size and in high-resolution, in these 5 photo galleries:

Topanga - Wednesday 5-17-2023 - Gallery #1
Topanga - Wednesday 5-17-2023 - Gallery #2
Topanga - Wednesday 5-17-2023 - Gallery #3
Topanga - Wednesday 5-17-2023 - Gallery #4
Topanga - Wednesday 5-17-2023 - Gallery #5


If you were out there, we probably got some cool surfing shots of you, go check them out!

Wanna see photos from previous days at this and other local surf spots from this photographer?
Click Surf Spot Galleries and look for the spot and then the date.

The Santa Monica Police have finally released an update to the BOY LINKED TO ARMED ROBBERY SHOOTS HIS HAND story we reported on Monday.

They are letting the public know that the "boy" was not an innocent victim like all the main stream news stations were reporting.

Here is the SMPD official statement:
On Monday, May 15, 2023, at 2:00 pm, the Santa Monica Police Department received a 911 call of an armed robbery that just occurred near the intersection of 3rd Street and Idaho Ave. The victim, a delivery driver, was threatened by two suspects, one of whom brandished a firearm and pointed it at the driver during the theft.

Approximately 20 minutes later, there was another call of shots fired in the 800 block of 2nd Street. Officers who were already in the area investigating the robbery soon learned that the second call was an accidental discharge of a firearm by one of the suspects involved in the incident at 3rd and Idaho Ave. The injured suspect shot himself in the hand while inside a residence. Officers responding to the shots fired call located the two robbery suspects inside the residence; both are juveniles.

The uninjured youth, a resident of Santa Monica, was booked at the Santa Monica Police Department and transported to juvenile hall. The injured suspect was transported to the hospital for treatment. He was released from the hospital the next day, booked at the SMPD, and also transported to juvenile hall.

Subsequent investigation of the incidents tied the two youth to multiple additional crimes that occurred in the area over the past few months, including residential and vehicle burglaries, auto theft, and a stabbing. They have both been charged with the robbery. Additional charges are pending.

Anyone with information pertaining to this incident or persons involved is strongly encouraged to contact SMPD Criminal Investigations during business hours at 310-458-8451.

A few things we left out of our breaking news story, was that the parents did not seemed to be shocked or even suprised, according to the eye witnesses (and from watchinmg their reactions in the video when they were toild what happened). Also, another witness said a man who seemed like he was the apartment manager came out and spoke to the parents, telling them the owner wants them gone. Good riddance, they were stealing from all over the neighborhood. F'em.

Below are screenshots of the Video Stories from the Shacked Mag Instagram:

Searching the apartment