I surf in a rivermouth sometimes in california, should i be concerned with the cleanliness of the water?

Question

I surf in a rivermouth sometimes in california, should i be concerned with the cleanliness of the water?

Answer 1

I guess that depends upon the river.  If it's in SoCal, you probably will have some water quality issues following rains but I would guess Central or NorCal would be a little cleaner due to less runoff.  Surfline uses a water quality flag system on their surf reports so you can always look for your break on there and see if there any active warnings.

Answer 2

h**l Yes! I just recovered from a knarly infection I got from surfing in a rivermouth. There have also been quite a few cases of hepatitis this year in CA. Check your local news paper for reports on ocean/rivermouth bacteria levels. They have been closing lots of beaches this summer due to bacteria levels.

Answer 3

Of course just make sure you don't have any cuts and don't swallow the water.

Answer 4

Yes, just to be sure, band aide any cuts and don't gulp down water.  Just keep your mouth shut and your cuts clean :)  Higean is important, remember that