There’s something dark and nasty haunting Santa Barbara County beaches.
It gets on your feet, your dog’s feet, your clothes and your wetsuit.
Sticky black beach tar has been plaguing beachgoers in recent weeks, with local cities reporting “higher than normal rates” of tar and oil.
For visitors or newer residents struggling to scrub off the tar, Noozhawk asked readers to share their tips for getting rid of the gunky stuff.
Mesa resident Kirby Hopkins said he walks the beach barefoot every day. He recommends using a piece of beach wood or a rock to remove heavy tar buildup, and then pouring baby oil onto a paper towel and applying it to feet.
“It can be wiped off fairly easily after a few applications,” Hopkins said. “Works every time.”
Harry Rabin, a research and field adviser with Heal the Ocean, said tar is prevalent in Santa Barbara County because of the amount of natural oil seeps in the area and local oil wells.
Increased tar can be tied to king tides and heavy rain increasing pressure on underground reservoirs, which is then dispersed, hitting pockets of oil reserves and pushing more oil out onto the surface, Rabin explained.
Heal the Ocean has been working to pinpoint abundant sources of oil, whether it be natural seeps or oil pipelines.
“That’s kind of been our big charge, to reduce the amount of oil coming out into the ocean by better knowing the sources and being able to identify them,” Rabin said.
His advice for getting tar off people and pets was to use olive oil or baby oil. Clothing can be a bit more challenging, but he recommended scrubbing clothing with baby oil before throwing it in the wash.
When Noozhawk asked readers how they get rid of tar off their feet, baby oil was the most popular answer, along with olive oil and Dawn dish soap.
Other readers recommended oil slick beach tar remover, which was invented by local surfer and Santa Barbara City College graduate John Harmon.
Erin Kelley said she uses the product on feet and flip flops, but it doesn’t work on clothing or towels.
To avoid sticky feet, Joy DuMay recommended wearing an old pair of socks to the beach and throwing them out when done.
When it comes to tar on clothing or shoes, many readers said they cut their losses and discard the items.
“I had a wonderful pair of hiking boots that I wore on the beach once and had to throw them out after trying to get the bulk of the tar out of the recessed grooves with a screwdriver and degreaser and oil to no avail,” Gary Colman said. “It’s best to go barefoot than wear shoes because cleaning your skin is so much easier.”
Other readers, such as Katina Zaninovich, recommended having dedicated beach clothes and shoes for which it’s OK if they get ruined.
“Keep a pair of old sneakers or water shoes just for the beach, and just wear them every time and not care if there is tar,” Zaninovich said.
Some readers recommended using Dawn Powerwash spray or vegetable oil before washing the clothing items.
Despite the extra work to get rid of tar, it doesn’t seem to deter people from enjoying the shoreline.
When asked if readers try to go to certain beaches to avoid the beach tar, 20 out of the 30 people who responded said they don’t avoid particular beaches.
Do you have any tips that weren’t mentioned? Send them to news@noozhawk.com.
