I was the caretaker & lived at the Cliff House on Coal Oil Point for more than 24 years. I worked in Isla Vista for the University of California & had a business in Isla Vista. I have spent so much of my leisure time surfing, paddling, scuba diving and playing at Sands Beach & Devereux Point. I truly Love Isla Vista ! Thank you so much for making the amazingly Beautiful video about the place I Love. Denny Mueller
How this great piece doesn’t have more than 28k views in 5 years is beyond me. Great job. Born in SB, and raised in Goleta. I’ve surged every beach from Ventura to The Ranch, and many others from Santa Cruz to Mexico. But my main break was Campus Point. My 13th birthday party, my friends and I went midnight surfing at Campus. The partying is a real thing, and as a local I fully understand the “visitor” aspect, as decade after decade I’d see so many new faces in the lineup come and go. Thank you for this documentary, it was very well done, and looks like a lot of work went into it. 🤙🏼
I went to UCSB 1969-71. I lived with 4 roommates in an upstairs apt. on Del Playa overlooking the beach (3rd building from campus seen at 16 sec. in this video). I wanted to be a marine biologist, so I took ichthyology from Dr. Ebeling at the marine lab. Classes were challenging. I bought my first surfboard and learned to surf below the cliff. I met my first serious girlfriend there. She was beautiful, smart and blonde. But, Nixon was promoting the war. Our friends and brothers were coming home from Viet Nam in body bags. We all sat around listening to the radio for our birth dates when they did the draft lottery. It was intense. I got number 326. I was safe. My roommate Dennis got a low number and was not. We protested in the street and on campus, but no one seemed to be listening. Dennis was a member of the Radical Student Union and his hero was Jerry Rubens (burn baby burn). He and RSU guys burned BofA to the ground. He rolled the bank manager's high-back armchair to our apt. as a "prize." It stunk of smoke and the Natl. Guard patrolled the streets in armored trucks and above with helicopters, so we made him get rid of it. We sealed the apt. from the inside with tape to keep the tear gas out. A Natl. Guardsman accidentally shot a student dead. No one went to class. We continued protesting. I flunked out. Nixon was secretly bombing Cambodia. He was pressured to end the war. He was caught lying and plotting the DNC break in. He was a "crook" and resigned in disgrace. I returned to school and graduated. It was quite an experience. I became a cell/molecular biologist. My son is a marine biologist. I returned to IV this Sept. The girls paraded around flaunting their bodies, unlike the old days when they were just as attractive, but more demure and civilized. Partying is now more sophisticated, with a game table in front of every apt. But one thing was the same: The balmy IV air still has the perfect aroma of salty ocean, oil slick and giant kelp. Quite the beach front, privileged class ghetto it is! Are there protests in IV against Trump's vast corruption of our government? Or, is everyone too self-involved to notice? Just wondering.
Wow! I am literally writing a 10 page history paper on UCSB’s classes of 1968-1971 right now!! What you all did was absolutely brave and groundbreaking. Today we are reaping the benefits of the revolutionary work you and your friends faced decades ago. Thank you. And to answer your questions.. some still protest but are definitely self-involved so the results are inconsistent. The University system is terrible. They’ve figured out how to deal with large manifestations so even on their part exchanges are mediocre to say the least. However, thankfully the treats and discomfort we face today are nothing compared to what you all faced back then. What you all did was so important and is still remembered today. On behalf of UCSB, thank you.
I stumbled on this beautiful film. Thank you. So good to see it's still thriving with a diverse marine life. Those leopard sharks near shore were amazing . IV was messy when I attended over 40 years ago. It's just filthy now the way the students move out and just leave everything behind without cleaning up after themselves presumably because they're not returning. It's their parents fault for not raising them better.
I was an Isla Vista student back in the day of the riots during the VIetnam War era. I really appreciate your different take on the gifts of the ocean as a contrast to the typical insanity, stress and partying in town. I used to go out fishing in the ocean (beyond the kelp beds) often with my friends in a sailboat and got to appreciate this more serene side of "Isla Vista Below the Surface", so thanks for this 🌊 My only comment is that your narration is often drowned out by the background music and hard to hear
Marco. This is Sam from Santa Barbara. This is a true masterpiece. It is so inspiring, I’m going to go dive Coal Oil Point ASAP and try to find the incredible beauty you discovered in this film. Incredible work. Thank you
Wow! Fabulous Marco!!! All of it! The filming, the story, the music, the lessons. Makes me seriously appreciative of the decades I was fortunate enough to spend there… but boy does it make me homesick and long for just one more flat day, belly-down on my longboard, peering at all the flora and fauna, through crystal clear waters, drifting above this paradise you have so eloquently captured! Sigh. I will bookmark this and return here often! Thank you, brother! 🙏🏼
Thanks Marco, my husband and I spent many years in the area and your video brings back many fond memories of the ocean, waves and creatures. Wonderful video and commentary. So cool....
Man I went to school here at USCB. I partied sometimes but while everyone was hungover I was surfing or boating. The girls are beautiful and the weather is great. To be 18 again
Such an amazing video. I went to City College in the late 90's, lived on Trigo in IV but when I went to school I parked across the street at the harbor to surf Sandspit every day. Such special times. This video really brings me back🤙🏽
I was an ES major at UCSB but I was more into riding bikes than going in the ocean. I wish I had gone for a dive at some point. I had a roommate who was into spearfishing. He spent a semester abroad, and when he came home he went spear fishing again at coal point. He got a ticket not realizing that while he was gone, they had turned it into a marine sanctuary.
Yo Marco, it's Andrew, I was the assistant director at Magic Lantern when we had the pleasure of screening this. IDK if you remember me or not (I do remember you!) and just wanted to drop by after watching this again to say that I hope life is treating you well!
watching this 1 year later.. fantastic video. I never knew there was such great snorkeling right in my back yard. I am still local-ish to SB Goleta.. I visit regularly. I should bring my snorkel and mask next time.. and a wet-suit lol!
Great footage and all freediving too, and you found some days where the vis was better than 2 feet. Impressive. But why is methane bubbling to the surface "unfortunate"? Sounds very fortunate to me if you want to heat your house and run your stove.
I'm a scuba diver. WOW. What an amazing video to say the least. Where can these dives to go scuba diving? I feel I have new waters to explore. thank you
Awesome stuff man. I’m surprised DJI allows you to take off over there with it being so close to the airport. I’ve tried closeby and it’s restricted for me.
we called it almost collage...i remember in 1969 the older kids rioted and they burnt the bank of america down in IV so they dug a moat with a drawbridge barbed wire topped fence about 14 feet tall so they could defend the bank if it happened again..
