A dog owner tries to coax his pooch along Pacific Avenue Thursday, the first day dogs are allowed in downtown Santa Cruz in 35 years. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
Thursday was the first day in 35 years that dogs are welcome in downtown Santa Cruz. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
A man tries to keep track of his rambunctious rat terriers in the patio of Santa Cruz City Hall Thursday, the first day dogs have been allowed downtown in 35 years. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
A vagabond and his camo-garbed dog amble down Pacific Avenue Thursday, the first day dogs are officially allowed in downtown Santa Cruz in 35 years. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
A wave face is transformed into a kelp mural as a kneeboarder makes the most of the swell off of Lighthouse Point on Wednesday. Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel
The largest swell of the season pours into Steamer Lane with head high to double overhead waves on Wednesday. While the wave size will decrease today and Friday the surf forecast calls for the west northwest swell to increase over the weekend bringing exceptional conditions to local breaks. (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)
A surfer shoots out of a wave at Steamer Lane as the swell much anticipated by locals arrived on Wednesday. (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)
Nico Ostermann gives his son Morgan, 3, a hand during their surfing lesson at Cowell's Beach Monday. The Ostermanns were in town from San Francisco. (Bill Lovejoy/Sentinel)
Stephen Lear of Santa Cruz will tell you that the best beach days of the year lie ahead. Lear reads Monday at Cowell's. (Bill Lovejoy/Sentinel)
Gary Testa of Novato gets some R and R at Cowell's on Labor Day. (Bill Lovejoy/Sentinel)
