I think it’s really very good.
The only problem I have with it is that it’s a wee bit too dark. The dates on the entries I can basically hardly see at all and the dark blue font on the black background hurts my eyes on the side menu.
I think if you brighten up the letters a bit, it would be a little better. But I love the design and the top menu to go to the different sections with the rollover is very nicely done as well. The top graphic definitely portrays a nice surfing site that’s elegantly done. ??
Dark colors are extremely hard to do. When I made my first e-zine back around 1996, it was all dark colors and very hard to design to make it readable. I remember spending a lot of time cruising “artsy” sites of that time (everything was new back then) and figuring out the best colors/shades and layout to use. It wasn’t easy. Now, I’m a lot more lazy. ??
Overall though, really nice touches. Surf’s up. ??