Max, the expert sandbagger

Local residents up and down the coast are busy this week preparing for Wednesday’s late season storm.

If you’re needing sandbags, consider tips from a 7-year-old expert, Max, a student at Montecito Union.

Marco Farrell, a Montecito resident, bumped into Max when he showed up in Manning Park to help volunteer Thanksgiving week and pulled out his cellphone for a Facebook Live posting.

“It was a sunny afternoon but instead of playing with your friends, you wanted to come down here and help?” Marco asked. “Uh huh,” Max responded with a head nod.

Max explained his technique, filtering sand through an upside-down orange pylon cut off at the tip.

“Right now I’m shoveling some sand into a sandbag … and, I’m using this cone right here,” Max explained.

Max said the cone helps keep the bag sturdy as it’s filling up with “four or five” shovels full of sand. Farrell let his camera roll for nearly five minutes.

“Alright!” Farrell chimes in.

“So I can filter it all in without spilling all the sand,” Max said.

“Ah, that’s a great little innovation there,” Farrell said. “Almost done with that bag there? Let’s pull it out and show the folks how its works. Got to give it a little shimmy and a shake,” Farrell adds as Max pulls out the pylon cone. “You got a sandbag that’s ready to go!”

Max said his goal that day was 40 sandbags.

“Does it feel good to help others?” Farrell asked.

“Uh huh, it really does,” Max replied.

Max said his future goal is to be an actor or singer one day.

“I want my dad to get me an agent,” Max said with a slight grin. “But, I like doing this,” he said as he unfolded another sandbag to fill.