April 23, 1998

Board of Directors
BSM Bancorp
2739 Santa Maria Way
Santa Maria, California 93455

Re:  Consent of Seapower Carpenter Capital, Inc.
     d/b/a Carpenter & Company

Gentlemen:

We hereby consent to the inclusion in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus forming
part of this Registration Statement on Form S-4 of BSM Bancorp. of our opinion
attached as Appendix B thereto and to the reference to such opinion and to our
firm therein.  We also confirm the accuracy in all material respects of the
description and summary of such fairness opinion, the description and summary of
our analyses, observations, beliefs and conclusions relating thereto set forth
under the heading "Opinion  of Bancorp's Financial Advisor" therein.  In giving
such consent, we do not admit (i) that we come within the category of persons
whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933 and the
rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission issued
thereunder or (ii) that we are experts with respect to any part of the Proxy
Statement/Prospectus within the meaning of the term "experts" as used in the
Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange
Commission promulgated herein.


Seapower Carpenter Capital, Inc.
d/b/a Carpenter & Company


By: /s/ John Flemming
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Name: John Flemming
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Title: President
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Dated: April 23, 1998
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