Friday’s Surf – Well at least it will be warm in the morning…(please note the sarcasm)

Friday will be semi-rideable but it will be a long way away from what I would call a surf day.

If you were looking at the full spectrum of swell energy that is showing on the forecast models for Friday you would be all excited and would probably skip around your yard like a spastic little kid…that is until you went back and looked at the actual “amount of energy” that all of these swells are showing…then you would just be sad.



Then you could look at the beach temps and it would just make you want to curl up in a little ball and think of your happy place. This July sure is sort of sucking.



Now that I have crushed your hopes and dreams…we can get on with the details. Swellwise… basically we are going to have a bunch of different little S-SW swells (180-220) and some sloppy NW windswell…none of which are going to be very fun.



We can expect the average spots to see surf in the ankle-knee high range while the standout combo spots see some waist high sets. Overall the “push” of the surf is going to be pretty soft…but you might be able to get out there and ride a big board or something like a downed redwood log.

Winds will be ok…not great…just sort of blah. Look for winds to be light/variable/onshore through the morning. Mostly clean, but with a little texture here and there. The really exposed spots will have some 4-5 knot onshore bump…which if you pardon the pun, blows. Look for WNW-NW winds 10-15 knots for the afternoon.



I wouldn't be in a hurry to get to the beach...and if you do go, bring the wetsuit and the small wave gear. Personally I might be staying home and building some awesome lego spaceships with my 5 year old.

Here are the tides...

07/30/2010 Friday
06:13AM LDT 0.7 L
12:35PM LDT 4.3 H
06:35PM LDT 1.9 L

Surf for Thursday – Oh there will be a few little waves out there Thursday morning...

To be honest…my bed is going to feel so freaking awesome that it might take some sort or serious natural disaster, or a pumping double-overhead combo swell with Santa Ana winds, to properly motivate me enough to leave the soft heavenly goodness that is calling me right now.

Ok…Thursday looks a little surfable (little being the key word there)…there isn’t much swell in the water…but there will be a few semi-rideable waves that will pull together at the breaks that can combo up a little of the swell.

We are going to have a mix of overlapping S-SW swells as well as a bit of NW windswell. The Southern hemi swells are either fading out, weren’t big enough to begin with, or got blocked up by the south Pacifica islands that seem to really like to screw up our swell. The NW windswell will be out there too…but the angle is too steep and most of the that energy will get blocked up by Point conception.



Most spots are going to hold in the ankle-knee high range…basically big enough to push some water on the sand, but not enough to ride. The S-SW facing breaks will be a little more energetic…but even those breaks will be the most fun on the bigger board.

Winds look good, (well of course they do…there isn’t any swell…stupid wind). Look for light and variable conditions in the morning with a couple of small pockets of onshore texture. Overall it will be pretty clean so if you can find a spot that can combo up the swell mix I would try and get on it before the winds get too strong. Look for NW winds 10-15 knots by the afternoon.



I might load up the longboard and give the local little beach breaks a check in the morning…but really I am going to get some coffee and some doughnuts, watch the tide drop…and maybe, just maybe, if I get some extra sleep this morning I might get out there and ride a few windswell softies.

Here are the tides…I would send some extra time listening to your pillow tomorrow.

07/29/2010 Thursday
05:50AM LDT 0.3 L
12:07PM LDT 4.3 H
05:48PM LDT 1.9 L
11:29PM LDT 4.5 H

Waves for Wednesday – A few, crumbly, but rideable waves

Wednesday will be semi-rideable...but the swell mix really isn’t all that impressive, and it looks like the winds will get on things pretty early. So if you are planning on surfing try to get out there in the morning before things get funky as the tide comes up and the winds begin hacking things up.

There are going to be a few waves on Wednesday but the winds aren’t going to be the greatest in the morning. There is a little bit of light onshore flow that sets up early and then just continues to strengthen out of the WNW-NW as we move throughout the day.

Our swell mix will be a blend of overlapping S-SW swells (180-210) and some NW windswell…none of it will be particularly big, but the SW swell (190-210) will be a bit stronger since it is filling in. The background windswell will sort of just hang out...and do what weak windswells usually do (not really much of anything).



Most spots will be in the knee-waist high range while the better exposed W facing areas and the good combo SW spots see some chest- to almost inconsistent shoulder high sets. The standout SW facing spot, mostly at the summer spots in San Diego and South OC, will be more in the waist-chest high range with some shoulder high+ surf sneaking in on the lower tide sets. Expect some pretty long waits between the bigger set waves due to the long-period nature of the SW swell…but the top spots could be pretty fun when everything gets a chance to blend together the right way…just don’t spend a lot of time holding your breath waiting for the quality waves.

Winds are where it is going to be funky…the WNW-NW flow is expected to get a jump on things early. It shouldn’t be more than 3-4 knots for most areas…but it will have enough energy to add some texture to the more open spots. Look for the NW flow to top out around 10-12 knots by midday and then probably hitting close to the 10-20 knot range by the afternoon. It will be pretty hacked up at the more exposed spots by the end of the day.





Like I said I would try and get on it early so that you can get some cleaner surf and the tides will be a bit more favorable. Unfortunately the new SW swell won’t be filling in too much through the dawn patrol, but you should still be able to find some playful waves if you bring the right boards. I would stick with the small wave gear…maybe even a few longboards just so that you can catch the smaller but more rideable waves while waiting for the bigger sets.

07/28/2010 Wednesday
05:26AM LDT 0.0 L
11:40AM LDT 4.2 H
05:08PM LDT 1.9 L
10:56PM LDT 5.0 H
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Waves for Tuesday – We can expect a few playful waves…but there will be long waits between sets and a shape will be a little gutless when they do show

Tuesday is looking like a Surf Day…it won’t be stellar or huge but the combo of S-SW swell will keep at least some rideable waves showing at the well exposes summer spots.

Sizewise It looks like a little more of the same on Tuesday…winds will remain on the light side and we can expect a slightly better pulse of S-SW along with a touch of southern heimi swells and background wind swells and some slightly stronger WNW-NW wind and that will slip in through the gaps in our nearshore islands as we move throughout the day.



Most of the average SW/NW combo spots are going to hold in the knee-waist high range with some occasional waist-chest high sets. The better combo breaks, that do a better job pulling in the mix of windswell and the inconsistent, but still playful, S-SW swells will hold more in the waist-chest high range with some inconsistent chest-shoulder high sets that will sneak in on those shallower sandbars, and lower tides. That little swell mix combo should end up being at least semi-fun, if not a bit better at times. It won’t great, but surf but if you bring the right gear and a good attitude, you should be able to have some fun.

Winds look light in the morning with most areas seeing winds below the 5-know range, while in the more protected the spots see nearly glassy shape. I am expecting the winds to hold the lightest morning but the onshore flow does pick up pretty fast and we can expect building onshore bump in ghd 10-15 knot range by the afternoon.





With our swell mix being a bit on the small side…it isn’t going to be super exciting…and while it won’t be flat, it will be weak and inconsistent enough on the sets that it might not be a bad idea to bring the small wave gear…that way you can get some more fun out of the in-betweeners, but still be ready to pick off the bigger waves that will sneak through on the slightly better tides and on the inconsistent sets.

Here are the tides…happy hunting the small surf tomorrow.

Surf for Monday – Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated

Just kidding…I have been out kicking it in Wyoming….letting my boys play with the great-grandparents and having a hell of a time of finding a way to connect to the interweb.



Next time I am bringing the sat phone

I finally installed a cell tower on an antelope, but those suckers are fast, (and weren’t too fond of the power drill) so after a lovely sprint (ok…it was a slow walk at my part) the little critter got tuckered out enough to lay down I got a chance to upload the blog.




Ok onto the surf forecast….Monday looks like a surfable day…not a great day mind you…bit with enough rideable waves that if you can find a playful little line here and there….but you are also going to want to pack an open mind, and a wetsuit(Just in case the water temps continue to stink it up)



The average S facing stops are going to see surf in the waist-chest high range while a few of the standout breaks see some shoulder high sets…waves will be inconsistent since we are seeing the tail end of the Sw swell…it won’t fade completely again but there will be less size and consistency as we head into the afternoon . Look for smaller waves again after dark.

Winds look…sort of marginal…nothing great…just sort of variable in the morning…not onshore shore, not offshore, but not clean either. Mostly the winds will be below the 05- knot range but there may be some lighter/cleaner breaks at regions that have a little protection from the S winds…places with piers, rocks, jetties, high-cliffs…so if you had to pick I would try and stick with spots that have a little shelter. Winds will be onshore around 10-15 knots out of the NW by the late afternoon.





Surfwise the summer facing spots and the really good combo breaks are going to be the best bet. The S swell lines will be a bit inconsistent but the windswell will be a bit gutless as well but if you can find a little sandbar then you might get a away with a little more pop out of the combo. Overall bring the smaller Wave gear...you will just be b able to pick off a few more of the fun ones while waiting for the bigger sets.

Here are the tides…I will try and get back to a more normal schedule soon…just as soon as I catch the antelope.



07/26/2010 Monday
04:34AM LDT -0.5 L
10:49AM LDT 4.0 H
03:56PM LDT 1.9 L
09:53PM LDT 5.7 H