Thursday’s Surf: Looking a bit fugly

Depending on where you live you may want to skip trying to surf on Thursday. Like it says in the title…things are looking a bit fugly.

There will be a few waves thanks to the small but steady mix of WNW windswell and weak S-SW pulses that continue to hang on. Most breaks can expect surf in the knee high+ range. Standout W facing windswell spots will have some waist-high+ sets.

The wind is what will be causing most of the problems. N-NW winds are expected to hold pretty steady for most of Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles. Expect N-NW winds around 10+ knots, (sort of side-onshore for the west facing breaks…but cleaner at S facing spots and the inside areas of certain points).

Orange County and San Diego are expected to be cleaner with the winds shifting more N to NNE on the forecast charts...though I am not sure how much I trust them considering that it focusing on such a small area. Let’s just say, at this point, look for lighter winds blowing from a better direction in OC and SD and cross our fingers. (you have to love my forecasting style sometimes)

I would suggest playing it by ear tomorrow. The surf will be small and the winds not-so-good, which is never a great combo. That being said there are always a couple of manageable pockets that can be fun if you just want to catch a couple of waves…so your best bet is to check the cameras in the morning and only head down to the beach if you see a couple of decent waves…otherwise don’t waste your gas/sanity/time (whichever you find more valuable).