Friday, January 30, 2009

Waves for the weekend – well at least there is football on

It does not look very surfable this weekend.

Weather is going to be great and winds good...just no swell in the water.

We are going to have a mix of leftover WNW and SW energy...neither of which will amount to much. On average it looks like flat-knee high surf for most of the average exposed spots. A few of the top breaks, with really good sand and swell exposure will have some knee high+ surf...but there won’t be much more than that...maybe a touch more consistency at the NW spots on Sunday as a little more windswell fills in.

Weather like I said will be good...sunny skies, more offshore winds...basically great beach weather. Afternoon winds will get a little more “variable” but if we had waves it would be rideable most of the day.

There really isn’t a best call this weekend...if you see a semi-rideable wave paddle out...it isn’t going to get better around the corner or later in the day. I would give you the tides but really it isn’t going to matter.

OK enough of “Debbie Downer” forecast...long-range is looking a lot more interesting. Both the North and the South Pacific are becoming more active and it looks like we are going to see some building, if not playful combo swell around the middle of next week.

Right now forecast charts are showing a couple of new lows forming in about 2-3 days in the North Pacific that line up WNW swell for the 4-5th...there will also be some small SSW swell in the water about the same time that will help to break up the NPAC energy. Check out the WavewatchIII “primary” swell-period chart...



You can see the swells overlapping along the Socal region in about 4-5 days or so.

Overall it is not going to be that big...and some of the WNW swell still needs to be produced (it is only squiggly lines at a chart at this point)...but I am expecting some fun waist-chest high surf for most of the exposed combo spots by Thursday of next week...and the potential for some chest-shoulder high sets at the top spots. Like I said...not great...but definitely more fun than watching a flat ocean.

Check out the swells that are a bit further out in the forecast...looks like we could get some more combo swell around the 10-11th if things continue to come together.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

superbowl is on?

Anonymous said...

Sunday

Anonymous said...

What do you think about the wind next week on thurs and friday? Will that low really get so close to the coast?

Anonymous said...

Good game. Now let's surf! Oh, but wait, yet another flat spell is upon us. Gosh, what a surprise! I'm starting to agree with the older man who wrote in saying something has happened to the waves.