Friday, September 18, 2009

Waves for the weekend – plan on surfing...a lot.

Both Saturday and Sunday are going to be surf days...so plan on setting a few hours aside to ride some waves this weekend.

The playful NW/SW combo that we have been seeing the last few days will get some reinforcement as both a new NW swell (290-300) and a new SSW (180-200) mix in over the weekend. The NW’er will actually peak late Friday night but will hold waves through Saturday before dipping slightly on Sunday. The SSW’er will fill in slowly on Saturday and will peak into early Sunday, holding waves into the start of next week.



So for the weekend...look for surf to hang around waist-chest high+ at the average exposed breaks. Better NW facing spots will be closer to chest-shoulder high range on Saturday, and the better SSW facing breaks will be chest-shoulder high on Sunday. The top combo spots will be in the chest-shoulder high range with some head high sets throughout the weekend. A few of the best breaks might see some slightly bigger peaks as the swells cross up on the sets.

Winds look good for both Saturday and Sunday morning. We can expect light and variable to slightly offshore conditions from the dawn patrol through midmorning. Building onshore flow picks up around lunchtime but only really hits the westerly 10-12 knot range by later in the afternoon. Sunday may see the wind pick up a little earlier...so if you want to avoid the bump you might want to try and motivate closer to sunup.

Saturday Morning Winds


Sunday Morning Winds


The mix of swells is going to send playful rideable waves to spots all over Southern California...but please keep in mind that Santa Barbara will be a bit smaller thanks to shadowing from Point Conception and the Channel Islands. North LA, particularly as you get close to Santa Monica, will also be a touch smaller thanks to being tucked back into a more shadowed area. It won’t be flat in either area...just don’t expect as much combo-funness as the other more exposed spots.

The biggest surf is going to be showing in San Diego, Southern Ventura, and parts of Orange County...and will shift around those regions as the NW and SSW swells peak. I think that the combo beach breaks will be the most fun...especially if they have some decent sandbars and/or can handle a little fatter of a tide that hits midday. The points and reefs will be good too, but may be a touch shifty compared to how they behave on the pure single swells. Personally I am going to try and crawl out of bed for the dawn patrols on both mornings...the high tide is slowly pushing closer to lunchtime so I think there is going to be a better window for clean, tide-pushed, surf through the first part of the day.

Here are the tides...have a great weekend...hope you score a playful little peak of your own (there will be plenty out there). Definitely watch that midmorning high tide...it is a swampthing.

Saturday
03:50AM LDT 0.2 L
09:55AM LDT 5.9 H
04:23PM LDT 0.0 L
10:21PM LDT 5.2 H

Sunday
04:21AM LDT 0.8 L
10:26AM LDT 6.0 H
05:09PM LDT 0.0 L
11:08PM LDT 4.6 H

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

adam, you get a job yet? i know you have other things going bt are are you doing for your main source of income.

Anonymous said...

yeah getta job!!!!1

Anonymous said...

you peeps are hilarious! rude, but hilarious.

Anonymous said...

Today was ultra-fun at my local beachie!

cheerupcheerio said...

water temps staying the same, right?? I am afraid to wear my wetsuit after 4 months of it being in a closet..

Anonymous said...

its been outta control good

Anonymous said...

i agree. i got so many waves yesterday it was ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

seemed pretty whatever to me in north county SD Sat. and Sunday

Anonymous said...

yeah, not too impressed with this weekends surf at all. mediocre and inconsistent.

Declan X said...

Agree about North County. Not that great actually.

Anonymous said...

So, what's on tap for Monday?

Anonymous said...

So, what's on tap for Monday?

Anonymous said...

Today was nothing worth setting a few hours aside for.. Definitely an over-casted forecast

Anonymous said...

Hey don't listen to the first incoherent posts. You're doing great work.

Anonymous said...

Wow lottsa comments.
Help AW out by cicking ads or $ in tip jar.
Please rinse your wetsuit out next time befor you hang it up in the closet.
Over casted forecast?
Did you rent a helicopter and scoure the whole coast? Nimrod!
What's up for Monday, some of these Monday Morning Qqurterback-weekend forecast warrior whiners must know.
SCSF Rules!
Coconutz!

Anonymous said...

yeah waves were kinda shitty but 56th had its moments of fun on saturday and HB/SS had some good ones early sat....