Waves for the Weekend – Reinforcement of SW swell but not a ton of waves

It will be surfable this weekend…but nothing special overall, unless you get lucky with the right break, tide, and wind (like winning a surf lotto!)

For the weekend we are going to see a mix of SW swell, some leftover S-SW swell, and some weak local NW windswell. The SW swell (200-220) actually filled in a touch later on Friday and will hold overnight into Saturday before slowly dropping on Sunday (and turning more southerly as we move through the weekend).





Sizewise it is going to be pretty much the same all weekend…most SSW-SW spots will be around the knee-waist with a few rare chest high sets sneaking into the spots that like the tide with a little more junk in the trunk. Top SW spots, mostly in South OC and parts of North SD, will be more in the waist-chest high range with some shoulder high sets mixing it in. I suppose there might be a few bigger sets on the lower tides, particularly at the focal spots, but don’t expect to see a lot of them.

Winds look ok...mostly light and variable in the morning with a few areas of light onshore texture at really wind sensitive spots. There won’t be much bump even at the most exposed spots…but there might be a bit of crumble…so don’t expect total cleanliness. Most areas will have some W winds around 10-15 knots picking up through the afternoon…but expect a little lighter onshore bump at the spots with some protection.

Saturday Wind


Sunday Wind


I am not super excited about the weekend surf...the swell mix is small and sort of inconsistent, but it will have some waves showing at the well exposed spots...and a few of the spots can be pretty damn playful if things come together just right. Unfortunately this is the US OPEN weekend which means that the beach is going to be covered in all sorts of nonsense. Personally I would just try and give it a look in the mornings, get a few little waves if it looks ok, and get out of dodge before the chaos erupts...but that is just me. If the nonsense is your thing...then this is your weekend.

Here are the tides…

08/07/2010 Saturday
02:22AM LDT -0.6 L
08:48AM LDT 3.7 H
01:27PM LDT 2.2 L
07:35PM LDT 6.3 H

08/08/2010 Sunday
02:59AM LDT -1.0 L
09:17AM LDT 4.1 H
02:18PM LDT 1.8 L
08:22PM LDT 6.6 H

Waves for the Weekend – Nothing huge…but still some good times

Looks like the weekend is going to be a surf weekend…both Saturday and Sunday look playful…but there may be a little more wind getting on things early on Saturday. Sunday will have cleaner conditions.

Our swell will be a mix of S-SW swells (180-215) from the latest in the string of Southern Hemi swells. We will also have a mix of small WNW-NW windswell that pushes in through the background. Late Sunday night a new, long-period S-SW swell starts to arrive but won’t add much new surf before the sun sets.





Sizewise both days will hold around the knee-waist high range a the average spots…the windswell breaks will be a touch smaller while spots that have a little more southern hemi exposure will be more consistent and will possibly have a few bigger chest high sets sneaking through. The standouts, mostly on Sunday, will be in the chest-shoulder high range…wiith a couple of sets getting close to head high (and by head high I mean bigger than Webster and smaller than Shaq). Size and consistency will be a bit better on Sunday.

Winds look ok for both days…Saturday will have a bit more onshore flow…mostly light winds in the morning but with a few areas of texture at the more wind sensitive spots. Sunday looks cleaner…with light wind in the morning, even a couple of spots with some light offshore flow showing super early. Both days can expect onshore flow to build in from the W around 10-15 knots with some stronger gusts pushing through on Saturday.





Overall this should be a decent weekend…there will be waves, the weather will be nice, and the tides are halfway decent during the morning, matching up with the lighter winds (for once!). The long-period forerunners of the bigger SW swell will start to fill on Sunday but even though the energy shows on the buoy there will only be a few spots that will pull in the new energy…so if you are looking for the “big swell” (BIG being a relative term) and larger waves you will have to wait till at least Monday afternoon, but really through Tuesday and Wednesday.

Here are the tides…Have a great weekend!

07/17/2010 Saturday
01:46AM LDT 3.9 H
08:02AM LDT 0.9 L
02:46PM LDT 5.2 H
09:46PM LDT 1.2 L

07/18/2010 Sunday
03:16AM LDT 3.3 H
08:51AM LDT 1.5 L
03:45PM LDT 5.3 H
11:19PM LDT 0.9 L

Waves for the Weekend – Mostly small and weak with a bit of onshore bump

Neither Saturday or Sunday are looking that good this weekend…sure there will be some rideable waves but mostly we will be looking at a small swell mix hampered by consistent onshore winds.

On Saturday we can expect a mix of weak leftover S swell (175-180) and some minor local windswell.



Most spots will be in the knee high range while a few of the better S facing spots will have some knee-waist high sets. The standout S facing breaks and top combo spots will be in the knee-waist high range with a few rare waist-chest high sets on the lower tides.

Winds look sloppy on Saturday…though there might be a small window of manageable conditions through the morning. The models are calling for variable onshore flow around 3-5 knots for most areas. The COAMPS is showing a slightly stronger onshore flow for the coast areas than NOAA is…but I think that it might be a “worst case scenario” sort of thing. I wouldn’t count on lighter winds in the morning (definitely don’t count on glassy conditions or anything like that)…but there may be some pockets at breaks with some protection. 10-15+ knot W-WNW winds return by later in the afternoon.



Sunday we will get a new mix of S and SW swells (180-215) that filter in and mix with our local windswell and leftover energy from earlier in the week. Wave heights aren’t going to change that much, but I do expect a little better consistency at the well exposed spots.



Sizewise we can expect surf in the knee high range for most exposed areas along with a few waist high waves (maybe even a waist high+ set on the lower tides). The standout S-SW facing spots and the excellent S/NW combo breaks will have waist high surf with some chest high sets…possibly some chest high+ faces if your break does a really good job of focusing the swell.

Winds are supposed to be similar to Saturday…so variable onshore to slightly W in the morning with wind speeds in the 3-5 knot range. Expect the cleanest conditions at breaks with some wind protection. The winds increase to the 8-10 knot range by midmorning and eventually hit 10-15+ knots by the afternoon. The weather is supposed to improve a bit on Sunday…getting some more sun on the beach earlier in the day along with some warmer air temps as well.



As you can see…nothing special for the weekend…just weak waves and some onshore wind. If you have to surf, I would try and stick with the top exposed spots that have some wind protection (but those are a little hard to find)…I would also bring your small wave gear, just so you can maximize the fun while waiting for the inconsistent set waves.

Here are the tides…

07/10/2010 Saturday
03:23AM LDT -1.1 L
09:48AM LDT 3.6 H
02:22PM LDT 2.1 L
08:33PM LDT 6.6 H

07/11/2010 Sunday
04:02AM LDT -1.3 L
10:24AM LDT 3.9 H
03:11PM LDT 1.9 L
09:18PM LDT 6.7 H

Waves for the 4th of July Holiday Weekend – here comes the craziness

Both Saturday and Sunday will have rideable surf…just expect a lot more of it on Sunday.

From a condition standpoint…neither day is looking outstanding. The eddy is forecast to hang around some more, so there will be some texture/crumble to the exposed spots. Fortunately it won’t spin up a super strong southerly flow, just enough to keep things a little sloppy.

Here is a quick little video showing the CDIP animation for the weekend…it has a soundtrack so watch out if you are at work. (If you are reading this in an email you can click through this http://www.socalsurf.com to view the video).



Saturday is going to be a bit of a waiting day, at least through the morning. During the dawn patrol we can expect the mix of weaker S-SW swells and steady WNW-NW windswell to hold over from Friday. The new S swell (175-190) will start to fill in through the day, showing long-period energy on the buoys (but not a ton on the beach) through midmorning, and then finally driving in some larger surf by later in the day.



Most spots will start off in the waist high range on Saturday…with some inconsistent chest-shoulder high sets sneaking through at the standout S-SW facing breaks and excellent combo spots. By the afternoon we can expect chest-shoulder high+ sets starting to show at the average S-SSW facing spots and some head high and even overhead surf occasionally hitting the standouts S swell spots (Mostly through Orange County). Since the winds will be coming onshore pretty steady by the afternoon it probably won’t be worth waiting for the bigger swell…if you can find a clean spot with playful waves in the morning, get on it!

Winds, like I said in the intro, won’t be all that great. The CDIP and the NOAA weather models are calling for some increasing eddy circulation in the morning. Overall winds are supposed to stay under 10-knots but that means there is still room for the 4-6 knot south winds that will likely be showing through Orange County and San Diego. Ventura, LA, and Santa Barbara will all have more variable to SE flow in the morning so there might be a few pockets of cleaner surf through those regions. By the afternoon all of Socal will have W-WNW winds around 10-15+ knots.



Sunday the new S swell (175-190) will peak…it will be coming on strong for the morning…and will peak a few hours after sunrise. Expect the swell to peak through the end of the day and hold solid surf into Monday.



Sizewise on Sunday…most of the average S facing spots will see shoulder-head high surf with overhead, and possibly even overhead+ sets mixing in. The standout S facing spots will be consistently head high to overhead with sets going 2-3 overhead as the swell really gets going. The best focal breaks, basically spots that really channel and multiply this swell, will be more consistently overhead with sets going 2-3’ overhead and probably bigger…I wouldn’t be surprised to see some waves almost breaking that double-overhead mark. Keep in mind those bigger sizes are only for a few select spots. One last thing to note…all southern hemi swells (even the big ones) will have gaps between the sets…I would wait it out on the beach for a while so that you can get an accurate feel for the surf.

Winds on Sunday will still have the eddy circulation but the overall S winds look a little lighter and even a little more SE’erly though the early morning. In general we can still expect S-SSE flow for OC and San Diego, with the more SE flow for LA, Ventura, and Southern Santa Barbara. The W winds will return in the afternoon and we can expect them to top out in the 12-15 knot range by late in the day.



So we have a solid swell hitting this weekend…but it is going to be hard to capitalize on it because of the holiday. Parking, blackball, crowds, parades, police, lifeguards, dogs and cats living together (mass hysteria!) will all conspire against us as this swell fills in. Personally I am probably going to shine surfing on Sunday...I might bike down and bodysurf at some point…but I am more likely to bbq, have a few adult beverages, and help my kids play with some various forms of fire. This swell is going to hold pretty solid into Monday, where the winds will be better, there may be a little more windswell to cross things up, and there will be a crapload fewer people on the beach…just something to keep in mind.

Here are the tides…have a great 4th of July! (and please be safe in and out of the water)

Cheers ~ Adam

07/03/2010 Saturday
01:25AM LDT 3.5 H
08:12AM LDT 1.2 L
03:11PM LDT 4.2 H
09:59PM LDT 2.2 L

07/04/2010 Sunday
02:44AM LDT 2.9 H
08:48AM LDT 1.6 L
03:56PM LDT 4.4 H
11:30PM LDT 1.7 L

Waves for the Weekend – SW swell and some tropical SE-S swell from Hurricane Celia

Overall I would call this weekend rideable…but it will be hampered from reaching its true potential by local winds. (Stupid Eddy…I bet it is controlled by the dolphins.)

There will be surf this weekend…we have new SW swell (190-220) starting to fill in on Saturday, eventually peaking on Sunday and holding into Monday. On Saturday we will also have a mix of background tropical energy, some SW leftovers from TS Blas and some new SE forerunners form Hurricane Celia, but neither will bring in very much size. Look for NW windswell to hold steady in the background.



We can expect average spots to see surf in the chest high range with some inconsistent shoulder high sets pulsing in at the better SW facing breaks. The top S-SW spots and the excellent combo breaks will have more consistent chest-shoulder high surf with some head high sets showing by the end of the day. Maybe even a few plus sets at times at the best sets.

Winds look light in the morning…with a little W flow around Santa Barbara and Ventura, variable winds throughout LA, and light Southerly winds for Orange County and San Diego. Most areas will see winds below 10-knots, but expect some texture at the more open breaks.



Sunday the SW swell (190-220) will start to peak, while new tropical SSE-SE swell moves in from Celia and the NW windswell continues to stick around in the background.



Average spots with S-SW exposure will see surf in the chest-head high range…a little inconsistent on the sets if the break is only exposed to the SW energy. The standout S facing spots, particularly the breaks that can pull in both SW and SE swell like a few of those in Orange County, will have surf in the shoulder-overhead range…with some larger sets, likely a couple of feet overhead, showing by late in the day. (the peak of the tropical swell will likely arrive on Monday).

Winds look a bit lighter on Sunday…the eddy flow will still be out there, but in general it won’t be as intense. Look for light onshore texture from the W in SB and Ventura…with some more variable winds in LA. OC and SD will see the light S winds again…but winds look slower, more in the 3-5 knot range, and they get a later start too…coming in right around dawn, which should suppress the wind bump a little more.



I think there will be some fun this weekend…even some occasionally healthy sized surf as the two SW and SE swells peak. I am still being a bit conservative on the Hurricane Celia swell…especially now that she has started to back off her intensity (she is down to a Cat-4 and is still weakening)…but there is always a chance that she could have out-produced her estimated wind speeds…so I would keep an eye on the buoys as we head into Sunday and Monday.

I think the points and reefs are going to have the best shape…with these SE-SW swells in the water it is bound to get pretty lined up at the beach breaks (the SE facing beach breaks will be particularly walled up and will see a lot of side-shore and rip currents once the tropical swell fills in). Like I said above…the buoys and live swell models (like the CDIP) are going to be your friends this weekend…make sure to use them to home in on the exposed areas, (or avoid them if you want smaller surf).

Here are the tides…happy hunting this weekend…stay safe!

06/26/2010 Saturday
04:26AM LDT -1.0 L
10:53AM LDT 3.6 H
03:28PM LDT 2.2 L
09:33PM LDT 6.0 H

06/27/2010 Sunday
05:01AM LDT -0.9 L
11:27AM LDT 3.6 H
04:07PM LDT 2.2 L
10:08PM LDT 5.8 H

Waves for the Weekend – Stronger eddy on Saturday…a little cleaner on Sunday

While the surf won’t be that great this weekend…there will be a few waves to ride at the well exposed areas. Sunday looks a little better than Saturday, which might help all the dads get a few small peaks early on Father’s Day.

Both days will pretty much have the same sort of swell mix…NW windswell (290-300+) will be pushing in through the outer waters while some small SW swells (195-215) pulse up out of the Southern Hemi.

Saturday


Sunday


On both Saturday and Sunday we can expect the average spots (with some exposure to one or two of the swells) to hold around knee high with some inconsistent waist high+ sets. The standout NW windswell spots and the best combo breaks will have waist-chest high surf with some inconsistent shoulder high sets. Look for the biggest waves through Southern San Diego…with a few of the best windswell beaches in Ventura and the South Bay being just a touch smaller and less consistent.



Winds on Saturday are looking a bit sloppy…there is an always lovely upper-level low-pressure moving through our region that is going to strengthen the winds in the outer waters, spin up the eddy, and also spin up some extra pillow surfing time for yours-truly. The forecasts are calling for this eddy to center a bit southerly and stretch out as it does, letting W-NW winds blow over Santa Barbara and Ventura, semi light winds through parts of LA County, and then S-SW winds for Orange County and San Diego. Winds will likely be in the 5-8 knot range for most areas…but expect them to strengthen pretty fast through the day…eventually pushing onshore around 12-15+ knots by the afternoon. Cloudy skies and cool beach temps will be on tap for most of the day. Stupid Eddy.



Sunday the winds lighten up a bit…the eddy will still be hanging around, but the upper level low is forecast to move out toward Nevada, which should help clean things up. I don’t think it will be texture free (except at spots with some legit protection from the winds)…but it will be a lot more appealing than Saturday’s funkiness. Look for variable-s winds for OC and SD, light and variable winds for LA County (cleanest in the South Bay), and then some light/variable to light W winds on tap for Santa Barbara and Ventura.

This weekend won’t be anything special…funky winds will tweak it on Saturday…but Sunday looks OK or at least rideable in more areas than Saturday. Since a lot of our surf will be NW windswell (and not really all that big) I would probably stick with boards that work better in slower, smaller surf…something with a lot of extra float so that you can power through the weaker waves.

Watch the tides…there is a pretty big tide swing right through the middle of the day. Swell direction is going to be fairly important as well…spots without that NW exposure (290+) are going to be pretty left out…so study up the maps a little bit and try and focus on the regions that I mentioned before. Anyway it isn’t all bad news…there will be a few little waves and if you have the right state of mind you will probably be able to squeeze a little fun out it.

Here are tides…Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads out there (and to my Dad in particular)! Have a great one.

06/19/2010 Saturday
03:23AM LDT 3.6 H
09:42AM LDT 0.8 L (sucky)
04:32PM LDT 5.1 H (swamp thing!)
11:32PM LDT 1.1 L

06/20/2010 Sunday
05:02AM LDT 3.2 H
10:37AM LDT 1.3 L
05:22PM LDT 5.4 H (swamp thing!)

Waves for the Weekend – Eddy still kicking it on Saturday…but conditions clean up Sunday

Saturday will be rideable but the eddy winds are going to stick around…so it won’t be very clean for most areas. Sunday conditions clean up (thanks to backing down winds)…and a new S-SW swell starts to fill in.

Yep, the eddy is still holding on pretty strong (oh and thanks for all of the anonymous comments telling me about it…haha, jerks, now I have to go have a cry after writing this) and at this point it doesn’t look like it is going to back down all that much as we head into Saturday. Fortunately there are a handful of spots that can handle the S winds…so there will be some surfable, even semi-clean, waves on tap for Saturday morning. Swellwise we are going to see a mix of steady WNW-NW windswell (285-300…but still mostly showing at spots with the steeper 290-300 exposure), some leftover S-SW swells (180-210), and some very long-period SW swell (190-210 @ 20 seconds) that will be slowly filling in on the buoys throughout the day (but not showing much on the beach until Sunday).



Sizewise we can expect the average exposed spots, both WNW and SW, to see surf in the waist-chest high range…while the better WNW-NW facing breaks see some shoulder high sets. The standout NW facing breaks in Ventura and the South Bay will see some shoulder-head high surf…and the best breaks in Southern SD will have some overhead sets showing on the lower tides.

Weather will still be a bit funky on Saturday…overcast skies and eddy winds will be on tap for the morning, which means that Orange County and San Diego will have some S winds in the 5-8 knot range. Los Angeles will have lighter S-SE winds in the 4-6 knot range. Ventura and East Santa Barbara will see some ESE flow for the morning…mostly below 10-knots…but expect the winds to flip onshore pretty fast after the dawn patrol. All of the regions can expect W-WNW winds around 10-15+ knots for the afternoon.



Sunday looks to be more surfable and warmer as the winds back down, new S-SW swell arrives, and the overcast skies burn off early. We can expect the WNW-NW windswell to back down a bit more on Sunday as the winds in the outer waters trail off…but we have new S-SW swell (190-210) filling in throughout the day.



Average spots will continue to see surf in the waist-chest high range on Sunday…but the better combo spots and the more SW facing breaks will see more consistent chest-shoulder high sets on the lower tides. The standout SW facing spots, mostly through South OC and parts of San Diego, will be in the chest-head high range with some inconsistent overhead sets starting to show by the afternoon.

Winds look better for the morning…mostly light and variable, with a few pockets of texture (on and offshore) depending on how the weak ridge of pressure filters through the region. Look for building WNW-NW winds around the 10-15+ knot range by the afternoon. Weather looks nicer too…warmer air temps and sunnier skies thanks to the clouds moving out earlier in the day.



So that pretty much sums up the weekend…some rideable, but not super clean waves on Saturday…and then cleaner conditions on tap for Sunday. It is worth noting, (most of you have noticed already) that the eddy is being a pain in the ass and not really following the forecasts all that much…so it would probably be best to keep an eye on the conditions when your surf windows roll around. The local-level winds are so “spot specific” that you might luck into a cleaner session than you expect…or you could get shafted if the winds turn a couple of degrees the wrong way.

Here are the tides…have a good weekend…and go USA! (it would be nice to get some World Cup love on Saturday).

06/12/2010 Saturday
04:18AM LDT -1.2 L
10:46AM LDT 3.6 H
03:17PM LDT 2.1 L
09:27PM LDT 6.4 H

06/13/2010 Sunday
05:00AM LDT -1.3 L
11:29AM LDT 3.6 H
04:03PM LDT 2.1 L
10:11PM LDT 6.3 H

Waves for the Weekend – not a bad couple of days to spend at the beach

Both Saturday and Sunday will be surfable…with Sunday being a little bigger thanks to another new S-SW swell that starts to arrive. Overall I think that both days will be “playful” surf days for most people but it may not have enough juice or consistency to be good or great.

Saturday will see slowly fading S-SW swell (180-200) and some slowly increasing WNW-NW windswell.



Most S facing spots will be around waist high with a few inconsistent chest high sets. The standout S facing spots, mostly in Orange County and San Diego, will have some waist-chest high surf and some less consistent shoulder high sets. The top breaks, particularly breaks that can combo in the windswell, will be more consistent and see some peaks scraping the bottom of the head high range.

Winds will be ok on Saturday…the weird surface eddy will continue to try and push winds in out of the S-SW but high-pressure builds in the upper levels and works to cancel it out. Basically we can expect light/variable winds in the morning with a touch of onshore texture that creeps in at a few of the more exposed beaches. The onshore texture should not be enough to make much of a difference, just don’t expect morning glass. Onshore flow around 10-15 knots will push in out of the W-WSW by the afternoon.



Sunday will see a new S-SW swell (180-205) move in and overlap the older S-SW swell (180-200) while the NW windswell holds in the background.



Most S facing spots and decent combo breaks will see a little more size on the sets…waist-chest high fairly consistently, with a few chest high+ waves starting to show as the new S-SW swell gets established. The top S-SW facing breaks and excellent combo spots, again mostly in OC and SD, will see chest-shoulder high surf with some head high sets through the morning…and a chance for some bigger overhead surf arriving later in the afternoon as the new S-SW swell fills in.

Winds look better on Sunday…mostly light and variable to even light offshore for the morning, then light and variable onshore starting around midday, before finally going W-WSW onshore in the 10-15 knot range by the afternoon. Beach temps will be in the low 70’s but inland areas will be upper 80’s to low 90’s.



Like I said it looks like a decent surf weekend…playful sizes for most beaches and a few larger sets showing on Sunday as the new swell fills in. The water temps are starting to creep back up thanks to the subtle eddy flow we had the last couple of mornings, so while you still need a wetsuit you won’t get an ice-cream headache every time you duckdive. I still think that you are going to want to stick with boards that work better in smaller surf…with the weather getting nice I bet the beach is going to start getting crowded, so being able to catch more of the smaller in-betweeners may make the extra people in the lineup a bit more tolerable.

Here are the tides…have a great weekend!

06/05/2010 Saturday
03:55AM LDT 3.1 H
10:22AM LDT 1.2 L
05:17PM LDT 4.3 H

06/06/2010 Sunday
12:15AM LDT 1.7 L
05:28AM LDT 3.0 H
11:06AM LDT 1.5 L
05:49PM LDT 4.6 H

Waves for the Weekend – Swells fades Saturday, fills in a touch on Sunday, and then bigger by Monday

All three weekend days will be surfable…but it looks like Sunday and Monday will be a bit cleaner (Sunday) and have more size (Monday) thanks to another round of S-SW swell pushing out of the Southern Hemisphere.

Saturday will start off with a bit of leftover fading S-SW swell and some slowly backing down NW windswell.



The average S facing spots and good combo breaks will be in the waist-high range with some rare bigger sets showing at times. The standout S facing breaks and excellent combo spots will be in the waist-chest high range with a few shoulder high sets as the morning tide pushes up.

Look for light winds through Saturday morning…a little onshore flow for Santa Barbara/Ventura…but lighter more variable winds for the LA on down through Orange County, and possibly a touch of Southerly texture in parts of San Diego.





Sunday will start off with mostly leftovers in the morning…backing off S-SW swell and some slowly increasing background NW windswell.



Most spots will be in the knee-waist high range with some waist high+ sets showing on the tide push. The top S facing breaks and the best combo spots will be more in the waist-chest high range with a few rare chest-shoulder high sets showing on that morning tide push.

By the afternoon a new long-period SSW-SW swell (190-210) will start to arrive…the initial energy isn’t very strong so I am not expecting a bunch of bigger waves arriving before sundown, but this new swell should help to get our surf a bit more consistent as it starts to fill in.

Winds look much better on Sunday…light and variable to light offshore for the morning for almost all areas. Look for these winds to hold on the light side up until midday and then turn around and build out of the W-NW around 10-14 knots for the afternoon.





Monday the new SSW-SW swell (190-210) will start to peak and will hold through the day. NW windswell will also be coming up a little bit…along with a touch of medium period NW energy from a storm that moves through the Gulf of Alaska this weekend.



Most spots will start to pulse up a bit…building into the waist-chest high range if they have some decent exposure to the SSW-SW swell…or can combo in the windswell. The standout SSW-SW facing spots, mostly through South OC and a few select areas in San Diego, will have chest-shoulder high surf with a few head high sets mixing in by the end of the day.

Winds, at this point, look ok for Monday…sort of variable to offshore and below 5 knots for the morning…but possibly a little funky NW flow spinning up around Santa Barbara. Looks like winds will stay light but add a touch of texture as the onshore flow builds in around midday. Stronger WSW-W-WNW winds (depending on where you are) will fill in around 10-15 knots for the afternoon.





Overall this weekend won’t be anything “spectacular” but it does look decent enough to go out and ride a few. To top it off the weather is going to finally break…warming way up compared to the last couple of days…hitting mid-upper 70s at the beaches (maybe warmer) and 90s inland.


I’m burning!

With that being said keep in mind that it is a holiday weekend and with the Inland Empire becoming a blast furnace everyone and their cousin/grandma/dog/cat/cactus/meth-lab (just kidding) is going to come to the beach. I am sure that it will be pretty crowded, blackball will go up pretty fast, and parking will probably be a nightmare.

Looking at it from that angle I think your best bet is going to be hitting the beach as early as possible…trying to take advantage of the the cleaner conditions and low tides. Expect the largest surf hitting the most exposed spots in Orange County and San Diego, with some scattered breaks doing ok in the other counties. Santa Barbara is going to stay on the small side…and North LA will also be a bit weaker thanks to interference from the nearshore islands and seamounts, so plan on weaker and less consistent surf for those areas.

Have a great weekend and a good Holiday. (A huge thank-you to all of the men and women in the Armed Services, past and present…stay safe and come home soon!)

Here are the tides…

05/29/2010 Saturday
05:17AM LDT -1.0 L
11:47AM LDT 3.6 H
04:17PM LDT 2.2 L
10:23PM LDT 5.7 H

05/30/2010 Sunday
05:58AM LDT -0.8 L
12:34PM LDT 3.5 H
04:58PM LDT 2.4 L
11:01PM LDT 5.4 H

05/31/2010 Monday (Memorial Day)
06:40AM LDT -0.4 L
01:24PM LDT 3.4 H
05:43PM LDT 2.6 L
11:40PM LDT 4.9 H

Waves for the Weekend – Conditions improve and there will still be some swell (but the water temps will still make your ‘nads fall off)

Saturday and Sunday both look like surf days…though the winds look a little better on Sunday (at least they stay cleaner longer than it does on Saturday).

Saturday will see a mix of dropping, but still decently sized NW windswell and some peaking SSW-SW swell (190-220). There will be rideable waves most exposed places…but expect the biggest surf at spots that are well-exposed to both swells (and like the combo mix).



Average breaks can expect surf in the chest-shoulder high range. The standout NW facing spots will be shoulder-head high with some plus sets showing on the morning tide push. The best SW facing spots, particularly the combo breaks, will have more consistent shoulder-head high surf with some overhead sets mixing in on the good tide push.

Weather looks nice on Saturday. Light and variable winds on tap for the morning with some building onshore flow for the afternoon. Look for clean conditions early and then NW winds around 10-14 knots pushing in through the second half of the day. I don’t expect the morning to be super clean everywhere…if your beach is wide open there is a shot that there will be a bit of texture/crumble to things.



The SSW-SW swell continues to hold on Sunday while the local windswell drops off.



Look for the average spots, thanks to the dropping windswell, to slip down into the waist-chest range with a few plus sets sneaking through at the better combo spots. The best SW facing breaks, and the excellent combo spots (mostly in South OC and parts of San Diego), will be more in the chest-head high range with some inconsistent head high+ sets on the tide push.

A little eddy starts to spin up on Sunday…nothing super strong…but possibly centered around Catalina or San Clemente island, which would push light S-SSE winds into San Diego and Southern OC. Spots further north look cleaner…mostly E-ENE through the morning. All breaks see the springy WNW-NW winds push in through the afternoon with the well exposed breaks topping around near 12-15 knots.



While the weekend won’t be outstanding it will be a definite improvement compared to the last couple of days…and there are a few little bonuses that will help us out. The mix of swells leaves less “shadowed” areas, so the crowd can spread out a bit. Winds will be pretty light throughout the day on Sunday…which means that we won’t have to all crush up the dawn patrol. And lastly the tides are pretty manageable for both days…a negative low-tide in the early morning but it fills in pretty quickly and doesn’t quite hit the “swampthing” level. Anyway…I will be out checking my nearby beach breaks both days…I hope you guys get a chance to get in the water as well. Oh and remember that all that wind dropped the ocean temps about 4-5 degrees…so you might want to throw the winter/water gear in the car…just in case you don’t like ice-cream headaches

Here are the tides…have a great weekend!

05/01/2010 Saturday
06:16AM LDT -0.7 L
12:47PM LDT 3.3 H
05:12PM LDT 2.2 L
11:23PM LDT 5.3 H

05/02/2010 Sunday
07:08AM LDT -0.3 L
01:56PM LDT 3.1 H
05:55PM LDT 2.5 L

Waves for the Weekend – Mix of S-SW and NW swell and some nice weather

Looks like we are going to be able to find some surf on both Saturday and Sunday this weekend. The tide may cause a few issues in the mornings of each day but winds should stay light enough to let us get some still clean waves as it drops.

On Saturday the windswell drops off even more, but the S-SW swell (180-210) fills in more and a new background pulse of NW swell (290-300) work to replace the fading windswell.



Most spots will continue to run around waist-chest high on sets. The well exposed S-SW facing spots will see more waist-shoulder high surf while the standout NW/SW combo spots see some head high+ sets.

Weather looks nice on Saturday. Light and variable winds on tap for the morning with some building onshore flow for the afternoon. Look for clean conditions early and then NW winds around 10-14 knots pushing in through the second half of the day.



Sunday more SW swell (190-215) moves in and mixes with the already showing S-SW swell and background NW swell (290-300). The local windswell may come up a touch at the well exposed spots as well.



Look for more consistent chest high surf at the average spots while the standout S-SW combo breaks see shoulder-head high surf with some rare plus sets showing on the lower tides.

Weather looks good with A little bit of eddy starting to spin up on Sunday…but not enough to junk up the morning. Expect light and variable winds for most areas early on and then NW winds around 10-14 knots by the afternoon. Clearing skies and beach temps in the low 70’s should make for a nice day.



Overall the surf won’t be all that big or consistent, but the weather will be warm, the mornings clean, and once we sneak past the morning swampthing we should be able to get a few fun ones showing at the well exposed spots. You can probably get away riding your good ‘all-round’ board…but you might want something that works well in mushier “high-tide” surf if you are stuck just surfing the dawn patrol…that or find a spot that really likes the high tide.

Here are the tides…have a good one!

04/24/2010 Saturday
12:52AM LDT 1.2 L
06:33AM LDT 4.4 H
01:00PM LDT 0.1 L
07:19PM LDT 5.1 H

04/25/2010 Sunday
01:44AM LDT 0.4 L
07:32AM LDT 4.4 H
01:39PM LDT 0.3 L
07:51PM LDT 5.6 H