Oh ok I will give you the details…W-WNW swell (270-300) holds into Saturday and then increases on Sunday as another W-WNW swell (270-300) jumps into the mix. There are some small southern hemi swells lurking out there somewhere but I don’t think anyone is going notice them.
On Saturday look for the average W facing breaks to see steady surf in the chest-head high range. The better WNW facing breaks, particularly in the areas known for being good on winter swells, will see consistent shoulder-overhead surf with some sets going a couple of feet overhead at times. The standout WNW-NW facing breaks, (waaaaaaait for it…just a little longer) in Ventura, the South Bay, and San Diego, will have surf in the head high to overhead+ range with consistent sets hitting 2-3’ overhead as well as some bigger sets going several feet overhead mixing in at times.
Winds look good on Saturday…nice and clean in the morning with either calm or light/moderate offshore flow. Winds stay pretty light through the day…sort of variable onshore but below the 8-10 knots range. It looks like the winds will back down a bit around sundown…so I would plan on keeping an eye on conditions near the end of the day.
Sunday a new W-WNW swell (270-300) fills in on the back of the first swell. Average spots are going to build into the shoulder-head high range with overhead sets. WNW facing breaks will see consistent surf around head high+ with sets going 2-3’ overhead. Top winter spots with excellent WNW exposure will be consistently in the overhead to well overhead range…with some bombers sneaking through to keep you on your toes.
Winds look good again on Sunday…more light/variable than offshore in the morning…maybe a touch of light texture at the most exposed areas but not enough to matter. Look for variable winds to hold through most of the day with some slightly more onshore flow through the mid-afternoon. Again it looks like light evening winds, so keep an eye on conditions and you might be able to get a little session before dark.
Shapewise…there is enough swell coming through on both Saturday and Sunday that the beach breaks are going to get pretty lined up. Sure there will be some corners, particularly if your beach break has some decent sandbars (that don’t erode away with the increase in swell), or some sort of structure (Coco!) to break up the shape. Points and Reefs are going to have the best shape, but of course they will be the most crowded too, so it is going to be one of those weekends where you might have to compromise shape for a little extra-elbow room. Anyways there is plenty of energy coming through that I am sure you will be able to find something that will be fun to ride. Make sure to check the regional forecasts for more specific details on your home/favorite breaks.
Regional/County Forecasts
Santa Barbara Surf Forecast
Ventura County Surf Forecast
Los Angeles County Surf Forecast
Orange County Surf Forecast
San Diego Surf Forecast
Here are the tides…have a good weekend...I hope you score a few!
01/09/2010 Saturday
04:27AM LST 5.3 H
12:11PM LST 0.1 L
06:35PM LST 3.0 H
10:49PM LST 2.3 L
01/10/2010 Sunday
05:20AM LST 5.5 H
01:02PM LST -0.3 L
07:33PM LST 3.3 H
11:50PM LST 2.3 L
