Waves for the Weekend – A little funk on Saturday. New S swell on Sunday

We are going to have some surf this weekend.

Saturday is going to be a bit funky as this weird little storm warbles over us...fortunately conditions do improve by Sunday, just in time for the new S swell (180-190) to arrive.

On Saturday we can expect a mix of WNW swell (290-300), local NW windswell, and some SW swell (200-220). Most spots will hold in the chest high range. The standout combo spots and the really exposed NW spots (*cough* San Diego *cough*) will have some shoulder-head high sets. Shape won’t be ideal thanks to some variable onshore flow that is forecast to hold over the area. At this point it looks like textured bump with winds around 10-knots for the morning...and then more W-SW flow pushing through the afternoon. Check out this little pain in the butt storm on the GOES satellite.



Sunday we see the new S swell (180-190) start to fill in. Periods will be pretty long as the swell first starts to arrive...probably around 18-19 seconds initially. I don’t think we are going to see a ton of new size through the morning but there will be some extra punch as the first sets start to arrive at the exposed areas. Look for more size as the swell continues to fill in through the day...chance for some head high+ sets at the top S spots (mostly through Orange County) by late in the day. This swell eventually peaks Monday and Tuesday...so expect plenty of waves from it as we head through next week.

Winds on Sunday look much better...forecasts are calling for light and variable winds through the morning with a few spots of light texture. Onshore W flow around 10-12 knots moves in through the afternoon.

Like I said...we should see plenty of waves this weekend but Sunday looks the best. All areas will have playful sizes but the top NW facing spots and the best S facing breaks (and the excellent combo spots) will see the most size and the most consistency. If you can I would plan on surfing more on Sunday just because the conditions look better...but I would also try and carve out some time to surf early next week as the S swell (and another WNW’er) fill in a bit more and peak.

Here are the tides...Have a great weekend and a happy Easter!

Saturday
05:13AM LDT -0.5 L
11:19AM LDT 3.6 H
04:29PM LDT 1.5 L
10:37PM LDT 5.4 H

Sunday
05:55AM LDT -0.3 L
12:08PM LDT 3.2 H
04:52PM LDT 1.9 L
11:06PM LDT 5.1 H

Wednesday – a shot at some waves

Wednesday could be a surf day...it just depends on your tolerance for high-tide burgers and hepatitis A through F.

We will still have plenty fading but still fun-sized WNW-NW energy in the water...mostly short-period storm-swell leftovers but still rideable at the right spots. Size will be gradually dropping throughout the day but I think that overall shape will actually improve (and the surf seem bigger) as the tide drops through midday/afternoon...the winds may get to it before it has much of a chance to improve though.



Sizewise we can expect some waist-chest high+ surf at the average W facing breaks. Top spots, mostly at the better NW facing breaks in Ventura and San Diego, will have shoulder head high sets, which will get a little less consistent through the afternoon.

Winds look OK...some of the forecasts are calling for SE-ESE winds through the morning...but honestly thanks to that huge shot of cold-ass air that nearly froze my teats off this morning I think that morning winds will be more light/variable than anything. (That is actually what ended up happening on Tuesday...the cold air steamrolled the leftover wind gradient setting up variable to almost offshore winds for some areas through the morning. As a forecaster there is nothing like calling for wind and then having Mother Nature step up and hose you down overnight...anyway enough about my problems). I do expect some moderate onshore breeze through the afternoon.

Personally I am probably going to skip the surf tomorrow...I get enough germs from my kids I don’t need to give myself an extra-shot of the poo-water bird flu...but that is just me. I think that there will be a bunch of mushy, scattered peaks at the standouts beach breaks, probably some nice sideways current too thanks to all the stacked up shape. The points/reefs may be a bit funky but if you can find a spot that likes the shorter-period swell it could still be pretty fun.

Here are the tides...

03:57AM LST 0.7 L
09:49AM LST 5.5 H
04:27PM LST -0.6 L
10:40PM LST 4.9 H