Surf for Monday – Building SW’er and more local windswell

Monday is looking surfable…but I think that the combo of higher morning tides and variable onshore winds will keep it from being a real surf day.

In the water we are going to see a mix of building SW swell (200-220) coming in from the Southern Hemisphere and increasing local NW windswell. We will also have some background S swell and weak W swell still sort of lingering from the weekend…but definitely dropping off as we move through the day.



Wave heights will hold around the waist-chest high range at the “average” exposed breaks…basically spots that have only partial exposure to the swell mix…but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a chest high+ set at those areas on the lower tides. Standout NW facing spots, mostly through San Diego, and the good NW/SW combo spots, will be in the waist-shoulder high range for the most part…but again it looks like there could be a few bigger sets as the tides get lower and the swell builds more into the afternoon.

Winds don’t look great tomorrow…NW winds are expected to blow pretty hard through the outer waters and spin up the eddy closer to the coast. Expect NW winds around 5-10 knots to blow through most of Santa Barbara and Ventura (possibly out towards North LA as well) through the morning. Orange County and San Diego will have more of a variable onshore flow…slightly southerly by mid-morning…but winds will be a bit lighter…more around the 5-knot range. All areas will have building onshore WNW-NW winds around 10-15+ knots by the afternoon.



So for tomorrow…I do think that there will still be enough swell in the water to have some fun…nothing great by any means but still crossed up enough to keep both the beach breaks, and the better reefs/points, fairly rideable. Like I said…the winds and the tides are going to be the biggest downer…but we might be able to sneak out early enough to grab a few before the tide swamps it out. If you can I would try and get on it as close to sunrise as you can, see if you can beat the winds and the tides, and hopefully grab a few semi-clean ones before the afternoon onshores tear it up.

Here are the tides…

03:40AM LDT 1.5 L
09:46AM LDT 6.2 H (ouch)
04:55PM LDT -0.5 L
11:06PM LDT 4.0 H

Wednesday’s Waves – Starting off slow...really slow

I don’t think that Wednesday is going to be too much of a surf morning...but we will have some new sets slowly filling in through the afternoon.

The swell models are showing our new S-SSW swell (180-210) arriving slowly throughout the day on Wednesday...but I think they are being a little optimistic with the swell period, which they have running at 22-seconds for the start of this swell. Likely what we are going to see is that long-period energy on the buoys in the morning but not much on the beach until later in the day... (and really the swell will be peaking Thursday and Friday at the exposed spots).

Here is a super weather nerd picture...so please skip this section if you just want the surf for tomorrow. This is the actual text output from WavewatchIII (for the 46224 output if it means anything to you guys)...in that part I circled is the new swell...from left to right you have wave height (in meters), swell period, and direction (you have to add 180-degrees for a proper swell angle)...oh and the times are in zulu time which is always a pain in the ass. Anyways it shows that while there are some longer periods there isn’t a ton of “size” behind it tomorrow...at least according to the model and in this case I actually think the computer is overcalling it a bit for tomorrow...



So for actual surf sizes tomorrow...expect a slow dawn patrol with lots of spots holding in the knee high range, and the top spots seeing some rare waist high sets. It will be extra-soft thanks to the higher tide that peaks right at 8am...but we will see some improvement as the tide drops and the swell fills in.

Winds look good...mostly light and variable through the morning. W-winds around 10-12+ knots for the afternoon.

I think that you should take the morning slow...there isn’t going to be much out there (and the tide will kill what is left)...so you will basically be in the water to enjoy the weather/experience rather than surfing. If you were going to be a bit more opportunistic...I would keep an eye on the cameras and the winds during the afternoon as the swell starts to fill in a bit more.

Here are the tides

02:18AM LDT 0.5 L
08:09AM LDT 4.1 H
02:07PM LDT 0.7 L
08:13PM LDT 5.2 H

Waves for the Weekend – Surf Time!

This will be a surf weekend...Saturday looks like a fun surf day through the morning...and Sunday, well Sunday looks a bit funky as S winds move in from the local eddy.

We are going to have plenty of swell for the weekend...new S swell (180-190) began filling in here on Friday and it will peak on Saturday and Sunday before slowly fading through the beginning of next week.



Saturday the S facing breaks will have surf in the chest-shoulder high range. The better exposed spots will have head high sets while the standout breaks in Orange County and North San Diego County see overhead waves sneaking through on the lower tides.

Saturday’s weather looks ok...winds look mostly light and variable to light-offshore in the morning. W winds around 10-15 knots fill in through the afternoon and start to spin up the eddy overnight.

Sunday will have similar sizes as Saturday...lots of waves in the chest-shoulder high range with head high and overhead waves at the top S-facing spots.

Sunday’s weather is another story...stronger winds in the outer waters will form up the coastal eddy sending in S winds around 10 knots for Sunday morning and SW winds around 10-12 knots for the afternoon. Now these winds aren’t horrible but they aren’t going to make a lot of the “exposed” breaks all that clean...you are going to have to sacrifice cleanliness for size, which sucks. I would probably try to find areas that have some high cliffs or big kelp patches that can knock down a bit of the surface bump.



For the best conditions/tide/size combo I would plan on trying to surf early on Saturday before the tide starts to swamp things out. I got a few waves on Friday around lunchtime, and granted the swell was still filling in, but the high tide really worked over the shape...it had some potential but man it could barely break on the outside and this was a spot that normally works ok with a little more water. Anyway...the biggest surf will be showing through Orange County and North SD...but there will be a few fun size waves at the summer spots in the other regions as well...again it is worth noting that Northern LA county is going to have some shadowing issues, particularly as you get closer to Malibu, so keep that in mind if you are surfing around there.

On Sunday we are just going to have to cross our fingers that the eddy doesn’t get as strong as it is forecasting it to be this afternoon...I would probably take the morning a bit slower and see if you can get a read on conditions before jamming down to the beach.

Here are the tides...have a good one!

Saturday
06:15AM LDT 0.1 L
12:10PM LDT 3.5 H
05:35PM LDT 1.3 L
11:52PM LDT 5.0 H

Sunday
07:07AM LDT 0.4 L
01:08PM LDT 2.9 H
05:53PM LDT 1.8 L

Tuesday’s Surf – Small and clean...again

Tuesday will be nice and clean but there still isn’t much swell out there. (Fortunately there is a much better looking shot of swell coming in later this week and this weekend).

Anyway for Tuesday we can expect more, small, overlapping WNW swells and just some very minor SW background energy. Most spots will hold around knee-high+. The standouts in San Diego see some waist-chest high waves on the best sets.

The tide is going to bog us down again through the first part of the day but winds will continue to be pretty good...so there is a chance at some slightly better shape on the afternoon low tides.

Winds will continue to have more Santa Ana flow through the morning...N-NE winds around 10-15+ knots with stronger gusts around the usual passes and canyons. Variable, but light winds move in through the afternoon...generally staying below 10-12 knots for most areas. Check out what the COAMPS is saying about tomorrow morning.



I think your best bet is to wait for the tide to drop after it peaks midmorning (or get up really freaking early for the dawn patrol)...I would probably bring the longboard as well...just not enough juice in the water to power us through the fatter (not with a “ph”) edges of the tide.

Here are the tides...

04:07AM LST 1.4 L
10:01AM LST 6.0 H (stop it already moon!)
05:06PM LST -1.1 L
11:29PM LST 4.5 H

Wednesday's Waves - A good reason to get some chores done

Wednesday is not really going to be a surf day. There will be a few "rideable" (and I use the term loosely) waves at some of breaks that can power through the morning tide but overall I am not expecting much.

We have a couple of leftover swells in the water...some weakening SW energy and touch of NW swell that is holding in the background. Here is the CDIP from this afternoon...it is going to be very similar tomorrow.



Look for most spots to be in the knee-waist high range tomorrow, with nearly flat to shorebreaky shape as the high tide peaks midmorning. Top combo spots, mostly in San Diego, which is doing slightly better on picking up some of the NW energy, we will have some chest high sets...but again expect tide problems at most breaks.

Winds look ok in the morning...mostly light and variable through midmorning. Looks like there is still a chance at some fog...at least according to the NWS models but I would probably get up and check the cams for visibility and see if we get lucky like we did on Tuesday. Afternoon winds come onshore out of the NW around 10-15 knots.

I would probably plan on getting some work done tomorrow...or chores...or just catching up on some sleep...there just isn't much going on surfwise tomorrow. It won't be totally flat but it won't be worth spending much time surfing. That being said it won't be a bad beginner day, the waves will be soft, probably uncrowded, so you might be able to get a little training session in. Bring your small wave gear, longboards will be best, and try and pick a spot that can handle the tide.

03:10AM 1.8' Low
09:16AM 6.0' High
04:28PM -0.2' Low
10:39PM 3.8' High

Waves for the Weekend - Tide Swamp, Fog, and Surf

Saturday and Sunday will have enough swell to be surf days...but the combo of tides, fog, and winds will work hard to hamper our enjoyment.

We will have a couple of SSW-SW swells overlapping this weekend that mix with a bit of background NW windswell and a touch of longer-period (10-12 second) NW swell.

Average S-facing spots, mostly through North LA and a few of the other spots that are sort of on the bubble, will be in the waist-chest high range with some inconsistent shoulder high sets.

Standout S-SW facing breaks through Orange County and San Diego will be in the chest-shoulder high range with some bigger head high sets at the top spots.

The lame fog will continue at least through Saturday morning (but probably early Sunday as well)...so look for hard to see and lightly textured conditions through the dawn patrols. The fog is forecast to burn off in the afternoons but onshore winds out of the NW at about 12-14 knots slip into its place and helps to slop things up.

Tides will continue to be an issue, particularly through the mornings...we see a 5'+ high tide peak both Saturday and Sunday around 8:45-9:00am both days. This higher tide is going to make the wave heights seem a lot smaller, and shape will suck for many spots, but the swell is out there so we just need to cross our fingers that the tide will drop, the fog lifts, and the winds stay down long enough for conditions to pull themselves together.

If you have to get out and surf early I would try and pick spots that have a little shelter from the foggy onshore texture (spots with high cliffs or a pier/jetty/kelp...something to knock down the light breeze)...you are also going to want to try and hit up a break that can handle the high tide.

Here are the tides

Saturday

02:35AM -0.1' Low
08:43AM 5.3' High
02:48PM 0.8' Low
08:40PM 5.5' High

Sunday

03:03AM 0.2' Low
09:08AM 5.5' High
03:26PM 0.5' Low
09:20PM 5.2' High


The Cosmic Creek contest is down at Salt Creek in Orange County this weekend...so if you weren't planning on watching a contest then you might want to avoid the spot. They are going to be surfing on both Saturday and Sunday so expect limited access to the surf there. If the fog burns off...the contest is sort of cool...you have to ride 70's shapes, which makes for some interesting heats. They always have some sort of other nonsense going on down at the beach so if you got time to kill it might be worth walking down and checking it out.




Have a great weekend...hope you guys can dial in a few waves between all the funk!

Tuesday’s Surf – Small with a touch of new SW swell

Tuesday is not going to be much of a surf day.

We will have mostly smaller swells in the water, there is a high tide that rolls through during the cleanest conditions in the morning, and the winds are expected to come onshore in the afternoon.

Swellwise we will have a mix of SW swells and some dropping local windswell. Our surf will be in the waist-high range for many areas while the standout combo spots, mostly in San Diego, will have some chest high+ sets as the tide drops.

There is a nearly 5’ high tide that hits right near 7am so expect the morning to be pretty swampy…probably even close to unsurfable at most spots. There may be a few waves breaking on the really good reefs and sandbars but expect those to be on the soft side too.

Winds will be light and variable onshore in the morning (but mostly below 5-8 knots). Afternoon winds build out of the west around 10+ knots.

I am going to be taking it easy in the morning…maybe walk the horse-dog or something…because it is going to be pretty bogged down by that high tide during the dawn patrol. For the rest of the day…I am going to keep my fingers crossed that our new SW swell builds in fast, the winds stay light, and the tide drop helps out the shape (I am not asking for much)…but if all those things pull together I think we might be able to grab a couple of fun ones a little before lunchtime.

No Waves for Wednesday – Stay in bed…seriously. Just surf your pillow.

Ok last post for the day…I promise.

Wednesday’s surf isn’t looking very fun. In fact it isn’t even looking rideable through the morning high tide.

We will have mostly leftover WNW swell (and a touch of very steep NW swell hanging in the background). Most spots will start off waist-high and smaller with mostly shorebreak shape. A few of the standout high-tide NW spots will have some chest high waves on the best sets.

Conditions are looking sloppy. SW winds around 10 knots and drizzle are expected through the morning. Those winds turn more W by the afternoon…and then increase into the 10-20 knot range by the evening/night.

If there were going to be a surf window it would be in the morning but since the tide is going to kill it that kind of screws us. Onshore winds and rain will help seal the “no surfing” deal once the tide drops.

I will be in bed.

Surf on Thursday – Another small & playful day

Thursday will be pretty similar to Wednesday…maybe a touch less swell overall but not really that much difference in size.

We will continue to see a mix of SW and WNW energy in the water along with just a touch of local windswell. Surf will be right around waist high for most areas. San Diego, and maybe the South Bay, will have some chest high sets.

Tides will continue to be an issue…so expect it to be pretty bogged down through most of the morning. There may be a slightly better window for the dawn patrol than we have had for the last couple of days…but even with that it is going to be pretty swamped out.

Winds and weather will be nice. Mostly light offshore and sunny through the morning.

Personally I am going to probably shine it in the morning. Not enough swell to really get me interested…but I may take a look at it during lunch to see if the tide drop helps it.

If you do head down to surf make sure to bring the right gear…longboard or a fish will be the best call…pick a good high-tide spot too…something with a real shallow sandbar or reef would be the best bet.

Thursday’s Surf – Some waves with a side of high-tide

Thursday looks pretty surfable...our NW and SSW swells will continue to send in some waves in the chest-high+ range while standout spots see bigger sets. The Wind, which is expected to blow onshore throughout Wednesday night (adding some windswell to the swell mix), will switch back to the N-NE and will help to clean up conditions.

About the only bummer is the 5’+ high tide that rolls through mid-morning. That high of a tide will bog down a lot of areas and push the surf up close to the beach giving it near shorebreak shape.

Expect the biggest and best surf at breaks in San Diego, The South Bay, and parts of OC that can handle the higher tide (good sandbars, reefs, or points). Other spots will be smaller and less consistent…particularly up towards Santa Barbara.

Thursday’s Surf: Clean and Fun

While Thursday won’t be as big (or as windy) as it was earlier in the week, it should still be plenty of fun. Our S-SW swell will be dropping but a small reinforcement from the WNW will move in to help prop up waves at the winter spots. Conditions are forecast to be clean with light-variable winds on tap for most of the day with slight onshore texture in the afternoon.

It will be surfable for the dawn patrol but we have a pretty high tide coming through right in the middle of the morning which could swamp out many spots. If you are surfing early look for a break that likes a little more water, most points will be working along with high tide reefs, or good sandbars. Overall it should be fun, nothing super critical, but if you catch it on the right tide there could be some playful sections.

Personally I will be heading out in the morning and will probably take along a friend who is still learning. I figure that with the dropping, but still fun, swell and tide swamp there should be something for both of us to ride.