The biggest issue is the return of the eddy…seriously it is almost September…this is getting ridiculous. Well ok now that I think about it really the eddy is the only issue we have on Saturday. There will still be some mixing S-SW swells (180-220) in the water…they will be fading…but with the right combo of tide and exposure they could be fun. All you need is protection from the stupid wind (and since I live a little ways down the street from a really exposed S facing beach I have almost zero protection from the S winds…so the eddy always twists the knife just a little harder. Stupid eddy…I bet dolphins built it).
Wave heights will be dipping down…but a few of the spots that had been shut down by lack-o-windswell will start to see a few new waves as more energy moves in from that direction. Average S facing spots will be in the waist-chest high range on the sets while the standout breaks see some shoulder high sets. There may be a bigger wave or two at the top spots, but expect size and consistency to back down through the day. NW facing spots start to see a bump up as local NW windswell increases pushing most spots into the knee-waist high range with a few waist high+ sets sneaking into the best areas.
The models…both the COAMPS and the NOAA/NWS are calling for the eddy in the morning. The COAMPS is a bit stronger with the center of the eddy up around Palos Verdes. The NWS guys have it positioned a bit more toward Catalina...and they have it starting off a little lighter. In general I am expecting a mix variable onshore winds for Ventura up through Santa Barbara…sort of a W-SW for SB, more S-SE toward Ventura. Then SE for LA county. OC and SD get the shaft with mostly S winds. All of this will be in the 3-5 knot range for the morning and then the winds will shift more W and push up into the 10-15 knot range at the most exposed areas.
Check out the live wind forecasts for a few sample spots (hint we have these for all of our surf spots)
Sands (Santa Barbara)
C-street (Ventura)
Malibu
El Porto
Huntington Beach
Trestles
Cardiff
Mission Beach
Your best bet is going to be the breaks that can block the wind and still pick up the S swell…there are a handful of spots throughout SoCal that can almost pull it off…but not that many. There will be more windswelly spots that have protection, but even though the surf is cleaner the surf will be smaller and weaker. It will be one of those compromise days…do you want clean smaller surf or junky bigger surf…the same pain in the butt choice that us Socal guys end up making too many times throughout the year. Oh and I would probably stick with the smaller wave boards, even at the top S facing spots…sets are getting pretty inconsistent and it will be nice to be able to pick off even the small ones.
Your best bet is going to be the breaks that can block the wind and still pick up the S swell…there are a handful of spots throughout SoCal that can almost pull it off…but not that many. There will be more windswelly spots that have protection, but even though the surf is cleaner the surf will be smaller and weaker. It will be one of those compromise days…do you want clean smaller surf or junky bigger surf…the same pain in the butt choice that us Socal guys end up making too many times throughout the year. Oh and I would probably stick with the smaller wave boards, even at the top S facing spots…sets are getting pretty inconsistent and it will be nice to be able to pick off even the small ones.
