Waves for the Weekend – A couple of surf days

Saturday and Sunday both look like surf days.

There won’t be a ton of swell in the water…but the latest weather forecasts have backed off the funky winds considerably compared to what I was looking at yesterday, which is definitely a good thing. Swellwise we will have a mix of WNW-NW swell (285-300) that will be backing off slowly on Saturday while it mixes with a better looking S-SW swell (180-200). Neither swell will be all that big…but they will be good enough to keep playful waves going at the well exposed spots and even a few little peakatolas at the best combo spots.



Saturday we can expect the average exposed spots to see surf in the knee-waist high range with some inconsistent chest high sets sneaking into the better combo breaks. The standout spots, mostly the standout S facing breaks and the excellent combo spots in Orange County and San Diego, will have more consistent waist-chest high surf with some inconsistent shoulder high+ sets sneaking in on the lower tides.



Sunday a new WNW-NW swell (285-300) will move in to reinforce the dropping NPAC swell…it won’t add a ton of size but it will add a little more kick to the surf and help increase the consistency of the bigger sets. The S-SW swell (180-200) will continue to slowly drop through the background…but we can still expect a few small/playful sets at the well exposed spots. Look for most breaks to continue to see the knee-waist high surf while the standout WNW-NW/S-SSW combo spots see some inconsistent chest-shoulder+ sets.

Both days look pretty clean during the mornings. Expect light and variable winds for most spots and a few areas with some very light offshore flow. It looks like we will be fighting a bit of a marine layer…maybe even some patchy fog…so don’t be surprised if visibility isn’t always that good. The winds should stay on the light side through the afternoons on both Saturday and Sunday…but expect the sea-breeze to develop enough to driving some variable 10-12 knot onshore flow into the more exposed spots.

Saturday Morning Winds



Sunday Morning Winds



It was very nice to see the weather/wind forecast improve for the weekend…I hate seeing any sort of swell get the shaft from the weather conditions. While the surf won’t be the most exciting sizewise I still think we can get out and have some fun. Light winds, decent morning tides, and some waist-shoulder high sets, are all making a pretty good argument on getting out of bed early and braving the cold sand sprint. I think that the beach breaks are going to have the best shape, especially at the top combo spots in OC/SD…but a few of the S facing points are going to be pretty good too. Personally I am going to hunt down a quiet little peak/sandbar close to home…and if the winds stay good, see how many grumpy messages my wife will leave on my phone while I am in the water (my personal best is 5).

Make sure to check out the regional forecasts for the details for each county.

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 great weekend gang!

03/20/2010 Saturday
07:01AM LDT 0.4 L
01:05PM LDT 2.7 H
05:38PM LDT 1.9 L

03/21/2010 Sunday
12:19AM LDT 4.9 H
08:14AM LDT 0.5 L
02:56PM LDT 2.4 H
05:57PM LDT 2.3 L

Surf for Thursday – More combo swell

Thursday will be a surf day.

Our mix of WNW-NW swell (285-300) will hold into Thursday while the S-SW swell (180-210) will actually strengthen just a touch more than we saw on Wednesday. The tidal swings and the locations of the sandbars have been playing a pretty key role in finding quality waves the last couple of days…this will continue on Thursday so keep it in mind when you are selecting a spot.



Most of the average WNW facing breaks and the better combo spots will see some waist-shoulder high surf. Standout NW facing breaks and the excellent combo spot (mostly in Ven/So-Bay/South SD areas) will see surf more in the chest-head high range with some inconsistent overhead sets showing on the lower tides.

It looks like temps will cool off a bit on Thursday…chance for some fog in the morning and some low clouds moving in as well. Winds, fortunately, look pretty good for the morning…expect light and variable to light-offshore flow for most areas. Things get a bit sloppy by the afternoon…W-NW winds 10-15 knots will start to arrive around lunch and peak by mid-afternoon.



Overall Thursday looks fun…not outstanding, but fun and playful at the spots that can pick up more of the swell mix. I think your best bet will be to get out and dawn-patrol…the lighter winds and the lower morning tides (and the eventual tide-push) will offer up the best shape. Watch the winds and the tide…choppy swamp surf doesn’t sound like much fun.

Here are the tides…

03/18/2010 Thursday
05:24AM LDT 0.2 L
11:19AM LDT 3.6 H
04:57PM LDT 1.2 L
11:08PM LDT 5.0 H

Surf for Thursday – Mostly leftovers

Thursday will have some waves but doesn’t look like a surf day (definitely a far cry from the waves earlier this week).

Looks like our run of surf is winding down...the S swell (180-190) is fading out and we don’t have much on tap to replace it. There is a little bit of NW swell (290-300+) and some local windswell that is working to keep wave heights from dropping too fast but there isn’t going to be a lot of energy in the water on Thursday.



Overall we can expect surf in the knee-waist high range...with a few inconsistent chest high sets at the better exposed breaks. The standout spots, mostly through San Diego, will have some chest high+ waves on the better sets. Overall it will be fairly inconsistent...and shape may be a little funky as we see mostly shorter swell periods.

Winds look ok again tomorrow...mostly light and variable through the morning. NW winds 10-15 knots will move in through the afternoon. Looks like Southern SoCal, Orange County and San Diego, have a chance at some more morning fog tomorrow as well...expect a little more texture/bump if the fog rolls over your spot.

I would plan on Thursday being sort of surfy...but not super fun. A lot is going to depend on how exposed your spot is, if you hit the tides/weather right. Ideally I think the morning would be the best shape but you do have the fog, and a slightly higher tide...both of which can be sort of lame if your spot is sensitive. I don’t think there is a “best call” for tomorrow...just try and keep an open mind, bring your smaller wave gear, and you should be able to get a couple of fun ones.

Here are the tides...

04:14AM LDT 3.9 H
12:33PM LDT 0.5 L
07:53PM LDT 3.2 H

Monday’s Surf – The new WNW’er peaks

Monday will definitely be a surf day. We have the new WNW swell (that really starting to grind its way into SoCal) and decent winds for the morning and most of the early afternoon. About the only lameness is a consistent layer of thick fog that is going to swing back and forth across the coastal areas.

Swellwise the majority of the energy hitting SoCal tomorrow will be the WNW swell (285-300) but there will also be some S swell (180-190) hiding in the background. Check out the CDIP…the swell is finally starting to show more around 290-degrees compared to a lot of the initial energy that was coming in closer to 300-degrees.



Most spots with some WNW facing exposure will be in the chest-shoulder high range with some head high sets. The standout NW facing spots, mostly in San Diego but also in the Ventura and South Bay areas, will have consistent shoulder-overhead sets. Top spots in San Diego will have sets going 2-3’+ overhead at times.

Winds look good…mostly light and variable through the morning but watch for some funky texture from the fog winds. Overall I would expect cleaner conditions at spots with some protection from light winds…the more open beach breaks may be a touch bumpy at times.

There is still going to be a pretty big size difference between the top NW facing spots and the average breaks…so if you are looking for bigger surf you are going to want to check those winter standouts. San Diego will have the most consistent, and the biggest, surf but Southern Ventura and the top South Bay spots will have some size as well. With the fog I am not so sure how worth it will be to do a lot of driving…you might spend a bit too much time on the road and not be able to see the surf when you get there. But if you are fine rolling the dice there will definitely be plenty of energy if you stick to the better areas.

Have a good one…here are the tides.

12:01AM LST 3.3’ H
03:39AM LST 2.9’ L
09:54AM LST 5.3’ H
05:53PM LST 0.1’ L