A week of big fun surf!

You’ve probably already heard but just in case you haven’t…it’s about to get big. Yup, all that grumbling about it being the worst winter ever is about to end. New NW groundswell is already on the buoys at 20 second intervals so Sunday will be the first day of real swell here in So Cal for 2014.  Looks for super inconsistent waist/chest high waves to start the day with size picking up all day.  We should see chest/shoulder high waves by nightfall with some bigger HH sets at the better winter spots.  By Monday morning we’re looking at HH/OH+ surf around town with plenty of west making for fun surf all over So Cal.  Consistency should pick up throughout the day with this first of three swells peaking late in the day.  Tuesday morning we’re still in the HH/OH range as the next swell fills in on top of the first one. More HH/OH+ waves all over town with lots of west so west facing spots will most likely be closing out.  This swell peaks in the OH++ range…7-10’ faces and some doozy clean up sets at nightfall. That swell peaks overnight with plenty of swell for Wednesday morning in the HH/OH range.  Size backs off through the day with HH by nightfall. 

Thursday sees sustained chest/shoulder high surf as the next swell gets ready to move in Friday. Friday morning will be similar to Thursday but by midday/late afternoon we’ll see some very inconsistent but really big surf starting to fill in.  We’re looking at DOH (10-12’+) faced waves out of the WNW especially on the sets and certainly bigger at the best winter spots.  Saturday morning is looking pretty massive (and chaotic) as the swell holds and consistency improves through the morning.  The swell peaks a bit after midday before backing off. The jet stream has these storms moving north pretty quickly but this storm is huge so we’ll still see plenty of well OH surf for Sunday and things back off further into the HH range for Monday.  Then we get a little break as the storms window quiets down and we’re back into the waist/chest high surf.

The best news for us surfers it that the weather is going to be just about perfect. Not a drop of rain in sight and winds cooperating with the arrival of these new swells.  We’re looking at sunshine, mid to high 70s for the first half of the week and then low to mid 70s for the second half of the week and into the weekend.  The clear skies will bring in some cool nighttime temps in the mid to high 40s.  A few clouds and maybe some marine layer for the second half of the week so all you morning surf photogs get on it Mon-Wed for the best shooting conditions.  Winds will be light out of the NE or NW all week.  Water temps in the high 50s around most of town with some cooler temps south of Pt. Loma.  The tides are going to cooperate nicely with the swells as we have medium high tides mid/late-morning backing off to a barely negative low tide in the late afternoon just before sunset. 

Looks like a fantastic week of surf!  I’m sure the crowds will be crazy so be careful out there!  Stay wet San Diego!

Lates!

Mish

Ocean Notes:

1)      There’s a new buzz in the lineup and it’s coming from overhead!  Check out the bird's eye footage of perfect Pipe!  Awesome!

2)    Read about Jaime Mitchell’s harrowing experience on that 60 foot wave in France last week.  Insanity!

3)   If you haven’t already glued yourself to YouTube to watch these check out Surfline’s "Wave of the Winter" lineup of some insane waves from the past few months…of course, not here in So Cal but that might all change!

 

 A few pics from my collection. 

January 14, 2010 Secret Spot 

Surfer: Unknown

Tides for La Jolla (Scripps Institution Wharf) starting with January 18, 2014.

www.saltwatertides.com

Day        High      Tide  Height   Sunrise    Moon  Time      % Moon

           /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset                    Visible

Sa  18      Low   3:39 AM     1.6   6:51 AM     Set  8:03 AM      97

    18     High   9:44 AM     5.2   5:08 PM    Rise  7:44 PM

    18      Low   4:29 PM    -0.3

    18     High  10:59 PM     4.0

Su  19      Low   4:16 AM     1.7   6:51 AM     Set  8:36 AM      93

    19     High  10:15 AM     4.9   5:09 PM    Rise  8:38 PM

    19      Low   4:57 PM     0.0

    19     High  11:31 PM     4.0

M   20      Low   4:57 AM     1.8   6:50 AM     Set  9:08 AM      88

    20     High  10:49 AM     4.4   5:10 PM    Rise  9:32 PM

    20      Low   5:26 PM     0.4

Tu  21     High  12:07 AM     4.0   6:50 AM     Set  9:41 AM      81

    21      Low   5:49 AM     1.9   5:11 PM    Rise 10:28 PM

    21     High  11:29 AM     3.9

    21      Low   5:56 PM     0.8

W   22     High  12:49 AM     4.1   6:49 AM     Set 10:15 AM      73

    22      Low   6:58 AM     1.9   5:12 PM    Rise 11:26 PM

    22     High  12:24 PM     3.3

    22      Low   6:32 PM     1.2