Plenty more surf on the way!

We’re getting some much needed rain but we’re also getting some much needed thumping waves with howling offshore winds!  Not too shabby!  We’re seeing the back end of this last NW groundswell on Wednesday.  Still plenty of juice left for most of the day.  The day will kick off with waves in the HH/OH range for SD and shoulder/HH in OC and a bit smaller for LA.   We’re looking at shoulder/HH by nightfall and into Thurs morning.  Waist/chest high and fairly messy windswell type waves for Friday before picking up slightly with a new NW on Saturday.  Waves in the waist/chest range and should be cleaning up a bit with less windswell in it.  Late Sat and early Sun is when we’ll see the NW pick up a bit more with shoulder/HH waves by late Sun morning and through most of the day.  Swell peaks midday and drops off to chest high for Monday and Tues.  Christmas Eve starts off about the same size but we should see the precursors of the next really good swell.  This looks like it should have some nice powerful long period sets rolling in later in the day on Christmas Eve.  It looks like Santa will be delivering some potentially sizable waves on Christmas Day!  That’s still a ways away so I’ll fill you in on how that looks later this weekend.

As for the weather we’re still looking at more rain as the jet stream continues to throw storms at California and the warm water keeps dragging the moisture rich Pineapple Express up from the south.  This last storm is a bit cooler but is still delivering more of the much needed H2O that California needs.  More scattered heavy showers tonight and thru Wednesday and slight chances of showers for early Wed night.  Clearing Thurs and Fri with the next slight chance of showers Fri night and thru Sat.  Skies clear and warm up Sunday and into the next week. 

The long-term forecast puts a 50% chance of showers for late Christmas Eve and half way thru the holiday.  Air temps in the low 60s thru Sat, high 60s/low 70s thru Wed before that next system comes in and cools things down for Christmas Day.  Winds look to get a little gusty overnight, calm thru the day but blow out of the south and pick up in the evening out of the south.  Light to moderate south and east winds for Thursday with slightly more light/moderate onshore W winds for Friday.  Water temps are incredibly warm still with 64 the norm around San Diego and still low 60s for OC and some high 50s around LA.  This is definitely helping keep the moisture content up in these storms.  As we approach the new moon we’re coming up on the typical Xmas super night tides for the dawn patrollers and more drained out conditions for the midday/early afternoon sessions.

Lots going on in the ocean of ours!  Hope you’re enjoying the waves but being smart about where you surf after the significant rainfall.

Stay wet and stay healthy So Cal!

Mish

 

Tides for La Jolla (Scripps Institution Wharf) starting with December 17, 2014.

www.saltwatertides.com

Day        High      Tide  Height   Sunrise    Moon  Time      % Moon

           /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset                    Visible

W   17     High   5:29 AM     5.1   6:46 AM    Rise  2:15 AM      28

    17      Low  12:25 PM     0.7   4:45 PM     Set  1:41 PM

    17     High   6:27 PM     3.3

    17      Low  11:29 PM     1.7

Th  18     High   6:04 AM     5.5   6:46 AM    Rise  3:13 AM      19

    18      Low   1:02 PM     0.0   4:46 PM     Set  2:21 PM

    18     High   7:14 PM     3.5

F   19      Low  12:11 AM     1.7   6:47 AM    Rise  4:12 AM      12

    19     High   6:40 AM     5.9   4:46 PM     Set  3:06 PM

    19      Low   1:39 PM    -0.5

    19     High   7:57 PM     3.8

Sa  20      Low  12:51 AM     1.6   6:47 AM    Rise  5:12 AM      6

    20     High   7:16 AM     6.2   4:46 PM     Set  3:57 PM

    20      Low   2:17 PM    -1.0

    20     High   8:38 PM     3.9

Su  21      Low   1:32 AM     1.6   6:48 AM    Rise  6:12 AM      1

    21     High   7:55 AM     6.4   4:47 PM     Set  4:54 PM

    21      Low   2:55 PM    -1.3

    21     High   9:19 PM     4.0

Winter swell is upon us!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAll aboard!!!  Hop on because the swell train is coming!  By Tuesday morning we’re looking at the beginning of a week of great winter swell.  The tricky part will be the weather and how it plays into the whole picture.  The biggest stuff will be in the southern end in SD with OC and LA picking up swell but a few feet smaller than San Diego especially on the biggest days. 

For Tuesday we’re looking at WNW chest/shoulder high surf around most of So Cal.  The next NW swell fills in Wednesday with some shoulder/HH surf and an overhead set at the better spots.  The swell holds thru the day and is backed up on Thursday by yet another NW swell with a bit more angle so SD will see a bit more swell than OC and LA.  Still plenty of surf in the HH/OH range for Thursday and thru Friday.  The juiciest stuff starts to roll in late Friday with long period swell showing in the evening.  These sets will jump up as the swell (and potentially a decent storm) fills in overnight.  The late Friday waves are looking to be a few feet overhead and by Saturday morning we’ll see WNW waves in the 10-13’ face range in San Diego and a few feet OH in OC and LA.  Lots of west in this big swell so plenty of waves at all breaks with a lot of closeouts at the west facing beaches.  The swell peaks late morning/midday with potentially double overhead sets at the best winter breaks in SD.  By Sunday we’re looking at a backing off swell but still plenty of waves in the OH range for SD and HH+ range for OC/LA.  Monday the swell is back down to the HH range as we pause to take a quick break and rest our arms.  The good news is that there’s another storm that looks like it’s going to sent more WNW our way for that next Tues/Wed.   

Weather is the big question mark in the sky!  It could be a major spoiler later in the week as a very large storm makes landfall on California.  The first part of the week will see some patchy dense fog in the morning and evening with some clearing midday Tuesday and Wednesday.  Fog makes way to clouds for Wed night and Thursday but by Thursday night the rain is forecasted to hit late in the night/early Fri morning and be heavy at times.  The worst news is the winds that are forecasted to hit along with the storm.  That massive swell will most likely be a blown out mess with 20-30mph winds throughout So Cal Thursday night thru Friday.  Rain and winds looks to tapers off late Fri night but I’m thinking that conditions aren’t going to be too ideal Sat AM.  Sat and Sun clear up significantly so hopefully by late Sat and Sun the remnants of that big swell will be ridable.  Air temps will remain in the 60s with high 60s thru Thurs and then low 60s for Fri at that storm moves thru and then warming back into the high 60s for the weekend.  Tides will be on the move for the next few days and then flatten out as we progress into the weekend.  A tide push into the medium high mid-morning drains out to a near zero low by sundown.   Water temps in the mid-60s and I expect that to drop a few degrees with this next storm and big swell.

Have a fantastic week and enjoy all the fun surf before that next storm rolls thru town!

Stay wet but stay healthy for the holidays So Cal!  If you're reading this from Hawaii or headed there soon you're stoked as the Waimea buoy is starting to build with 8' @18 seconds!  Oweeee!

Mish

A few to wet your appetite…Jan. 14, 2010… 

(Photos © Mishfish Photography)

 Tides for La Jolla (Scripps Institution Wharf) starting with December 9, 2014.

www.saltwatertides.com
Day        High      Tide  Height   Sunrise    Moon  Time      % Moon

           /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset                    Visible

Tu   9      Low   3:54 AM     2.2   6:40 AM     Set  9:02 AM      94

     9     High  10:02 AM     5.4   4:43 PM    Rise  8:00 PM

     9      Low   5:08 PM    -0.3

     9     High  11:52 PM     3.8

W   10      Low   4:37 AM     2.5   6:41 AM     Set  9:42 AM      89

    10     High  10:39 AM     5.0   4:43 PM    Rise  8:53 PM

    10      Low   5:48 PM     0.1

Th  11     High  12:42 AM     3.7   6:42 AM     Set 10:18 AM      82

    11      Low   5:29 AM     2.7   4:43 PM    Rise  9:46 PM

    11     High  11:19 AM     4.5

    11      Low   6:30 PM     0.5

F   12     High   1:37 AM     3.7   6:42 AM     Set 10:52 AM      74

    12      Low   6:38 AM     2.8   4:43 PM    Rise 10:39 PM

    12     High  12:08 PM     4.0

    12      Low   7:16 PM     0.9

Sa  13     High   2:34 AM     3.9   6:43 AM     Set 11:25 AM      65

    13      Low   8:08 AM     2.8   4:44 PM    Rise 11:32 PM

    13     High   1:17 PM     3.5

    13      Low   8:07 PM     1.2