No crowds...less surf...more on the way!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarg matey!  Some smaller surf this week but don’t fret.  We’ll see a little NW wind swell Thursday with some waist high waves and a bit more NW groundswell for Friday in the waist/chest range.  Things will peak late Friday night so Saturday is starting in the waist/chest range with fading surf through the day and Sunday.  Back into the knee/waist high range by the end of Sunday.  We’ll see a hint of background south swell Fri/Sat but the NW will dominate.  Monday it looks like we’ll see some weak WNW to keep things barely alive and in the knee/waist high range.  Size will hold for Tuesday but a couple of storms in both hemispheres look like they should throw us some fun surf.  That’ll start with some SW late Monday and then some NW groundswell picking up around Wed.  The jet stream is pushing the Northern Hemi storms north so they’re not having as much time to build momentum…we like momentum!  Of course, that’s also making for some nice weather down our way.  I’d rather have clouds and swell than sun and no surf.  How about you?

Speaking of sun…we’ll have a cloudy and possibly drizzly day Thursday with clouds and patchy fog for Friday.  A bit more sunshine for Sat and mostly sunny and warming up for Sunday. Mid 60s for the work week and some mid to upper 60s for the weekend and into the start of next week.  Clearer skies towards the end of the weekend will make for some chilly nights!  Winds don’t look like they’ll be a factor for the next 5 days with very light winds if any at all throughout the day.  Mild SE or calm at night and light west by midday.  Tides are pretty mellow through the daylight hours with a bit more water movement as we hit the weekend and into next week.  By Saturday and Sunday we’ll have some bigger morning high tides draining out to near or negative low tides midday.  Water temps are still pretty nice though...maybe dropped a degree or two…high 50s to low 60s around town.

Looks like some smaller but decent surf in the next few days.  Hit a beach break for the most short board action I’m guessing…or log it at a reef.   Just stay wet!

I’m out!

Mish

Ocean Notes:

1)       If you haven’t finished your holiday shopping you can still get in on the good…the green goods that is!  Our friends at Treehugger have provided suggestions for everyone on your list…foodie, kiddie, techie, and of course the treehugger!  And if there is someone who just has everything…check here for something unusual but useful from Uncommon Goods!

2)      Looking for things to do over the next few weeks to get you in the holiday mood…besides spending a billion dollars at a shopping mall?  Check out this local holiday calendar for all the holiday happenings around town.  December Nights in Balboa Park is this weekend too!  Parades…ice skating…tree lighting…how could you NOT be festive?  Festivus with the rest of us!  

3)      Heads up!  That drizzle we had down here last weekend was a whopper of a storm up north and that translates into SNOW for Mammoth. The whole mountain is open this weekend after 4-6’ of beautiful powpow fell last week.

4)      Yes, I was looking forward to seeing all the pics from last weekend’s swell…ask and ye shall receive!  Thank you Surfline!

5)      And of course there are bound to be countless videos from this last swell that lit up California… here's one of them!   

6)      And what would a WNW swell be without pics from the North Shore?

Tides for La Jolla (Scripps Institution Wharf) starting with December 6, 2012.

www.saltwatertides.com

Day        High      Tide  Height   Sunrise    Moon  Time      % Moon

           /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset                    Visible

Th   6     High   3:07 AM     4.1   6:38 AM     Set 11:52 AM      58

     6      Low   9:06 AM     2.4   4:43 PM

     6     High   2:23 PM     3.5

     6      Low   8:48 PM     1.1

F    7     High   3:54 AM     4.6   6:39 AM    Rise 12:20 AM      47

     7      Low  10:24 AM     1.7   4:43 PM     Set 12:26 PM

     7     High   3:57 PM     3.3

     7      Low   9:43 PM     1.3

Sa   8     High   4:37 AM     5.2   6:40 AM    Rise  1:23 AM      37

     8      Low  11:25 AM     0.9   4:43 PM     Set  1:04 PM

     8     High   5:18 PM     3.4

     8      Low  10:37 PM     1.5

Su   9     High   5:20 AM     5.7   6:41 AM    Rise  2:28 AM      26

     9      Low  12:16 PM     0.1   4:43 PM     Set  1:45 PM

     9     High   6:24 PM     3.6

     9      Low  11:28 PM     1.6

M   10     High   6:03 AM     6.3   6:41 AM    Rise  3:36 AM      17

    10      Low   1:03 PM    -0.7   4:43 PM     Set  2:31 PM

    10     High   7:20 PM     3.8

Leftovers in the HH range with more swell all week

Yeehaw!  What a crazy weekend of surf!  It was a smidge crowded in some spots but lots of waves and lots and lots of size!  We’re seeing the tail end of that WNW for Monday in the shoulder/HH range.  Size will diminish throughout the day.  Tuesday we’ll see most waist/chest high surf to start the day and waist high for Wednesday.  By Thursday we’re looking at some shorter period WNW groundswell with surf in the waist high range and some chest high sets by evening.  And believe it or not there’s some significant activity in the Southern Hemi so we’re actually going to see some background SW as well!  Surf at the south facing summer beaches are looking at some waist high surf with the occasional chest high set!  The south should last for a day or so giving the breaks some added peaky fun through Friday.  On top of the south will be a more swell later in the day out of the NW giving us some surf in the shoulder high range for the sunset sessions.  That quickie swell will peak Friday night and taper off Saturday with surf in the waist/chest range to start the day and waist high to end the day.  Looks like we’ll see a new shorter period WNW groundswell for the second half of Sunday with surf starting waist high and picking up through the day with waist/chest and some shoulder high sets to finish off the day and start the work week.  The Jet Stream is taking an interesting track south with not only allows storms to warm up and ramp up but it also plops the swell smack dab into our swell window…Thank You Mother Nature!  Looks like another potential nice WNW for the middle of next week.  Will keep my eyes peeled an let you know how that pans out!

The weather certainly kept us on our toes this weekend too!  Looks like the 50/50 weather meant half the weekend was gorgeous and half the weekend was ugly and drizzling! We’ll it’s only rain!  Some great clean conditions for most of the weekend though and pretty much the same conditions for the first half of this week…clean relatively calm winds.  Still some clouds and marine layer through Tuesday but the good news is that we’ll be seeing more sunshine staring Wed and through the weekend. Air temps in the mid to high 60s.  Water temps actually seemed to warm up a little so we’re looking at low/mid60s.  Tides are evening out as we come off the full moon.  Transition from medium low to the late morning/midday medium high should lend a nice push for the dawn patrol.  The evening low will be pretty low a few hours after sunset.

Pretty fun weekend with some leftovers to start the week. Not a bad way to kick off December!

Stay wet San Diego!

Mish

Ocean Notes:

1)       As most veterans of my surf blog know I am a huge proponent for clean water especially surfing in clean water!  My motto is…come on, say it if you know it…DON’T SURF IN POO!  Be smart about where and when you surf!  And check out websites like the San Diego CoastKeeper’s San Diego County Beach Status.  They’ll tell you where the poo is flowing if at all.  And give the ocean at least a day or two to clean up after a decent rain with runoff.

2)      While we were grinning from ear to ear over here in SoCal the folks over on the North Shore were having a little party of their own!  Check out the epic surf over there!

3)      Here’s a class to head back to school for… holding your breath!  Those double or triple wave hold downs seem like eternity when you’re sitting on the ocean floor feeling your board tug on your leash as it gets thrown around at the surface.  Why not learn to hold your breath calmly for 2-3 minutes? 

4)      After a long day at work why not kick back and watch a surf, skate or snow flick on the big screen!  La Paloma Theater always has something good showing.  Check out the latest or a vintage flick with a bag of popcorn and some jujubes!

5)      And to throw a little holiday spice into my blog here’s a fun article on DIY (that’s “do-it-yourself”) holiday ornaments .

 

 This was my post-surf breakfast from T's Cafe this weekend...I love Winter surf sessions!

Tides for La Jolla (Scripps Institution Wharf) starting with December 3, 2012.

www.saltwatertides.com

Day        High      Tide  Height   Sunrise    Moon  Time      % Moon

           /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset                    Visible

M    3     High  12:27 AM     3.5   6:36 AM     Set 10:09 AM      84

     3      Low   4:48 AM     2.8   4:42 PM    Rise  9:25 PM

     3     High  10:52 AM     4.8

     3      Low   6:15 PM     0.3

Tu   4     High   1:20 AM     3.6   6:37 AM     Set 10:44 AM      76

     4      Low   5:56 AM     2.9   4:42 PM    Rise 10:22 PM

     4     High  11:40 AM     4.4

     4      Low   7:02 PM     0.6

W    5     High   2:15 AM     3.9   6:38 AM     Set 11:18 AM      68

     5      Low   7:29 AM     2.8   4:43 PM    Rise 11:20 PM

     5     High  12:49 PM     3.9

     5      Low   7:53 PM     0.9

Th   6     High   3:07 AM     4.1   6:38 AM     Set 11:52 AM      58

     6      Low   9:06 AM     2.4   4:43 PM

     6     High   2:23 PM     3.5

     6      Low   8:48 PM     1.1

F    7     High   3:54 AM     4.6   6:39 AM    Rise 12:20 AM      47

     7      Low  10:24 AM     1.7   4:43 PM     Set 12:26 PM

     7     High   3:57 PM     3.3

     7      Low   9:43 PM     1.3

Fading NW but big bigger waves on the way!

Happy Holidays!  Yes, I can’t believe I’m saying that either.  Luckily, with the holidays has come some surf.  We had a few days of some fun and finally sizable surf.  Good thing no one else knew about it eh?  Well, Saturday we’ll see the tail end of that NW groundswell with just waist and the occasional chest high wave around the winter beaches.  The SW is lingering as well but it’s really not much of a factor with a knee/waist high wave on occasion.  Sunday we should see a little hiccup of NW swell keeping things in the waist/chest high range and then things taper off for Monday and Tuesday with knee to waist high surf and a hint of SW in the background.  By Wednesday we’ll see a short burst of NW to bump things up a hair…waist high I’m thinking.  The big news is next WNW groundswell. The models have this storm forming very quickly and becoming very big but also dropping down into our neighborhood.  That means midday Thursday we should see the swell pick up rapidly with foul weather close on its heels as surf jumps into the shoulder high range by evening..  The timing will be crucial for surf conditions.  Looks like Friday will be the best day with S winds but surf hitting the HH/OH+ range early and building throughout the day.  Saturday is looking like a big surf day…the models show significant rain but we’ll have to see how this storm develops.  Oh, and if you happen to be heading to the Hawaiian Island…this swell is gonna ROCK THE HOUSE!  Triple Crown Action for sure!

Weather wise our immediate hassle is the dense fog for the dawn patrol.  Looks really thick until about 10am and then again for that evening session.  That should be the case through Tuesday.  Midday we will see clouds and light winds.  Wed we see a chance of drizzle but Thursday is when the clouds start to move in and Friday our chance of showers increase.  Forecasters are calling Saturday and Sunday as rain days.  Light SSW winds so at the right spot that could mean some pretty awesome surf.  Again, I’ll have to track that storm and see if it stays on track and lives up to the hype.  We know how things can change!  Water temps in the high 50s/low 60s.  Tides are starting to get a bit extreme as we see an early high tide slowing down the foggy dawn patrol and things draining out midday.  Those extreme tides will also play a big role in conditions as that new NW arrives for the end of next week.

Looks like this weekend was just a warm up!  Wooohooooooooo…winter swell is on its way! (keep your fingers and toes crossed!)

I’m all tuckered out from good food and fun surf!  Hope you are too!

I’m out!

Mish

Ocean Notes:

1)       You can’t miss this one…Bird’s Surf Shed is having a killer auction and holiday shopping fun event Saturday with some insane boards and great raffle prizes too!  It’s going on all day (shopping!)  and into the evening (live and silent auction).  Lots of action at the auction…boards that dreams are made of!  For a preview of the auction items check out the Surf Shed’s Facebook or Instagram sight…I guarantee you’ll start drooling!

2)      With Winter fast upon us we’ll also see some snow showers in the mountains!  Mammoth Mountain should get a healthy dump of snow next weekend…fresh pow pow anyone?

3)      If you need to burn some time and get super stoked on surfing check out these free surf flicks on Surfer Mag’s site! 

4)      As things heat up in the North Pacific keep your eyes on the action at the Vans Triple Crown on the North Shore.  Juicy swell and juicy surfing delivered to your doorstep…LIVE!

5)      Does your grom rock?  Well, check out the grom competition  that was shredding at Lowers this past week.  Mini rippahs!

6)      And last but not least….while it was boomin’ that NW swell we had the past few days gave the folks on the North Shore some nuggets to play with.  See!

Tides for La Jolla (Scripps Institution Wharf) starting with November 24, 2012.

www.saltwatertides.com

Day        High      Tide  Height   Sunrise    Moon  Time      % Moon

           /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset                    Visible

Sa  24     High   6:12 AM     5.5   6:28 AM     Set  2:58 AM      80

    24      Low   1:02 PM     0.3   4:44 PM    Rise  2:23 PM

    24     High   7:11 PM     3.8

Su  25      Low  12:18 AM     1.6   6:29 AM     Set  3:53 AM      87

    25     High   6:42 AM     5.7   4:43 PM    Rise  2:58 PM

    25      Low   1:37 PM    -0.1

    25     High   7:53 PM     3.8

M   26      Low  12:51 AM     1.7   6:30 AM     Set  4:48 AM      93

    26     High   7:11 AM     5.8   4:43 PM    Rise  3:36 PM

    26      Low   2:09 PM    -0.3

    26     High   8:30 PM     3.8

Tu  27      Low   1:22 AM     1.9   6:31 AM     Set  5:41 AM      97

    27     High   7:40 AM     5.9   4:43 PM    Rise  4:17 PM

    27      Low   2:40 PM    -0.4

    27     High   9:05 PM     3.8

W   28      Low   1:52 AM     2.0   6:32 AM     Set  6:33 AM      99

    28     High   8:09 AM     5.9   4:43 PM    Rise  5:02 PM

    28      Low   3:11 PM    -0.5

    28     High   9:40 PM     3.7

Soooooo small with some weekend fun

Hi y’all!  Well, we’re looking at some pretty small swell right now and things will stay the same for Thursday and Friday.  We’re talking ankle to knee high at best out of the NW.  We’ll see a hint of background S on Friday but no real pick up in surf along the coast.  By Saturday we should see some NW groundswell with size picking up slightly for the dawn patrol, knee/waist high and waist/chest by the end of the day.  Sunday will see the peak of the swell with waist/chest high surf to start the day and things will start to fade through the day.  Monday is looking at some waist high surf with some small background SW groundswell.  Not expecting much out of that system…waist high at the south facing beaches to compliment the winter beaches.  Tuesday see’s both systems fade a bit with Wed even smaller with a little NW wind swell.  Thanksgiving Day looks like surf may pick up but mostly with NW swell and a little background S.  I’ll see how those swell pan out over the next 48 hours and let you know if you should offer to help out with Thanksgiving dinner early or just wait to be on the clean up crew!

Our weather has been pretty spectacular with clean glassy days and very little wind.  Look for increasing dense fog tonight and Thursday morning with calm winds and clouds for Thursday night and an ever so slight chance of showers.  Partly sunny for Fri, again light winds all day with more clouds and chances of showers thoughout the weekend.  Air temps in the mid60s.  Water temps have taken a dive with high 50s around most of the county.  Some huge tide swings with tonight’s new moon.  A really high high tide will hit mid-morning and drain out quickly to a negative low in the late afternoon.  For the weekend the tides are most extreme in the afternoon with much less movement in the morning. There’s some great afternoon tidepooling if you can get to the beach midafternoon as the tide is draining out. 

Looks like a job on the beach at low tide or paddling a SUP for a few miles will be your best bet for the next few days.  Let’s hope Mother Nature stirs things up a bit soon!

Stay wet San Diego!

Mish

Ocean Notes:

1)       I mentioned tidepooling earlier.  Great time of year for it.  Grab a wetsuit, a pair of reef walking shoes and pair of polarized sunglasses and hit the reef midafternoon for the best tidepooling.  Don’t forget to leave all the creatures where you found ‘em and don’t take anything home!  And digging critters out of their hole might make for fun viewing but be gentle.  They hide waaaaay back in there for a reason!

2)      If you’re itching to give to a good cause why not head to the annual San Diego CoastKeeper fundraiser this Thursday.  It’s toned down a bit this year but the silent auction and drawing at the Del Mar Powerhouse is still hot!  Check out the event and get your tickets here!

3)      If you missed either of Donald Takayama’s paddle outs it was obvious that he was not only a legend in the industry but a friend to so many.  Surfline has a nice recap of both events.

4)      And of course I’ll leave things with something surfy surfy.  There hasn’t been anything on our coast to report so how about checking out the early rockin’ North Shore!  And the water’s a nice 75 degrees…almost makes you want to move eh brah?

Tides for La Jolla (Scripps Institution Wharf) starting with November 15, 2012.

www.saltwatertides.com

Day        High      Tide  Height   Sunrise    Moon  Time      % Moon

           /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset                    Visible

Th  15      Low   2:50 AM     1.6   6:20 AM    Rise  8:17 AM      1

    15     High   9:13 AM     6.8   4:47 PM     Set  6:47 PM

    15      Low   4:18 PM    -1.4

    15     High  10:49 PM     4.0

F   16      Low   3:38 AM     1.9   6:21 AM    Rise  9:17 AM      5

    16     High  10:00 AM     6.5   4:47 PM     Set  7:54 PM

    16      Low   5:12 PM    -1.1

    16     High  11:50 PM     4.0

Sa  17      Low   4:34 AM     2.3   6:22 AM    Rise 10:10 AM      12

    17     High  10:53 AM     6.0   4:46 PM     Set  9:00 PM

    17      Low   6:09 PM    -0.7

Su  18     High  12:57 AM     4.0   6:23 AM    Rise 10:56 AM      21

    18      Low   5:44 AM     2.5   4:46 PM     Set 10:06 PM

    18     High  11:54 AM     5.3

    18      Low   7:10 PM    -0.2

M   19     High   2:11 AM     4.0   6:24 AM    Rise 11:36 AM      31

    19      Low   7:14 AM     2.7   4:46 PM     Set 11:08 PM

    19     High   1:09 PM     4.7

    19      Low   8:14 PM     0.2