NW and juicy SW swell combo...get it while it's hot (and clean!)

Hola amigos!  Well, we’ve got some fun surf along the coast today with some decent size too!  We’re looking at some waist/chest high surf with H sets not uncommon.  Surf’s out of both the NW (kinda steep) and a juicy SW groundswell…also steep but making a showing around the county.  That SW is still picking up steam and should peak late Thursday.  Look for some pretty fun surf through the day Thursday with shoulder/HH surf at the S and W facing breaks.  Of course the best summer spots will produce some extra juicy nuggets.  Swell starts to fade Friday as that big ugly storm front makes its way down the coast.  Looks like Friday morning should still be clean enough for some fun waves in the chest/shoulder range with some HH sets still. Size backs down to waist/chest by sunset.  By Saturday we’re looking at even less surf and a big old ugly storm on top of that.  S winds blowing all Friday night and picking up Sat through the day will make mincemeat out of whatever surf is left.  Sunday is more of the same with more gusty winds.  Unfortunately it looks like new a sizable SW swell will be marred by sizable NW wind swell for late Sunday, Monday and into Tuesday.  With SW winds blowing even after the rains stop I think most surf will be a mess.  We should be able to catch the tail end of the S Wed with some waist high surf as winds start to calm down.

So, as you can tell weather is the big factor as we have plenty of swell in our forecast.  So, Thursday is THE DAY…peaking juicy SW groundswell with some sunshine and cool air temps in the low 60s.  Winds WILL pick up in the afternoon so the morning sessions will be your best bet…not to mention the tide will be draining out.  Calm winds for early Friday so maybe hop on but get it early cause winds look like they’ll pick up by mid-morning and then it gets ugly.  W and S winds blowing all night and into Sat morning…gusty through Sun and Monday and Monday night accompanied by periods of locally heavy rain.  The forecasts have 1-2” of rain along the coast…with 3-5” in the mountains and snow levels dropping to 3500’.  So, pretty much it’s a “sleep in, soup and grilled cheese sandwich, read the paper or watch a movie” kind of weekend.  Best to stay out of the water and off the roads.  Oh, and it’s going to get cold too with daytime temps Fri/Sat in the high 50s and Sunday in the high 40s/low 50s…yes, that’s the daytime temp!  Water quality will be severely compromised not to mention colder than…well, cold.  Tides are starting to swing with the high in the early early morning hours and drained out negative lows late morning.

In a nutshell…surf Thursday…morning is ideal…or Friday morning before 10am.

Crystal ball is out of gas!

Mish

Ocean Notes:

1)       With the upcoming storm and poor water quality coming up it’s time to sit and think about staying fit during your down time.  Here’s a great link with some surf health and fitness Q and A from my pals up in NorCal…  http://www.surfpulse.com/fitness_general.shtml

2)      And since we all ogle all of those cool, awesome and sweet surf pics in the mags and online why not pic up a camera and shoot a few of your own…your friends surf…you KNOW they’d love a photo of them ripping!  Might as well do it right!  Here are some tips from a pro… http://www.surfline.com/blogs/f-stop-the-surf-photography-blog-by-jeremiah-klein/f-stop-surflines-jeremiah-klein-offers-tips-for-amateur-and-pro_28380/

3)      And while we’ve got rain on the brain why not store up some of that precious liquid gold in a rain barrel?  Not quite sure how to do it or where to start.  Here’s a link from the City of San Diego!  http://www.sandiego.gov/water/pdf/conservation/rainwaterguide.pdf

4)      Also in the spirit of a cold and blustery weekend why not make a huge pot of delicious soup!  Here’s Cooking Light’s 101 Favorite Healthy Soup Recipes.  http://www.cookinglight.com/food/quick-healthy/healthy-soup-recipes-00412000070018/

5)      These folks are only “junior” in title…cause they rip like the big boys and girls!  Check out the Junior Pro at Pipeline…rippahs!  http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/conner-coffin-wins-pipeline-junior-pro-bianca-valenti-impresses-at-womens-pipeline-pro_67974/

6)      If you’ve got 10 minutes to spare sit and watch this video of Rincon…some fun sized perfect  Rincon…the stuff dreams are made of… http://www.dailysurfvideos.com/videos/the-rincon-super-awesome-mini-movie-1015

7)      And how fitting that we end the ocean notes with the Last Rays photos shoot by Chris Burkard… http://www.surfermag.com/photos/last-rays/#fca4df5b44

  

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

www.saltwatertides.com

Day        High      Tide  Height   Sunrise    Moon  Time      % Moon

           /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset                    Visible

Th  15     High   3:39 AM     4.7   6:58 AM    Rise  2:12 AM      52

    15      Low  11:21 AM     0.0   6:57 PM     Set 12:37 PM

    15     High   6:30 PM     3.2

    15      Low  10:51 PM     2.4

F   16     High   5:10 AM     4.7   6:57 AM    Rise  3:02 AM      41

    16      Low  12:29 PM    -0.2   6:58 PM     Set  1:39 PM

    16     High   7:19 PM     3.6

Sa  17      Low  12:16 AM     2.0   6:56 AM    Rise  3:47 AM      30

    17     High   6:22 AM     4.9   6:59 PM     Set  2:41 PM

    17      Low   1:18 PM    -0.4

    17     High   7:54 PM     4.0

Su  18      Low   1:14 AM     1.5   6:54 AM    Rise  4:25 AM      21

    18     High   7:18 AM     5.0   6:59 PM     Set  3:41 PM

    18      Low   1:57 PM    -0.5

    18     High   8:23 PM     4.3

M   19      Low   1:59 AM     1.0   6:53 AM    Rise  5:00 AM      13

    19     High   8:04 AM     5.1   7:00 PM     Set  4:39 PM

    19      Low   2:29 PM    -0.4

    19     High   8:50 PM     4.6

Some fun SW on the way!

Allo allo allo!  Some actually pretty fun surf out there today…not the cleanest surf I’ve ever seen but still some better size than we’ve seen in the past.  That being said Tuesday we’ll see the left overs of the steep NW groundswell and even steeper SW groundswell.  Look for waves in the knee/waist range…about the same for today…maybe a smidge smaller.  For Wed morning we’ll see similar size with some new SW ground swell showing up through the day.  Keep in mind it’ll be inconsistent so keep your eyes open.  Surf will bump up through the day to about chest high.  For Thursday we’re looking at some chest/shoulder high surf with some outstanding HH sets.  This should be the best day with the peak of the swell and the cleanest conditions.  Surf holds for Friday (but conditions don’t...maybe the morning session will be good) with similar size through most of the day.  Then it tapers off through the weekend with waist/chest for Saturday and knee/waist for Sunday.  Look for pretty ugly conditions over the weekend though.  Looks like some WNW wind swell for the start of next week and slightly better conditions. 

The rest of this week thru Thursday will look a lot like today with partial sunshine and air temps in the mid to low 60s.  Winds will be calm in the mornings and then turn moderate out of the NW by midday.  Look for pretty cloudy nights so temps will stay fairly warm (low/mid 50s).  Friday will be our turn around day with SW winds picking up and chances of showers later in the afternoon/evening and then showers and gusty S winds for Sat and Sun.  This is a pretty wet storm with rain totals in the 1-2” range along the coast and 3-4” in the mountains.  This will be great for the local snow resorts as snow levels will also drop.  Helloooooooooooo fresh pow pow!  Scattered showers into Monday and then some clearing for the middle of next week.  Tides are moving a fair bit in the wee hours of the morning and fairly drained out for the dawn patrol and then not moving much through the daylight hours.  Look for more extreme tides towards the end of the week with negative tides midday by Thursday.  Chilly water too…keep that rubber on.

I’m tired…no ocean notes today…

Ok, just one…too good to pass up…

Thanks for this bit of surf porn Surfline!  East Coast killer surf in review (since when does the East coast include Puerto Rico?)… http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/east-coast-winter-in-review_67941/

One from my files. Bet you wish you had been there...December 11, 2009...Cardiff.

 

Tides for La Jolla (Scripps Institution Wharf) starting with March 13, 2012.

www.saltwatertides.com

Day        High   Tide  Height   Sunrise    Moon  Time      % Moon

           /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset                    Visible

Tu  13    High   1:04 AM     5.2         7:01 AM    Rise 12:13 AM      74

    13      Low   8:18 AM     0.1          6:56 PM     Set 10:39 AM

    13     High   2:44 PM     2.9

    13      Low   7:18 PM     2.0

W   14   High   2:11 AM     4.9          7:00 AM    Rise  1:15 AM      63

    14      Low   9:50 AM     0.2          6:57 PM     Set 11:37 AM

    14     High   4:50 PM     2.9

    14      Low   8:54 PM     2.4

Th  15     High   3:39 AM     4.7        6:58 AM    Rise  2:12 AM      52

    15      Low  11:21 AM     0.0          6:57 PM     Set 12:37 PM

    15     High   6:30 PM     3.2

    15      Low  10:51 PM     2.4

F   16     High   5:10 AM     4.7         6:57 AM    Rise  3:02 AM      41

    16      Low  12:29 PM    -0.2          6:58 PM     Set  1:39 PM

    16     High   7:19 PM     3.6

Sa  17   Low  12:16 AM     2.0           6:56 AM    Rise  3:47 AM      30

    17     High   6:22 AM     4.9           6:59 PM     Set  2:41 PM

    17      Low   1:18 PM    -0.4

    17     High   7:54 PM     4.0

Early S swells back to back

Hola So Cal!  Ah, such small surf.  At least we had some nice weather to go along with it.  Some knee/waist high surf this weekend but things are going to change with the lingering S groundswell delivering waves to the better summer spots in the waist/chest high range for tomorrow morning.  That swell will fade out through the next few days but it’s the small NW wind swell and short low pressure system that’s going to change up the weather for Sunday.  The wind swell will see waves in the waist high range with light winds all day but much cooler air temps.  NW wind swell Knee/waist high surf for Mon-Wed while a new and slightly better angled SW ground swell will start to show mid-Wed.  We’ll see more size showing up at the beach for the evening sessions (very inconsistent) and hitting eh chest/HH range by Thursday morning.  Remember, south groundswells are pretty inconsistent so be patient.  This swell has more W in it so S and W facing breaks will see better action than the current swell.  Swell peaks late Thursday and into Friday with surf still in the chest/HH range for Saturday and then waist high by Sun.  The hiccup will be the incoming foul weather forecasted for next weekend.  It might be a matter of timing and getting it early before it gets messy.   I think we’ll have a day or two of good surf before that weather moves in though.  Hopefully that will bring in some warmer water too.

Weather wise we’ve used up our warm sunny day passes so we’re heading back into springtime weather with much cooler days and even a chance of drizzle Sunday night and into Monday. WSW winds picking up Sun and turning WNW for M-W with calm mornings. We’ll see a few more clouds early Sun but mostly sunny, more clouds Monday and then sunny but air temps in the mid to low 60s most of the week.  The next foul weather system moves in Fri and at this point there’s a high probability of showers through the weekend and into next week.  Of course S winds will pick up as well.  Water has dropped a few degrees so bundle up if you’re hitting the brine any time soon.  And the tides are starting to mellow out a little but we’re still seeing a drained out low in the wee hours of the morning pushing to the late-morning high and back out again for the late afternoon session.

Some fun early S swells to keep us busy til the rains come!

Lates,

Mish

Ocean Notes:

1)       Looking for some good but responsible seafood recipes?  Look no farther…the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch program has some great recipes and combines it with their responsible seafood program – Seafood Watch (which you should all have as an app on your phone).  So, what will it be…clams?  Halibut?  Scallops?  http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/recipes/default.aspx?c=ln

2)      Love it when a no-name guy, Jeff Rowley, (well, not known by many YET!) is killin’ it on the big boy breaks!  Insane?  Got major cajones?  Or the next cover of Surfer Mag?   http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/jeff-rowley-interview_67940/

3)      Here’s a sweet one that’s about 15 years late…some of us were surfing HH shore pound yeeeeeeeeeears ago!  Leave it to the cute blond kid at Pipe to claim the glory!  Still, I guess it’s pretty cool… http://surf.transworld.net/1000144126/press-releases/loyal-to-the-doyle/

4)      And speaking of being nice to the planet…did you know that SDG&E has tons of free seminars to help you become more energy friendly?  Check out their long list of seminars…free…yes, I said, FREE!  https://seminars.sdge.com/iebms/coe/coe_p1_all.aspx?cc=coe&oc=05

5)      Last but not least…kick back and click away…check out the best waves of the winter from the North Shore…try not to drool while you watch this… http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/wave-of-the-winter-overall-finalists_67832/   

Tides for La Jolla (Scripps Institution Wharf) starting with March 10, 2012.

www.saltwatertides.com

Day        High      Tide  Height   Sunrise    Moon  Time      % Moon

           /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset                    Visible

Sa  10      Low   4:09 AM    -0.4   6:05 AM     Set  7:16 AM      96

    10     High  10:19 AM     4.7   5:54 PM    Rise  8:57 PM

    10      Low   4:06 PM     0.3

    10     High  10:29 PM     5.6

Su  11      Low   6:02 AM    -0.4   7:04 AM     Set  8:59 AM      91

    11     High  12:11 PM     4.0   6:54 PM    Rise 11:06 PM

    11      Low   5:42 PM     0.8

M   12     High  12:12 AM     5.5   7:02 AM     Set  9:46 AM      83

    12      Low   7:03 AM    -0.1   6:55 PM

    12     High   1:15 PM     3.4

    12      Low   6:23 PM     1.5

Tu  13     High   1:04 AM     5.2   7:01 AM    Rise 12:13 AM      74

    13      Low   8:18 AM     0.1   6:56 PM     Set 10:39 AM

    13     High   2:44 PM     2.9

    13      Low   7:18 PM     2.0

W   14     High   2:11 AM     4.9   7:00 AM    Rise  1:15 AM      63

    14      Low   9:50 AM     0.2   6:57 PM     Set 11:37 AM

    14     High   4:50 PM     2.9

    14      Low   8:54 PM     2.4

Here's a fun one from my friend Kemi down in Mainland Mex...taken Jan 2010...WOW!

Big log or SUP day!

Teeeeeeeeeny surf is what we have.  There’s actually a small NW swell that should start to show late Friday morning with surf going from toe high to knee high with some macker waist high sets.  Saturday we should see a bit more swell with some gigantic waist and the occasional chest high set by the end of the day.  This will be crossed up with some steep SW swell as we see the Southern Hemi waking up a little early and sending us some good southern lovin’!  By Sunday we’re looking at the peak of the NW swell with some S still lingering in the wings.  Surf in the waist/chest range.  Monday and Tuesday we’ll see size back off out of the NW but that steep S will linger with waist high surf.  The best summer spots will definitely be the call for Monday thru Tuesday.  Late Tuesday we’ll start to see some long period SW groundswell start to show up but the size won’t really bump up until late Wednesday and into Thurs/Fri.  Looks like more NW and SW groundswells on the way too so keep your boards handy…!

Whoa whoa whoa…a little slice of summer is in the midst!  Winter’s not over yet (water’s still freezing cold!) but the sunshine and offshores are making an appearance Friday.  Look for sunshine, air temps in the high 70s along the coast and light to breezy ENE winds.   Clear sunny skies Sat too (high 60s only, early E winds becoming W) before the fog rolls in and cools things waaaaaaaaaay down Sunday (low 60s…light SW winds). Same deal Monday…patchy fog then sunshine but only temps in the high 50s along the coast.  Water temps staying cool (see wetsuit sale info below!) and big ol’ tide swings with the full moon Friday.  Mid-morning high draining out all day to the mid-afternoon low tide.  Should be some good tide pooling this weekend during the afternoon low tides.

Glad to have my computer up and running at full speed again!  Hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy the sunshine tomorrow!

I’m out!

Mish

Ocean notes:

1)       If you and your little ones are looking for a great deal check out Living Social’s 51% off a family membership to the Birch Aquarium.  This is a smokin’ hot deal and with free parking and a great place to take the kids it’s a no brainer!  Heck, for $44 it’s a deal even with no kids!  What else can you do all day and spend only $44?  (ok, surf but besides that)  Get on it…the deal only lasts through next Wednesday!  http://www.livingsocial.com/cities/12-san-diego/deals/283316-one-year-family-membership

2)      Another great gen in San Diego is all of the watersheds around San Diego.  They provide great outdoor classrooms for kids and we all know that kids need to get outside more often.  Figure out directions to the nearest trailhead then put the iPad away and get hiking!  And keep the earbuds in the car and they’ll learn a lot more.  Start here in the heart of San Diego…the Rose Creek Watershed!  http://www.rosecreekwatershed.org/ or friend them on Facebook to get the lowdown on all the daily events!  https://www.facebook.com/rosecreekwatershed?sk=info

3)      Ok, and now for something surfy…how many surf trips to Baja have you taken?  One, two…fifty?  Most of us haven’t been lately because of the plague of the Drug Wars but here’s a great blog article from photog Rob Giley about the Baja experience.  Crack open a cold Pacifico Ballena and read on… http://www.surfermag.com/features/of-surf-and-ceramic-monkeys-iii/

4)      And the last Swell Stuff wetsuit sale was so popular they decided to drag everything out of the closet and put it up for sale.  More killer gently used and repaired wetsuits for sale.  For more info and directions find them online: http://www.swell-stuff.com/wetsuit_repair.html And while you’re there pick up a cinch sac…keep that drippy wetsuit out of the sand and grime!  http://www.swell-stuff.com/cinch_sac.html

5)      Surf pic time…Surfline never fails to come thru with some epic “make me wanna book a trip” photo essays.  Peru…insane, clean, fun Peru…Per..ooooooooooooooooooooooooooh… http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/best-bet-march-peru_67684/

6)      And we’ll end this blog with the luck’o’the Irish shamrockin’ swell!  O’XXL waves!  And you know there were a few pints consumed after these surf sessions!  http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/ireland-goes-xxl_67891/

Tides for La Jolla (Scripps Institution Wharf) starting with March 9, 2012.

www.saltwatertides.com

Day        High      Tide  Height   Sunrise    Moon  Time      % Moon

           /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset                    Visible

F    9      Low   3:22 AM    -0.3   6:06 AM     Set  6:36 AM      99

     9     High   9:32 AM     5.2   5:53 PM    Rise  7:48 PM

     9      Low   3:33 PM    -0.2

     9     High   9:52 PM     5.5

Sa  10      Low   4:09 AM    -0.4   6:05 AM     Set  7:16 AM      96

    10     High  10:19 AM     4.7   5:54 PM    Rise  8:57 PM

    10      Low   4:06 PM     0.3

    10     High  10:29 PM     5.6

Su  11      Low   6:02 AM    -0.4   7:04 AM     Set  8:59 AM      91

    11     High  12:11 PM     4.0   6:54 PM    Rise 11:06 PM

    11      Low   5:42 PM     0.8

M   12     High  12:12 AM     5.5   7:02 AM     Set  9:46 AM      83

    12      Low   7:03 AM    -0.1   6:55 PM

    12     High   1:15 PM     3.4

    12      Low   6:23 PM     1.5

Tu  13     High   1:04 AM     5.2   7:01 AM    Rise 12:13 AM      74

    13      Low   8:18 AM     0.1   6:56 PM     Set 10:39 AM

    13     High   2:44 PM     2.9

    13      Low   7:18 PM     2.0

Short report/forecast...small and windy soon

Having some technical issues with my keyboard so can’t do a long report/forecast today.  Sizable wind windswell moving in but choppy and messy.  Probably best Tues AM…ugly weather for Tues afternoon with strong winds and chance of showers (albeit light) Tues after 4pm, night and into Wed morning.  Winds will be the biggest issue starting Tues afternoon and gusty through Wed too.  We’ll have to wait until Thursday for sunshine and clean conditions.  Not much surf though…some steep NW for late Thurs and into Fri with a steep S…yes, S for the weekend.  I doubt most of SD County will see the S but might see some at the best summer spots (waist/chest high) and with better chances in the most northern parts of the county, OC and LA.

Hope to get the keyboard issue fixed soon…typing on my Android just doesn’t work well for a surf forecast.

Instead of ocean notes I’ll throw in a few of my own pics from swells past…

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Mish

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

http://www.saltwatertides.com  

Day        High      Tide  Height   Sunrise    Moon  Time      % Moon

           /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset                    Visible

Tu   6      Low   1:16 AM     1.0   6:10 AM     Set  4:44 AM      91

     6     High   7:26 AM     5.6   5:50 PM    Rise  4:25 PM

     6      Low   1:57 PM    -0.8

     6     High   8:16 PM     4.7

W    7      Low   1:57 AM     0.4   6:09 AM     Set  5:21 AM      96

     7     High   8:06 AM     5.6   5:51 PM    Rise  5:31 PM

     7      Low   2:28 PM    -0.8

     7     High   8:45 PM     5.1

Th   8      Low   2:38 AM     0.0   6:07 AM     Set  5:58 AM      99

     8     High   8:48 AM     5.5   5:52 PM    Rise  6:39 PM

     8      Low   3:00 PM    -0.6

     8     High   9:17 PM     5.3

F    9      Low   3:22 AM    -0.3   6:06 AM     Set  6:36 AM      99

     9     High   9:32 AM     5.2   5:53 PM    Rise  7:48 PM

     9      Low   3:33 PM    -0.2

     9     High   9:52 PM     5.5

Sa  10      Low   4:09 AM    -0.4   6:05 AM     Set  7:16 AM      96

    10     High  10:19 AM     4.7   5:54 PM    Rise  8:57 PM

    10      Low   4:06 PM     0.3

    10     High  10:29 PM     5.6

Wetsuit Sale!

I forgot to post this in my last Ocean Notes...

http://www.swell-stuff.com/

Swell Stuff in Leucadia is having a sweet wetsuit sale this Friday and Saturday from 10a-6:30p.  20% off all wetsuits and awesome home knit beanies.  They've got over 40 wetsuits for sale plus booties.  The list includes nearly new 3/2 O'Neil Psycho 2...Matuse jackets...Billabong 3/2s...the list goes on. This sale is a STEAL!  Most suits are in the $100-$150 range. 

And if you have stuff to sell why not put it on consignment at the shop!  It's either gonna get crusty in your garage or someone's gonna buy it at Swell Stuff!