Thursday, Dec. 14, 2006 | Today our new NW swell is hitting the northern coast and will be filling into SoCal on Friday. More NW is due this weekend, but weather and wind may likely trash conditions then. Smaller surf is on tap next week as weather rebounds. Our next NW’er is being tracked for the weekend of the 23rd.
Right now, the California Buoy is checking at 13 feet with 14-second periods. Closer to the coast, the Half Moon Bay buoy is at 17 feet with 17-second periods and Cape San Martin buoy is at 14 feet with 19-second periods.
Overall, the swell energy in the water shows NW periods averaging 17 seconds from 300 degrees north of Pt. Conception, but in SoCal, this energy has yet to arrive and periods are running a shorter 12 seconds from 305.
In SoCal, wave heights are running chest to head high at most west facing breaks. South facing breaks are running waist to at times chest high.
Northern California and the Central Coast are seeing sets running 12-15+ feet on the faces at most west facing breaks. South facing breaks are seeing plenty of NW diffraction and are running head high to a couple of feet overhead.
The tide will become a problem over the next few days as we enter into a tidal swing from a New Moon on Wednesday the 20th. This spring tide will bring highs in the…[more]
Water temperatures are averaging 60 degrees in San Diego, 60 in Orange County, 61 in LA, 59 in Ventura County, 60 in Santa Barbara, 59 along the Central Coast, and 57 degrees in NCal.
Winds as of 7:00 this morning were light and variable more everywhere. A northerly flow is in place, which should keep ENE winds along the coast for most of the morning to 10 mph max, although the afternoon could see some onshores to 10+ mph as well. On Friday, this pattern will shift…[more]
NW hits SoCal Friday…[more]
More NW Sunday but rain and winds…[more]
Tracking NW for 23rd-24th…[more]