Hi everyone, no promises but these conditions could shape up to be fun for the HB/Newport gathering. This is a surf report from Wetsand today.
Saturday the 16th is when our next SW swell is due. Nothing too major from a low riding southern hemi system. This is looking like a chest high + swell from 180. Standouts, especially south of LA, can expect to see some head high sets from this one. This could be good for peak like conditions!
Sunday the 17th, so far, we’re expecting the SW to back down a bit, chest high on the better sets by the looks of things today. There is a touch of westerly energy from some western Pacific activity, but localized wind swell is expected to keep this at bay. So for west facing breaks, by today’s readings, we’re calling for waist high sets at best. We’ll have a better idea on how this western Pacific scenario works out over the next few days. Stay tuned for more details.
I'll have to offer up a pair of broken-strapped Duck Feet to the KB gods under tonight's full moon, asking for good hollow surf for your gathering.
I'll be at the reception for the "Surf Culture: the Art History of Surfing" exhibit at the San Jose Museum of Art this coming Saturday. And I'll probably keep asking everyone, "Hey, where are all the kneeboards?!".
The waves at River Jetties were really good today, right at location of Sundays gathering. Peaks up & down the beach. The lefts were better. The forcast calls for 2-4 ft. on Sunday, should be on.
Hey Jack,
I don't think its practice, its my second time I surfed since the contest and the first time since then with my new board. Just a quick rinse off at lunch hour. Are going to come up? I got a 50/50 chance to be there, looks like the wife gots to work.
I surfed Newport River Jetty area again this morning. We are getting overhead faces w/ A-Frame peaks with glassy conditions. Good off the tops, cutbacks and tubes were to be had. I hope the trend continues for the gathering on Sunday. According to the models, it looks like it will go bigger on Saturday then come back down a bit on Sunday. This is good, because if it's too big, it often walls up.
Dave Weinbaum and I are on it and I'm working on Jason Foster and Eric Shoelkopf. It'll just be us boys on Sunday - mom and kids will be at home. We're aiming to be there 7:30/8 and probably stay till midday. Hopefully I'll connect with Eric (if he doesn't go) and bring the tropies from the US.
Have a great gathering. Its ankle biters again today in Santa Cruz. The best I could do is run to the nose on my longboard and jump to my knees to get barrled on the sand.
Hopefully some of that southern energy will work its way up the coast by sometime Sunday.
FWIW...
As of this morning (8/14), the wave/swell forecast from the NOAA Wave Watcher III model for the location of the Tanner Bank buoy (closer to Cortez Bank though) is listed below. This location is open to swells from more directions than a nearshore location, so the effects of islands, Pt Conception, etc. must be taken into account in estimating how energetically each swell will impact a particular coastal location.
Generally, multiple swells are present at any given time. The individual swells are indicated by a number (which remains the same at each time interval).
Note that:
d = direction (deg true)
s = period (seconds)
1st Ht = deep water significant wave height (ft)
2nd Ht = average breaker height for a beach facing directly into the swell
3nd Ht = 1 wave out of 50 breaker ht for a beach facing directly into swell
Overall, it looks that there won't be much variation in swell between late Saturday and through Sunday.
(PS. As best I recall, the peak heights here are comparable to those predicted for the swell that we just had)
Experience gained is in proportion to equipment ruined.
Looks like it might still be good on Sunday. Friday morning I was out at Windansea with a remarkably small crowd, glassy and definitely overhead, some fast sections, and some weird flat sections on account of the high tide and crossed up peaks (south and NW). Water temps cooled a bit. But caught a nice coverup or two and some insane g-pulling cutbacks. Also smacked the side of my head pulling out of the shorebreak and think I may have perforated my ear drum ...
WebMD says stay out of the water 6 weeks, but f- that! It's too damn hot! Gonna pick up an ear plug and hope to meet you all in the surf at the river jetties. Should be really fun there!
I went to the Huntington/ Newport gathering and I wanted to say Thank You to Mark & Danny Robertson for hosting an awesome event. Plenty of waves, food, and alot of fellow kneelo's. You could tell Mark & Danny put alot of effort into this one! I don't think Brookhurst will ever be the same.
Mad Props.
Last edited by Ler on Mon Aug 18, 2003 10:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
Saturday the 16th is when our next SW swell is due. Nothing too major from a low riding southern hemi system. This is looking like a chest high + swell from 180. Standouts, especially south of LA, can expect to see some head high sets from this one. This could be good for peak like conditions!
Sunday the 17th, so far, we’re expecting the SW to back down a bit, chest high on the better sets by the looks of things today. There is a touch of westerly energy from some western Pacific activity, but localized wind swell is expected to keep this at bay. So for west facing breaks, by today’s readings, we’re calling for waist high sets at best. We’ll have a better idea on how this western Pacific scenario works out over the next few days. Stay tuned for more details. 
