Hawaii - Day Five

August 25, 2007

M was up for snorkeling so we motored to Haunama arriving at 0655 (barely made the freebie). No wind, calm clear waters. Spotted another moray eel and numerous trumpet fish, coronet fish, wrasses, tangs, etc. etc. One Christmas wrasse practically swam into my mask and then hovered around all around me. Beautiful fish.

Had to do some food shopping so didn’t get back until late. South wind blowing side shore when I paddled out at 1030A. Got seven waves at Three’s before paddling over to Paradise for another five or six. Surfed for an hour before it got too bumpy. Saw the first eight wave set of the vacation. Wave forecasters are calling for a swell next Tuesday into the weekend. Waves are consistently waist to head high. Haven’t seen it smaller than that yet. There can be long, long lulls to complete stoppage. Then it will start up again for an hour, etc. etc. Waves are gentle and fun to ride. A real swell will pack more of a punch.

Here’s Caldwell’s forecast for the weekend and into next week.

DETAILED...Mid Friday on southern shores has small to moderate breakers from 175-195 degrees. The kilo nalu and Lanai wave sensors show an increase over the past day. The source is most likely angular spreading from a swell train mostly missing Hawaii to the east, as judged by comparisons of the long period energy among the southern buoys, with 51004 being highest. Based on persistence, this episode should hold into Saturday with a slow downward trend, back to summer background small levels on Sunday.

The first storm had a favorable track relative to Hawaii, with a captured fetch of 40-45 knot winds setting up this past Monday into Wednesday as the system tracked from S to E of New Zealand to about 3800 nm away from Hawaii. Long period forerunners from this episode are expected on Monday, making for infrequent moderate breakers from 190-200 degrees. The episode should slowly build to near advisory levels on Tuesday, with the episode peaking on Wednesday in the low-end high surf category from 180-200 degrees.