Long Period Swell On Tap

At 4AM this morning 46059 registered the first of the long period swell for Norcal and points south, forecast to make landfall in our area sometime late this afternoon or this evening. The buoy transmitted it's data to the NDBC via satellite at 9.5 feet at 25 seconds. Soon thereafter it backed down to 20 second periods with wave heights of 11 to 14 feet building progressively.

Weather forecast is sunny with light offshores starting up today and maintaining for tomorrow. Hopefully those offshores will kick up soon because we're starting to get heavy fog at the biggest spots. Saturday could be an epic situation. The nearshore buoy started showing the first of the long period forerunners at 10AM and is now posting periods of 20 second plus at 9 feet. Winds are currently WSW, par for the course from this current weather pattern.

UPDATE: After I saw the nearshore buoy posting consistently at 20 plus second periods I started to get jazzed. I knew we had something for real. I kept watching the internet data and things weren't looking all that great on the webcams until I saw a nice set breaking outside the pier. Then I knew that it was on!

I finished installing the cat door (yeah, cat door) and left the mess for clean up after my surf. I figured I could haul buns and get in the water by 1615 hours and surf for a couple hours before dark. I was right.

The inside sand bar was kickin' and the shortboarders were on it. A little fat but much fun. The tide was perfect and the swell obliging. The best sets were 6 to 8 in number, chest to one foot overhead. My first good ride was about 350 yards from APThouse Point to Herbies house. Numerous righteous rides followed. Sam was out on his SUP. Joe paddled out from inside after a couple hundred yard ride from an outside reef. Michael was out on his 11' Takayama carving some graceful lines from the point. His young son Aiden was struggling on his shortboard out in the reefs and wanted to hang with his Dad. (We both thought he should have been inside on the sand bar.)

But no matter....Life is good! As sweet as it gets...if it's too much bigger tomorrow, the reefs will close out. Bombora? Maybe...

Joe and I were the last ones out on surfboards and we each took a good size wave in from the same set. I got caught inside and as I blasted through the fourth of six whitewater piles my paddle got ripped out of my hands. Shizizit! I was caught between an unknown number of breaking waves and the riprap at the base of the cliff. No time to look for the paddle now, get out of the impact zone and into the clear. I belly paddled back to the pier and made my way in during a lull. Joe's last ride was into the beach and he already figured I'd lost my paddle when he saw me belly paddling for shore.

As soon as I hit the beach we ran towards the riprap, looking for the lost paddle. Hallelujah! I found it floating in the water about five yards from the high water mark. It once was lost, but now it's found...those dollar bills with wings were flying back at me!

Just another hazard of SUP surfing. I'm sure it won't be the last time.
February 8, 2008 (F)
In: 1615
Out: 1815 (dark)
AT= 62 to 53 degrees
WT= 52.3 degrees at the farshore buoy
Wx: Clear and sunny
Tide: -0.18 Falling to -0.40 to Rising to -.08
Wind: SSW/SE at 2 mph to calm
Sea Surface: Light bump
Buoy: NWS
1500: 8.2 feet @ 21.1 Seconds WNW
1600: 9.8 feet @ 21.1 Seconds WNW
1700: 9.2 feet @ 21.1 Seconds WNW
1800: 9.2 feet @ 21.1 Seconds WNW
1900:10.8 feet @ 21.1 Seconds WNW
10'4" Angulo SUP with Infinity paddle
Rock reefs
Waves: 6 feet at 22 seconds (Nearshore buoy approx. ave.) Storm Surf Buoy Model