Swell For A Day

0930 Friday February 1 - As of this writing the NWS has issued a high surf advisory. Multiple buoys are showing 20 second plus period energy, and the wind is cooperating. Got to get this while we can as tomorrow another front is blowing in, with south winds and all. Some spots are already showing the forerunners of this decent size swell. Could be short-term classic. Later, with an update.
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0730 Saturday February 2 - Short term for sure and not exactly classic but close! I paddled out at noon (Friday) into a stiff NW wind. Paddle from the pier was uphill all the way to AptHouse Point, a distance of about 5 or 600 yards. From there, until three hours later when I got out, exhausted and sated, it was non-stop waves. I took down many hundred yards rides. I hooked up 200 hundred yard outside waves with 100 yard insiders. For two hours there were no more than three of us out. Most of that time I surfed alone.

It was a weird weather day to say the least. Wind went from NW at 5-6 mph to offshore at same speed to calm. Skies went from sunny, to gray with clouds to dark gray and nasty to rain and back to light overcast. During the short cloud burst it blew straight offshore. None of this was forecast. The day was supposed to be sunny and bright with light to moderate NW winds.

Even though the NW winds were blowing side shore, and the wave tops were crumbly, the wind did not ruin the wave faces, or cause wind driven sections. The wind direction made catching waves even easier. When the wind turned offshore it took several waves to adjust, because catching waves on a SUP (like paddling) into a headwind isn't easy. One thing for sure...I'll take a strong NW wind over a S or SE or even NE any day. The sea surface stayed mildly bumpy all day whereas easterlies make for washboard conditions.

Joe paddled over at 2P and kept me out for another hour. Good thing too. It blew offshore and Yellow House started to go off. Surfer Joe put together a couple of classic nose rides on the Nui. About 2:30 word was out and the place got packed. It went from three people to 30 in 40 minutes. No matter, there were still plenty of waves to go around.
February 1, 2008 (F)
In: 1205
Out: 1500
AT= 52 to 54 to 52 degrees
WT= 53 degrees at the farshore buoy
Wx: Cloudy and bright to rain to clearing
Tide: .75 Falling to .5 to Rising to .9
Wind: NW at 5-6 mph, to N at 4-6 mph to calm
Sea Surface: Light to semi-moderate bump with wind ripples
Buoy: NWS
1200: 13.5 feet @ 19 Seconds NW
1300: 13.1 feet @ 17.4 Seconds WNW
1400: 17.7 feet @ 17.4 Seconds NW
1500: 16.4 feet @ 17.4 Seconds NW
1600: 15.1 feet @ 14.6 Seconds WNW
10'4" Angulo SUP with Infinity paddle
Rock reefs
Waves: 8 feet at 14 seconds (Nearshore buoy approx. ave.) Storm Surf Buoy Model