Small Combo Swell in Perfect Conditions

Conditions just don't get better than today. Air temp at paddle out, a balmy 65 degrees. An hour later it was 74. A touch of humidity brought to us from the remnants of TS Ignacio made it feel tropical, like surfing deep in Mexico or Hawaii. The wind was light offshore with just a touch of ripple on the pure green and glassy sea surface. The sky was studded with high clouds on a blue field. Too bad the waves weren't as good as the conditions.

Due to the lack of sand movement, there just aren't any sandbars working to create good waves. The swell picked up a bit over yesterday, and it was pretty consistent, it's just that there wasn't much shape, and very few peaks with corners. It really looked good from the beach, but once in, I spent a lot of time chasing peaks that just weren't there. There was an occassional drop in and quick pump before the curtain dropped. But mostly, it was close-outs.

No matter. Today was definitely good just because of the conditions.

NOTE: As per usual I take a few photos after my sessions to document the blog post. I just happened to shoot the best wave I saw all morning. The series shows a neophyte longboarder who didn't even know what hit him, and then held on for dear life. Nice ride.

August 28, 2009 (F)

In: 0805
Out: 0905
AT= 56-74F
WT= 58F
Wx: Clear and warm with high tropical clouds
Tide: 3.5' Falling to 3.4'
Wind: Light offshore
Sea Surface: Glassy with very light wind ripples
6-0 Freeline (Mini-Simmons) Ghost Buster with twin glassed on keel fins

Bathymetry: Sand bars
Deep Water Swell and Wave Face Heights CDIP Archive
Buoy: NWS (Farshore-Nearshore)
Time NDBC Data (approx.) CDIP Data
0700: 4.3 feet @ 11.4 SSW - 2.0 feet @ 14.3 WSW (290 and 165) (2-3 ft. wave faces)
0800: 4.6 feet @ 10.8 SW - 2.0 feet @ 12.5 WSW (310 and 185) (2-3 ft. wave faces)
0900: 4.9 feet @ 11.4 SW - 2.3 feet @ 15.4 SW (295 and 180) (2-4 ft. wave faces)
1000: 5.6 feet @ 10.8 WSW - 2.6 feet @ 10.5 W (280 and 175) (2-4 ft. wave faces)