Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Cold and Rain




Very cold this morning and a stiff NE wind is driving temps even further south. Surf wise there is not much happening. Ankle to knee high breaking right on shore. Sea surface is choppy and wind blown with some white capping here and there. But, it is not crowded. Not crowded at all! No one out. No one even here looking.

Except me and some bedraggled sea gulls.

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Short period windswell




Local windswell generated knee to waist high surf this morning. Poor shape; breaking close in. Gusty southeast side shore winds. Moderately poor sea surface conditions. Dropping tide. Water temps still in mid 60's; air temps in the upper 40's. 4 people out.

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, December 29, 2014

Not as cold




As it has been but still kinda frosty. And the wind is not helping. Knee to maybe thigh high surf this morning. Not much to it but there are 6 people out trying to make something of it. Lots of pelicans, cormorants and dolphins feasting on the bait fish buffet just outside of the lineup.

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday, December 26, 2014

Big, mean, cold and windy




It's too cold for me but not for the 20 or so already out.


Head to overhead with poor shape. Lined up, walled up and closing out. Offshore winds clocking in at about 10 mph so there's a significant windchill factor going on. Wear your hood!

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

YouTube Video

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Mele Kalikimaka




And this is what you get after a night of onshore wind: stormy, choppy and generally crappy conditions. Surf is running head to overhead and is relentless in its march shoreward. No one out; or even here.

So, you're sad that you can't get out and try out any new surf gear you got this morning. Then check out today's Google doodle

It should bring a smile to your face

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Lower tide; more juice




Shoulder to head high, larger on the sets and breaking hard. Inconsistent with not much between sets. Largest just south of the reef but the reef has plenty of size. Lots of morning sickness on the water; large rips and a river like south current. 25 people in the line up.

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Big West Walls




Size has ticked up a notch this morning. Mostly shoulder to head high with some very large sets. Short to medium period stuff; the lines are right on top of each other. Poor to fair shape. The sets are lined up and closing out so its the in-between waves that you are hunting for. Tide is on the rise so the reef is softening up some but Tres Palms continues to pitch out and explode on the sandbar.

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, December 22, 2014

Slow decline




But still some substantial surf. Shoulder to head with plus stuff on the sets. Fair to poor shape. Slightly rippled sea surface. Calm winds. Super high morning tides continue to make it sluggish. Long lulls. Positioning is tricky; you want to be close enough in but far enough out so you can scratch over the occasional 8 foot sets. Tres Palms is wickedly tubular.

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday, December 19, 2014

So, where did all this come from?




According to all of the experts today was supposed to be an in between day. One where the previous swell slips away and a new one is on the horizon but not here yet. Someone should have shared that prediction with mama O cause it looks like she didn't get the memo.

Shoulder to head high with larger sets. Almost due west so it's sort of lined up and closing out. Some corners at either end of the reef. Tres Palms is doing its best Pipeline imitation. Good surface conditions. High tide (6.0). Light off shores.

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Still post storm stuff




Waist to chest high junk this morning. Sea surface is chunky and the inside is a mess of white water, rips and currents. Wind is offshore right now and cold. The swell is a mix of short period wind swell and some medium period groundswell which produces the dreaded "double up". And then there's the backwash from the surf bouncing off the bluffs. Both water quality and conditions could clean up by tomorrow, so stand by. 5 people out.

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Pretty Hacked Up




After a long night of wind and rain we have...? That's right, post storm surf. No wind right now but the sea surface is a lumpy, bumpy mess. Surf is in the waist to shoulder range with head high sets with poor to no shape. There is a very strong south current and plenty of rips up and down the beach. There are 2 people out however, former health officials (that would be me) strongly advise waiting at least 48 hours after a rain event before paddling out into the line up. Best to avoid immersing oneself in the urban vomit that is now streaming untreated and unchecked into the ocean.

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Large and In Charge




Substantial WNW swell pulsing this morning. 8-10 feet on the sets. And with so much west in the swell the shape is horrible; long tall walls closing out top to bottom. Strong offshore wind at present.
Tide is on the way out but it's still up against the bluffs right now. Some lulls but a 6 foot shore break is hampering efforts to punch through to the line up. 5 people out.
Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, December 15, 2014

Smaller surf...smaller crowd too




Size has dropped into the waist to chest zone; sets are slightly larger. Conditions are very clean with an almost glassy sea surface. Shape is fair to good. Best surf this morning is on the reef and the south peak just off the reef. Air temp in upper 40's and water temps have dipped under 65. 15 people out.

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday, December 12, 2014

Intense rain, heavy seas




The ocean is raging cauldron of spume and spray this morning. A wind driven rain is attempting to penetrate my rain gear and is stinging my face. Hard to gauge the size since no one is out but I'm guesstimating in the 7-8 foot range. So, it's storm surf; powerful and intensely mesmerizing. I really should come in from the rain now.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

It's here...




Large surf on tap this morning. Chest to head is the norm; overhead on the sets. Shape is kinda wonky. Set waves are top to bottom close outs and the in between stuff is ok; not great but ok. More than a few have taken a second look once down on the beach and simply turned around and left. Some have not been able to make it out and some have simply disappeared into the fog as the current has swept them southward. Fair surface conditions; tide is on the way up and there is a light NE breeze. I'm counting close to 40 out.

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Mostly West...Some North




Waist to chest surf on tap this morning. Larger on the sets. Because of the swell direction it's mostly walled up and closing out; especially the set waves. Somewhat inconsistent but not so much that you're just sitting, sitting, sitting; the waves are popping up in some unexpected places so you're always on the move. As Frank said..."it's hard out there man...". Good surface conditions with a slight NE breeze. Air temp in lower 50's; water temp in mid 60's. 35+ people out.
Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, December 8, 2014

More swell




About the same size as the weekend but more consistent. Short period WNW swell with knee to waist high surf with fair shape. Glassy conditions, 9 people out. Incoming tide hasn't hit it's peak but it has pushed the line up close to shore. The sandbars at Tres Palms have the snappiest surf while the reef is softer and more of a challenge to get into.

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday, December 5, 2014

You first.

No really; I insist. I'm right behind you. Watching from the bluffs. People, the ocean is full of crap and will be till Sunday.


It's just a little rain you say and besides DM is not near any storm drains right? Wrong...

This one at the lifeguard tower (which by the way received the washout from the daily hosing down of the bathrooms there)...



And this one that drains right into the 15th street line up...


Signs and everything...

Having said that, the surf is knee to waist high and slow. And getting slower as the tide peaks at 6.4 around 7:30 this morning. It ain't worth it. Just chill you're not missing anything. Except a possible case of hepatitis or some sort of gastrointestinal disease or never ending sinus infection.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Such a Strange Storm




Strange as in no wind. Perfectly glassy conditions this morning and not a breath of air moving. And except for the 6.2 high tide, some good looking surf too. Waist to chest high with fair to good shape. Light sprinkles at the moment and no one out.

Which brings me to the poo index or urban drool report. It's extreme (11 on a scale of 10) and will stay that way for at least 48 hours after the rain stops. Waiting 72 hours is even better.

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Offshores and Balmy




It may rain later today but right now it's just spectacular weather and conditions. Warm, gentle offshore breezes, close to glassy conditions and some of the most dramatic lighting I've seen in a while. The sky is darkly grey and the water jade green.

The surf is on the small side this morning but there are some nicely shaped knee to waist high waves. It's only an hour off a 5.8 high tide so it's slow and breaking close in. But it's very clean and surf able with the right gear.

Bring on the rain....

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, December 1, 2014

A tad inconsistent




Fun, knee to waist high surf this morning. Glassy conditions and a very light crowd (10). It's only two hours off high tide and that is effecting shape, size and consistency. Breaking close in. So things should improve with less water. And if the wind stays down.

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone