Last day of the year and...

It's a cold one. 37 according to my thermometer. But on to the surf: chest to shoulder high slow rollers with head high and plus sets. Sets are walled up and closing out and the in between stuff has an occasional shoulder. Looks like some local short period wind-swell mixed in with some longer period NW swell. Fair to fair minus overall.
Although conditions are clean there is a wind chill factor so extra rubber would be a good call.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary




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New WNW Long Period Swell Lights Up Del Mar

After a week of dead on west swells, which Del Mar does not like all that much, we got a healthy WNW pulse that finally got the reef working again.  Although not quite epic, it certainly was close. Shapely head to head and a half high bombs, a light crowd, screaming offshore winds and some sun.  The one thing that kept it (in my opinion) from being epic was the COLD.  Bone chilling, nut crunching, this is not NorCal is it, COLD.  It didn't matter how much rubber you wore; you got cold and probably didn't stop shivering and chattering for a good hour after you got out.  Anyway, it was pretty good and if you weren't there, this is what you missed:

Mesmerized

Sometimes you got blown right out of the wave

Ed snags a "tweener"

Looking north; Tres Palmas

Brent, styling on one of the better lefts

Tres Palmas

Size matters

Brent

Ken's wave in

That's all folks

Cleaner...

Although its clean up a lot, this large dead on (270) west swell is too much for 15th street to handle. Shoulder to head plus bombs walled up and closing out from the south end of the reef to in front of the ramp. Stiff, cold offshores. A nasty south current is sucking people down to at least 12th street and they still haven't made it out to the line up. A 6.0 high tide is due in about 30 minutes.


Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


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Messy!!

It's wild out there this morning. Head to head and a half bombs all over the place; and it's only an hour off a 6.0 tide. So this swell is packing some juice. Unfortunately conditions are ugly; chest high chop, and lots and lots of whitewater. This is going to take a few days to settle out I'm afraid. For those of you that took the week off in anticipation of scoring some good surf, I feel your pain.

It will get better I promise. Just as soon as you go back to work.

Have a good one


Aloha
Gary


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Wet, cold and windy

Not a title you will see for a surf video. But that's what it is here this morning. And there's that fat 5.8 tide. All in all, not much of a surf day.
Too bad though; there is still some swell showing. Chest to maybe shoulder high on the sets; not much in between. Dream on then.


Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


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Mele Kalikimaka

Good surface conditions, light offshores, chest to head high surf. There's a bit of a SW swell in the mix, providing a bit more focus and fun. Poo index: extreme. The surf looks inviting this morning and except for the urban drool that washed into the sea yesterday I'd be out there. But alas, it is not to be.


Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


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Still some west lines showing

But the 5.6 high tide is swallowing the waves. Chest to head high slow rollers, almost impossible to get into. Some plus sets. Fair to poor shape with the wind rapidly clocking around out of the south. Deteriorating conditions. 10 people out, all well north of the reef. If you're not already here it's going to be blown out by the time you do.


Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


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Still cold

Waist to chest with head high (and some plus ones too) sets. Moderate surface bump with lots of crumble on the waves. Poor to fair conditions. Some lulls (almost flat) in between sets so a dry hair paddle out is possible I suppose but with a poo index that's still a threat to your health, why would you want to? Nevertheless, 15 people out.

I think the poo index will be tolerable by tomorrow, hopefully the waves will be as well.


Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


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It's a chilly

39 degrees this morning. Add a wind chill factor from easterly breeze and throw in being wet and I'd say the "real feel" is somewhere just slightly north of 32.

What we have this morning is a combo plate of some short period west mixing it up with a medium period WNW swell. A shoulder to head high jumble. Poor conditions and shape. No one out. Not a cloud in the sky so we can dry out some. Poo index is still extreme but I expect by Friday that will drop to "normal" levels. What ever that is.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


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It's a dark one

Dark gloomy clouds set the tone this morning. Waist to shoulder west lines pushing through with a medium tide. Mild surface bump, clean conditions, poor shape. Light drizzle. 4 people out.

I don't know about you but I'm feeling the need to get in the water but this wet weather cycle is getting in the way. And it looks like its going to continue for the rest of the week. Guess I'll have to bust out the surf videos or better yet start to get ready for our Hawaii trip next month. Oh, and there's some planning to do for our trip to Tahiti and Bora Bora this spring. That should keep me smilin'!!


Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


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Small but clean

Knee to waist high, clean and glassy. Looks like a straight on westerly wind swell. Not very focused with marginal shape. Pretty weak overall. Poo index: extreme and likely to remain that way for a while. Enjoy the rain. We need it.


Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


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Hey, where is everybody??

Full on Victory at Sea conditions. But there are chest to head high waves everywhere. And nobody out!! There will be a -1.6 tide around 4pm which should be really great for walking and exploring. So get out and move this afternoon!!

Have a good one


Aloha
Gary


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At first glance

It looks like a jumbled up mess. On second glance, it's only the sets that look that way. Waist to chest with plus size on the sets. Fair shape but the corners are somewhat elusive. This is a short period swell so the waves are right on top of each other. About 25 people out with some of the o-dark thirty crew already coming in.


Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


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There's a new sculpture in town

Small and glassy is what's for breakfast this morning. Knee to waist high with some inconsistent chest high sets. Mostly slow rollers that are backing off even with the low tide. About 12 people out.


And now, about that new sculpture. On Monday Rodney


told me about an interesting creative endeavor taking place at the end of 10th street. A large cypress tree came down leaving a large stump in place. So now someone is using a chain saw to transform the stump into a great dolphin sculpture. This photo doesn't do it justice; you need to go see it for yourself.


Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


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Still has some size

Clean conditions, calm wind with waist to shoulder high surf. Larger on the sets. Mostly long lines with some pick and choose corners here and there. Sets are closed out. About 25 guys out evenly spaced out across the reef. Luke just got a nice left on his new board and is now waving for me to come out.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


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Misty Morning...

Lots and lots of mist hanging in the air this morning. Produced by the large waves and slight on shore flow. So, here's what's on tap this morning: head high with overhead plus sets. Fair shape with closed out sets. Good conditions, calm winds and a rising tide. The line up of 30+ is spread out across the reef and to the south; not so much to the north.

This is a short period swell so getting out will bring on some arm burn and unless you can duck dive you're going to be at it for a while. The lot is full, the street is overflowing, so lots of folks are giving it a go.


Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


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Very clean, very glassy...

Very flat. Ankle slappers breaking about 50 feet from shore. Not much else to say except that the first waves of the forecast ginormous swell are due to arrive at sunset. That would be nice.

If you're thinking that with the cooling water temps you don't have to do the "shuffle"; think again.


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Don't be fooled...

By the seeming lack of juice. Yes, at first glance it looks fairly nondescript and featureless. Hang around long enough though and you might snag a head high set wave (or two). Waist to shoulder with those occasional head high bombs. The tide is really high (up against the bluffs) so there is a tad too much water right now for the consistency we seek. Clean, glassy conditions. Surf should improve with the ebb tide around 8 am. 4 people out.


Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


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Dense fog advisory

Difficult to see the line up through the fog but I think I'm seeing some slow rolling shoulder to head high waves. Can't really tell how many people are out either but I'm guesstimating 20-30 from the parked cars. I hear that it's bright and sunny at Terra Mar but that the tide is squashing wave activity there. What to do. What to do.


Have a good one
Aloha
Gary


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Foggy with offshores...

I know, those two don't go together yet, that's what it is this morning. Very clean conditions with a fresh WNW swell lighting up 15th street. Some SW stuff in there too. Head high plus with fair shape although the largest of the set waves are lined up, walled up, closed out monsters. And they are relentless. Looks like the best paddle out zone is south of the reef. Monster crowd too; 50+.


Have a great tofurky day
Aloha
Gary


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