Slow rolling low tide lines. Waist to chest; shoulder high on the sets. Not much there, even on the larger waves. Smooth sea surface conditions with a light offshore breeze. But these are the best conditions this week and the swell, even though small, has cleaned up a lot and is offering a few nice rides if you're in the right place. Tide is low (2.6) and now begins its flow to a 4.1 high at 12:45pm. 11 people out.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

More swell! Longer period west swell marching in this morning; not the best swell direction for Del Mar. Surf is chest to shoulder, + on the sets. Somewhat walled up and closing out on the sets. And they're playing hard to get. A lot of sand has shifted offshore this winter and as a result the lineup has shifted about 50 yards out. I imagine the reef is well covered with sand at this point. Conditions are good and the sea surface is smooth. A usually reliable source tells me that the Cliffs are 8 feet with lines stacked to the horizon.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Some new lump in the water. Very short period waist to chest to shoulder high surf this morning. Very disorganized and junky especially on the inside; poor shape and poor overall conditions. Moderate offshore breeze and biting cold air temps. Water quality could be sketchy depending on how much rain we had yesterday. Looks like about 10 people out. Tide is at about 3 feet now and rising. High tide will be at 11am (5.4 feet). The next low (0.0) will be at 6pm.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

39 and windy! And flat. Surf is knee to thigh high (on the sets) and breaking really really close in; like on the shore close in. Lightly textured sea surface. 6 people out. Tide is 4 feet right now and rising to a 6.0 at 10:30am. Best beach walking will be around 3:30 to 5pm. It's cold, fingers are freezing, gotta go!

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Conditions are near perfect but the surf is flat. Bright sunny (but cold) weather with a mild offshore breeze. Surf is ankle to knee high and struggling with the high tide. Lots of hopefuls, 20 or so, but no rides. Tide is at 5.9 feet and will top out at 6.6 at 10am. Low tide will clock in at -1.0 at 5pm. Enjoy your Sunday!

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

45 degrees with sideshore winds of 15-20mph. Energy is from a short period WNW swell with surf in the waist to chest range. White capping on the outside; the surf zone is a total mess. In a word; blown out. No one out. Tide is incoming to a 7.1 high at 9:15am then ebbing to a -1.3 at 4:15pm.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

New energy! Waist to chest high; slightly larger set waves. High tide has tamped it down a bit but there are still some rides to be had. Fair shape. Slightly riffled sea surface with a light offshore breeze at 15th street; a tad more wind and size at the 17th to 20th street areas. This swell has a lot of west in it so the sets are lined up with the largest ones closing out. Snappiest waves and lines on the inside. Tide is high right now but beginning its ebb cycle to a -0.3 low at 12:45pm. About 15 people out.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Mostly knee, sometimes waist high surf this morning. Breaking on the inside with poor to fair shape. There are some chest high sets that are a bit walled up. Surface conditions are clean with swirling easterly wind adding some frosty punctuation. Tide will be low (2.0) at 9am then work its way up to a 4.1 high at 2:45pm. 45 air temp; 62 water temp. 7 people out.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

7 hardy souls out in the lineup this morning. Clean, frigid conditions with a smooth sea surface. Surf is pretty calm. Most of the wave action provided by some walled up waist to chest high sets now and then. No wind to speak of. Low tide right now. High tide at 1:15pm (4.6 feet).

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Cold, small and soft. Clean conditions with knee to waist high surf. But even at low tide (2.5@6am) it's mostly just soft and rolley. Only breaking on the far inside. Occasional chest high sets pop up but drop off quickly and then close out. Water temp in the mid to low 60's; air temps in the low 40's to upper 30's. There is a light offshore breeze that is more pronounced to the north around 20th street. Incoming tide with a 5.2 high at noon. 10 people out.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Waves and whitecaps everywhere. The storm passing through last night has whipped up a fury and froth in the ocean. It's a jumbled up blown out mess. Surf (if you can call it that) ranges from well overhead to, well, not much less than that. Wind has clocked around to offshore extending its chilly fingers through every layer of clothing you thought might keep you warm. It's going to take a day or two for conditions and surf to improve. High tide (6.2) is at 10:15am ebbing to a -0.6 at 5:30pm. No one out.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

More windy than anything. Not even that cold. Onshore winds at 14mph; blown out conditions. Surf is about waist to shoulder with some larger junk here and there. No one out. 6.6 high tide at 8:30am that will ebb to a -0.8 at 3:30pm.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Clean conditions, offshore wind, high tide and some very large surf. Long period NW swell rolling in with grey set lines out to the horizon. This is a mega swell that, even at high tide, has overwhelmed Del Mar. Surf is in the head high range with sets well into the realm of 8 feet and beyond. Some lulls and a giant rip to carry you out to the line up. Shape is sketchy and the sets are walled up and closing out. Exciting drop and then the curtain falls. A crew of 20 or so out there trying to see what they do with it. To the north, 17th and 20th street are much larger and consistent. Next tide change is a -0.6 low at 3pm.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

The swell period, conditions, wave height and shape have all changed. Swell period has lengthened, conditions have deteriorated, wave height has increased and shape is not so good. Shoulder to head high with sets looming head and a half; flirting with double overhead. Set waves are very close together and surface conditions are textured making for a bumpy ride. Tons of white water; these are not conditions that bring out the best in 15th street.

Tide is high and I suspecting the surge is going to keep the water bumping up against the bluffs even at the 0.4 low tide at 1:30pm.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Large NW Swell Drops By...

The swell that was beginning to show late yesterday afternoon moved in full force over night.  Overhead surf was the norm and the sets were going head and a half.

Glassy conditions with a slight offshore breeze early on. Tide was high in the morning but that didn't seem to be much of a factor with this swell. Shape was sketchy with some 10 foot clean up sets washing through and taking everyone along for the ride; whether you wanted to or not. The lefts were better than the rights. The crowd was manageable with about 30-35 people out. The reef had the best shape even though the surf at 11th street south and 17th street north was larger.

Making your way to the line up in large consistent surf in Del Mar is not easy; a lot of people just couldn't make it out and gave up and came in. But if you knew where the rips were, timed it right and got lucky...

It was better yesterday and there were only 12 people out; 40+ this morning. Surf is waist to chest high with poor-fair shape and that Del Mar warble. Sets are larger. At this point the swell is fairly unfocused and not well organized. But that could change with the tide as it ebbs to a 2.0 at 11:30am. Sea surface has some bump and texture but there is no wind. So, there are some forerunners of the new swell out there but the main event had yet to begin. Brace yourself for ridiculous crowds.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Surf has dropped a notch in height and consistency. Knee to chest high with some slightly larger sets. Overall; soft and mushy. Good conditions, moderate surface bump; no wind, sunny skies. A long board day here. About 12 people out. Tide is on the way out; about 3 hours off a 4.6 high. Low tide will be 2.5 feet at 10:15am.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Large and in charge. Shoulder to head and more. Closed out overhead sets. Big NW lines; medium to short period; somewhat lined and walled up. Largest in the 17th to 20th street region. Calm sea surface conditions; no wind. Air temps in the mid to upper 40's. Shape is fair to poor. About 15 people out.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Clean, cold conditions. Air temps in the mid 40's. Water temps in the mid 60's. East wind at 7mph. Surf; inconsistent waist to chest high, best on the sets. South and east of the reef are bigger but more exposed to the wind. Shape is fair, crowd is small (12) and shivering. The south inside peak is working nicely. Tide is low and rising to a 5.4 high at 11:30am. Next low is at 7pm (0.0).

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

The tides are better but the waves are tiny and the east winds (7mph) are frosty. Knee to waist high surf that is playing hard to get. Clean, cold conditions with some sea surface ruffle. About 15 people out; the smart ones are wearing neoprene hoods or hats. Incoming tide hits its peak at 10am (6.7) then ebbs out to a -0.9 at 5:30pm.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

It's cleaned up a lot. Smooth, short period windswell lines pushing in. Struggling against the high tide. Knee to waist high but not breaking until the inside section. A moderate but very cold NE breeze is grooming the sea surface and the wave faces. That same wind in guaranteed to penetrate almost any wetsuit leaving you frigid and shivering as you wait and wait for something, anything, to push you into shore. In short, conditions are the best we've had this week but the weak swell and high tide have shut down the surf potential.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

At least it's not windy! But the surf is wild; and not in a good way. A lumpy, jumbled up chest to shoulder high mess. Non stop short period NW swell producing tons of white water and not much else. No defined line up; no defined lines. Pop up peaks that can tag you as well as give up a sweet corner if you're in the right place at the right time. And the occasional lobster trap that has drifted inside; so watch out for those. A surprising number of people out this morning trying to make something out of nothing; at least 15. About an hour off the 7.4 high tide but the surge is clanging off the base of the bluffs producing some spectacular back wash and a challenge to get back to the ramp if your last ride took you south.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary