Unfocused. Unruly. Lumpy. Chest to head high surf this morning; larger on the sets. The short period NW swell is pumped up size wise but the shape is not. Long closed out walls, one after the other, and the occasional bomb out the back are conspiring against a decent go out. The line up is scattered all over the place but most seem to have drifted way south of the reef. About 15 people out. Light breeze. The tide is just coming off the 1.8 low and will flow in to a 6.7 high at 11:30am. Even so, the surge has pushed water right up against the bluff right now.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Grey day. Grey waves. Waist to chest high surf this morning; going slightly larger in the sets. Shape is not as focused or consistent as it has been. More long walled up lines and less peaks. Sea surface is smooth with light and swirling easterly breezes. Tide is rising and is already up against the bluffs. Next low tide will be at 5pm (-1.2). About 30 people out.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

2 hours from the 9am 7.0 high tide and the surf is already blasting off the base of the bluffs. And speaking of surf, don't believe the Surfline 2-3 foot report. It's easily shoulder to head high; going well overhead on the sets. How's 8-10 sound? It's sizable and it's got some juice. It's a long period south swell so there is just enough of a lull to get out without too much damage. Incoming 7.0 tide will ebb to a -0.9 at 3:30pm. Smooth sea surface and no wind. About 15 people out sampling the wares.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

A notch larger this morning. Waist to chest; going plus in the sets. Fair to good shape. Just a hint of sea surface ruffle from a light off shore breeze. Best peaks on the reef or just south of it. A little inconsistent but you won't get bored. About 20 people out. This would be a good way to get your Friday started!

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Another beautiful autumn day. Surf wise we have waist to shoulder high surf with fair to good shape. Offshore breeze and warm water. Smooth sea surface. Crowd is light (20+) and clustered on the north end of the reef. The best peak though is to the south. Some racy walls but mostly classic Del Mar lefts. A good day for surfing. Tide is ebbing to a 2.1 low at noon.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Classic SoCal autumn conditions. And classic 15th street surf. Light offshores, smooth sea surface, waist to shoulder high surf and a decent tide. Sets can go plus size at times and shape is fair+ to good. Water temps still in the 70's but the air has a cool edge to it. About 30 guys out; don't you wish you were one of them...

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Lots of waves. But lots of wind too. Medium period NW swell is producing chest to shoulder to head high surf. Problem is that the west wind has hacked the sea surface to pieces (just north of VAS conditions). So, size, shape and fun have all suffered. 3 people out gamely trying to make something of it. Tide has just past a 3.0 low and will be flowing into a 5.0 high tide at 1:30pm.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Green water. Dark sky. Looks like some more rain is headed this way from the south. Except for questionable water quality, the surf isn't all that bad; not that great either. Typical waist high Del Mar mushburgers floating through some bumpy sea. Still some south swell but the sets are long walls from the west. Light swirling breezes. 72 degree air and water. Saturday crowd of about 20. Tide is rising to 5.6 feet at noon. 0.7 low
shows up at 7pm.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Pretty much what you'd expect; lumpy, bumpy and raining. Oh, and onshore wind. Junky waist to chest high surf with poor shape. We've also had enough rain to generate runoff so I'd recommend not going in the water for a few days. Tide is on the rise after a 2.0 low at 5am. Next high tide will be a 6.0 at 11am ebbing to a 0.5 low at 6pm.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

As dark and gloomy as a Batman movie set. Thick overcast, some drizzle and onshore wind. Surf is in the knee to waist high zone with fair to poor shape. The wind has scrubbed up the sea surface but the wave faces are strangely glassy. The reef has its moments but the southerly line up has the best size and shape. About 20 people out. Tide is flowing in to a 5.9 high at 10:45am and will then ebb to a 0.4 low at 5:45pm.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Size, shape and crowd have all dropped off a bit. Surf is running in the waist to chest zone with slightly larger sets. Shape is not as well defined as it has been but there are some nuggets if you know where to look. Sea surface is calm; tide is rising to 6.0 at 10:30am and then ebbing to a 0.3 low at 5pm. About 35 people out.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Photos from Saturday's session at 15th Street, Del Mar

The swell had come up overnight and shook off all signs of disorganization it had shown the previous few days.  It was also crowded; well over 60 at midmorning. That means lots of jockeying for position and lots of dodging the guys who sit inside. The sets had everyone scrambling for the outside; some turned and burned; some just got burned. Lots of smiles; tired arms; no broken boards. Take a look:

The line up on the 15th street reef

20th Street shack

Racing to get under the lip

20th Street spin drift and set wave

Rande on a nice inside section

Corduroy lines

The inside section was hollow and racy

Steve, all casual

All kinds of surfing going on...

Into the light...

That's all folks...

Have a good one
Aloha

Gary

All photos copyright Gary Erbeck 2015

The air is heavy with salt this morning. But then 3 days of solid overhead surf will do that. And it continues; surf is in the 6-8 foot range today. Sets are larger; much larger. High tide is softening it some but it still has plenty of juice. Shape is fair to good to annihilating. Smooth sea surface with a light SSE breeze. The crowd of 30+ is well spread out across the lineup. Tide is rising to a 5.9 at 9:30am but the water is already kissing the base of the bluffs. Low tide clocks in at 4pm at 0.4 feet; quite a change. There's a lot of water moving around today; know your limits. Like the two guys who just walked to the bottom of the ramp, stared out to sea for 30 seconds, turned around and walked back up the ramp.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Whoa!

It's crazy crowded. Stopped counting at 40. Surfwise it's inconsistent with most of the action taking place in the knee to thigh high shore break racetrack. There are some occasional peaks that pop up here and there with some waist high close outs. Better quality at the southern line up. Lumpy sea surface; no wind. 5.4 high tide at 8:30am ebbing to a 1.2 low at 2:30pm.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

There is some swell in the water but the high tide has sucked the life out of it. Mostly from the south, it's also a tad inconsistent. The sets are about the only thing breaking and they are rolling in at about the waist high range. There are a few peaks but for the most part it's just walled up. Sea surface is glassy; no wind. About 15 people out. Tide is about a hour away from high; after that it will drain out to a 1.3 low around 2pm.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Not today; tomorrow. That's when the water should be reasonably clear of the urban drool that flowed into it from Sunday/Monday's rain event. Right now the surf is ankle to knee high shore break and the tide is high. Not much going on. Sea surface is glassy and no wind. The 4.9 high tide will ebb to a 2.0 low around 1pm. 8 people out.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Messy. Very messy. An unorganized barrage of waist to chest high, very short period, windswell. No line up; no peak. Just back to back to back waves rolling through to become a lazy shorebreak. Stiff offshores; spindrifts galore. 7 people out. About an hour off a 2.0 low tide. High tide of 6.1 at 1pm.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Lots of small short period windswell in the water this morning. Mostly in the knee to thigh high range. The reef is barely rideable; the sandbar at Tres Palms is at least breaking, but without much shape. Some of the sets look promising but they are just rolling on through to shorebreak. A NE breeze has put some texture on the water and my human thermometers tell me that the water temp has dropped a few degrees. Still in the 70's though. About 15 people out with the surf PE crew about to hit it. Medium tide now which is flowing into a 6.5 high at noon.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary