Surf updates

[WahooUSMA]

I am curious as to where everyone gets their surf updates – I check two sites for the wave forecast, CDIP – Scripps Pier Wave Forecast and then Surfline as well as the BWE web cam and the Surfline webcam. It’s strange how two different sites can be so opposite in their forecast. Example – CDIP states forecasts this Sat btwn 2-4ft at Scripps Pier and Surfline forecasts La Jolla Shores and Scripps Pier 5 – 7ft. That’s a big variance…and big surf (guess I’ll be hitting up NP or DP this weeked)!
Then there are the times when I check the cams and it looks relatively flat, but when I get down there, the sets are gianormous! That’s when I just turn the truck around and grab a breakfast burrito for the drive home!

[bigbarrels]

I check out NOAA link under the La JOlla Webcam and Surfline (requires membership for extended forecast)

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sgx/display_...id=SGX&pil=CWF

Magic Seaweed is a free way to check the forecast also

http://magicseaweed.com/

hope this helps

[467echo]

Originally Posted by WahooUSMA

I am curious as to where everyone gets their surf updates – I check two sites for the wave forecast, CDIP – Scripps Pier Wave Forecast and then Surfline as well as the BWE web cam and the Surfline webcam. It’s strange how two different sites can be so opposite in their forecast. Example – CDIP states forecasts this Sat btwn 2-4ft at Scripps Pier and Surfline forecasts La Jolla Shores and Scripps Pier 5 – 7ft. That’s a big variance…and big surf (guess I’ll be hitting up NP or DP this weeked)!
Then there are the times when I check the cams and it looks relatively flat, but when I get down there, the sets are gianormous! That’s when I just turn the truck around and grab a breakfast burrito for the drive home!

looks pretty flat to me Roger, go top off the tank and show the PA who's boss!

[WahooUSMA]

Originally Posted by 467echo

looks pretty flat to me Roger, go top off the tank and show the PA who's boss!

Ahh, my fat ass broke the buckle on the PA seat! I'll bring the Revo! Maybe I'll see you out there and some of your good luck fishing will rub off on me! Maybe its your new Revo that's bringing you all the fish?

[467echo]

I'd meet up with you but I'm off to the heat of Palm springs this weekend. My buddy Steve is taking out his PA on Sunday morning.

[surfnutnj]

May favorite has to be wetsand.com They give free extended surf forecasts and are usually at least in the ball park.

[toby]

Originally Posted by WahooUSMA

Ahh, my fat ass broke the buckle on the PA seat! I'll bring the Revo! Maybe I'll see you out there and some of your good luck fishing will rub off on me! Maybe its your new Revo that's bringing you all the fish?

Hey, Roger!

I broke my seat strap buckle twice since April. They have fixed it both times so far under warranty.

Good luck on the fishing! I'm going camping this weekend to give the Avion 25' trailer a maiden voyage and might get in some freshwater fishing.

Adios

[skiffman]

It's flat at the launch. The south facing reefs are pulling in a nice SSW swell running 4-5' and it looks to be building. Be careful fishing the boilers.

[John M]

Ditto on Wetsand.
John

[old_rookie]

Another webcam to check out is this one mounted on the pier just north
http://streams.camzone.com/scrippspi...?cmd=gojscript

[roadx]

old_rookie

if you use this link

http://os6.prod.camzone.com/frame?na...284764935113:0

and have win7 with coconutview axis gadgets, it's always viewable on your desktop

[TCS]

http://cdip.ucsd.edu/?nav=recent&sub...m=tpo_forecast

http://www.surfermag.com/surf-report...egionID=8&rt=S. CA (San Diego)
Click on expert view for the swell direction

http://surf.solspot.com/

http://surfinside.com/Reports/Reports.htm
Cameras/scripps cam - for live scripps pier cam

http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/dat...ml?stn=9410230 La Jolla, CA&type=Meteorological+Observations
Scripps water temps

[Jzo]

Originally Posted by TCS

http://cdip.ucsd.edu/?nav=recent&sub...m=tpo_forecast

http://www.surfermag.com/surf-report...egionID=8&rt=S. CA (San Diego)
Click on expert view for the swell direction

http://surf.solspot.com/

http://surfinside.com/Reports/Reports.htm
Cameras/scripps cam - for live scripps pier cam

http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/dat...ml?stn=9410230 La Jolla, CA&type=Meteorological+Observations
Scripps water temps

Great links, thx.

[kareem korn]

magicseaweed.com

[dmrides]

I would have to echo wetsand and magicseaweed. As a surfer, I have found wetsand to be a bit optimistic, but appreciate the week long forecast. Magicseaweed has a cool feature of not only giving you swell height, but also predicting breaking height and quality of surf. Of course nothing beats the cams just make sure you watch it long enough to see some sets.

[chris138]

No matter which site you use, it's nearly impossible to predict for sure the conditions at LJ launch unless it's completely flat. With the canyon that close to shore, all it takes is a little current and wind and all of a sudden a 180deg S groundswell will make a right turn and be macking at the shores. The opposite is also true where sets can be running 10 ft out of the SW, and the launch will be a dead calm eddy. One thing is for sure, in another month when the swell vector comes above 270, there will be prangler carnage and lost gear. Show up and blow up baby.

[TCS]

Hate to be disagreeable donkey roper, but a 180 degree long period swell will never get to the launch. No way.

[chris138]

What, no devilslides on a south? Ok perhaps I'm exaggerating... But the point is you don't really know until you go and surf forecasting is inaccurate to say the least.

[FARRIER]

Im a kayak fishing rookie but have logged water time on the surfboard since 1987. And remember when surfline was an actual phone number. But I digress. Camzone was controllable for a short time when it first came out. So I would watch the waves for a good twenty to thirty sometimes before making the drive from inland. In all honesty the surf would not reflect what i saw 70 to 80 percent of the time. The camera's altitude is far higher than the sand. And that is really deceptive. The best way to check the surf is to drive to the beach! Bring your boat. Sometimes you just have to commit.

[TCS]

Point well taken Chris. Here's another tidbit related to swell intervals. Swell period matters as much as direction at the launch. A four foot northwest swell with a 5 second period will pound the launch. Same swell direction with a 15 second interval will leave the launch virtually untouched. (Usually) This is due to the bathymetry of the ocean floor. The energy in a long period swell reaches much deeper under the surface of the water and the energy can then be funneled into certain areas according to the bottom contours.

For example, on a long period northwest swell, the launch might be flat and scripps overhead. On a short period swell there is not as much difference in size, although scripps will still be bigger.