From feast to famine.
SURF:
That was a pretty good run of swell this past week. One of the better in recent memory I might say. Southern hemi swell, NW windswell, a little hurricane surf, throw in tropical weather along with water in the low 70's and it's as good as it gets. Today we have leftover Southern hemi swell for chest high sets in northern SD and head high sets in the OC (I should know- I've been watching the US Open all day). For the weekend we unfortunately don't have any significant swells in our sights; just small background S as well as a little touch of NW windswell. Look for chest high sets through Sunday.
FORECAST:
I'll make it quick: Next week isn't looking that good. In fact, it's looking pretty sad. Like when you show up to the beach and the water is 60 and you forgot your wetsuit kind of sad. Along with the low clouds returning, might as well write surfing off the next week. Our only hope is to have a hurricane flair up- which may happen since we're right in the middle of hurricane season- but until then it's time to break out your groveler. As far as I can tell, it may be waist high around here for the next 10-12 days. Yikes. Make sure to keep up to date on the waves & weather at Twitter/North County Surf.
WEATHER:
Along with the dying surf, our weather will become boring too. All the excitement the past few days from the tropical clouds overhead and thunderstorms in the mountains will give way to drying conditions this weekend. Look for the low clouds to return in the nights/mornings and mild sunshine at the beaches by mid-day. Along with the small surf, the pleasant weather should remain for at least the next week. Not that I would ever wish for a hurricane but at least it would give us surf and some weather to talk about!
BEST BET:
Tomorrow. Fight for the scraps!
NEWS OF THE WEEK:
There are deadly waves all over the world. Teahupoo in Tahiti. The Wedge in Newport. Shipsterns in Tasmania. And of course the granddaddy of the all- the Banzai Pipeline. But the deadliest wave of them all? Tsunamis. Since we live in an active earthquake zone, here's some facts from National Geographic about tsunamis you should be familiar with:
When the ocean is deep, tsunamis can travel unnoticed on the surface at speeds up to 500 miles per hour, crossing the entire ocean in a day or less. Scientists are able to calculate arrival times of tsunamis in different parts of the world based on their knowledge of when the event that generated them occurred, water depths, and distances.
A tsunami may be less than a foot in height on the surface of the open ocean, which is why they are not noticed by sailors. But the powerful shock wave of energy travels rapidly through the ocean as fast as a commercial jet. Once a tsunami reaches shallow water near the coast it is slowed down. The top of the wave moves faster than the bottom, causing the sea to rise dramatically.
Geological features such as reefs, bays, river entrances, and undersea formations may dissipate the energy of a tsunami. In some places a tsunami may cause the sea to rise vertically only a few inches or feet. In other places tsunamis have been known to surge vertically as high as 100 feet. Most tsunamis cause the sea to rise no more than 10 feet .
Flooding can extend inland by a thousand feet (300 meters) or more. The enormous energy of a tsunami can lift giant boulders, flip vehicles, and demolish houses. Knowledge of the history of tsunamis in your area is a good indicator of what is likely to happen in a future tsunami event.
Tsunamis do not necessarily make their final approach to land as a series of giant breaking waves. They may be more like a very rapidly rising tide. This may be accompanied by much underwater turbulence, sucking people under and tossing heavy objects around. Entire beaches have been stripped away by tsunamis.
The Pacific is by far the most active tsunami zone, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). But tsunamis have been generated in other bodies of water, including the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas, and the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. North Atlantic tsunamis included the tsunami associated with the 1775 Lisbon earthquake that killed as many as 60,000 people in Portugal, Spain, and North Africa. This quake caused a tsunami as high as 23 feet in the Caribbean.
Tsunami Safety:
An earthquake is a natural tsunami warning. If you feel a strong quake do not stay in a place where you are exposed to a tsunami. If you hear of an earthquake be aware of the possibility of a tsunami and listen to the radio or television for additional information. Remember that an earthquake can trigger killer waves thousands of miles across the ocean many hours after the event generated a tsunami.
Witnesses have reported that an approaching tsunami is sometimes preceded by a noticeable fall or rise in the water level. If you see the ocean receding unusually rapidly or far it's a good sign that a big wave is on its way. Go to high ground immediately.
Many people were killed by the Indian Ocean tsunami because they went down to the beach to view the retreating ocean exposing the seafloor. Apparently they were unaware that this phenomenon precedes a killer wave. Experts believe that a receding ocean may give people as much as five minutes' warning to evacuate the area.
Because tsunamis can approach the shore as fast as 100 miles per hour it is often too late to get away if you see one. An approaching tsunami is not something to be admired unless you are safely on high ground.
Remember that a tsunami is a series of waves and that the first wave may not be the most dangerous. The danger from a tsunami can last for several hours after the arrival of the first wave. A tsunami wave train may come as a series of surges that are five minutes to an hour apart. The cycle may be marked by a repeated retreat and advance of the ocean. Stay out of danger until you hear it is safe.
A tsunami surge may be small at one point of the shore and large at another point a short distance away. Do not assume that because there is minimal sign of a tsunami in one place it will be like that everywhere else.
Tsunamis can travel up rivers and streams that lead to the ocean. Stay away from rivers and streams that lead to the ocean as you would stay away from the beach and ocean if there is a tsunami.
PIC OF THE WEEK:
If Willy Wonka made a wavepool, this is what it would look like. Full of color, warbled, and a barrel so big, you could fit 10 Oompa Loompas in it. Check out more of Josh Tabone's work on Instagram and Tumbler.
Keep Surfing,
Michael W. Glenn
Knew I Was Clairvoyant Before I Was Clairvoyant
Pre-Ordered The Tesla Model 4
Only Surfer To Ever Score An 11 On A Single Wave
