THE Surf Report- Early Edition

I can breathe again.

SURF:

Not that I was really holding my breath waiting for the next swell, but I was starting to worry there. As mentioned in last week's THE Surf Report, the only chance we had of getting surf last week was hurricane formation- which did happen (Miriam)- but she promptly headed due W for Hawaii- and took it's swell with it.

Then Norman started to take shape yesterday and we look to be back on track (sort of). Good news is that winds are 150 mph (category 4) but it's going to move- you guessed it- (bad news) towards Hawaii. Luckily for us it's a pretty strong storm, we have some NW windswell filling in this weekend, and a touch of small SW. So long story short, we should have chest high sets late tomorrow from the combination of swells, maybe shoulder high sets on Saturday, and back to chest high for Sunday.

Water temps are still low to mid-70's, and tides this weekend are 2' at sunrise, up to 5' after lunch, and back down to 2' at sunset.

FORECAST:

Norman starts to wind down on Monday but we had a fetch of wind in the southern hemisphere pointed our way last week that will bump our surf back up to the chest high range from the S on Tuesday. That lasts into Wednesday morning.

Thursday looks small again, then another fetch of wind blew some SW swell our way for next Friday for small chest high sets. Then we get the blood pumping:

Models show a solid storm forming in the corner of Antarctica and Chile which is poised to give us well overhead S swell towards the 10th.

At the same time, hurricane Olivia may take shape too if the forecast charts hold- so along with that big S swell from the southern hemisphere- we could hit the jackpot. When it rains it pours.

WEATHER:

Great weather the past few days will continue tomorrow. Then a weak cold front to the north will kick up our clouds down here for cooler temps and more night/morning low clouds/fog for the holiday weekend. Don't get me wrong- still nice with temps in the mid-70's- but you may want to sleep in until the clouds burn off. We may get a slight warm up the 2nd half of next week (like we had today) but no hot weather or thunderstorms in sight. Make sure to keep up to date on the changing conditions at Twitter/North County Surf. 

BEST BET:
Fun waves this weekend or bigger surf around the 10th. 

NEWS OF THE WEEK:

With warm summer water comes jellyfish. Otherwise known as jellies. Or sea nettles. Or whatever you call them, the likelihood of running into these stinging tentacled creatures generally increases this time of year. But just how dangerous are these blobs of goo? I'll let the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explain:

Jellyfish have a complicated relationship with humans: They are often feared by beachgoers because of their sting. They can get unintentionally caught up in commercial fishing nets. Some jellies can even clog intake pipes of coastal power and desalination plants, and in high concentrations, can force closures of popular beaches. For scientists, however, jellyfish are fascinating research subjects – they play important roles in the marine ecosystem and are a key source of food for some fish and sea turtles. Some even protect commercially valuable species, such as oysters, from predators. Whatever your view may be, many misconceptions exist about jellyfish. Let’s bust the Top 3 myths:

MYTH #1: Jellyfish are all the same species:
On the contrary, there are more than 200 documented species of true jellyfish (and many more of their stinging relatives) across the globe. The environmental conditions required for each species to thrive can differ. In fact, NOAA and Smithsonian Institution scientists recently found that sea nettles in the Chesapeake Bay are considerably different than those in the open ocean and recognized it as a new species.

MYTH #2: Jellyfish "go after" people:
Not true. Any contact with jellyfish is incidental. Humans are not on their menu, but when we are in their environment we can get in the way of their tentacles. While jellyfish don't have a brain, they can sense light and have coordinated swimming behaviors, which help keep them in good places to hunt for microscopic plants and fish eggs/larvae, or other prey like fish, worms, and crustaceans.

MYTH #3: Applying urine to a jellyfish sting can reduce the pain:
Perhaps the most interesting of myths, the use of urine to treat stings has been tested and proven unhelpful. A better idea? Try an acidic liquid like vinegar. There are also several commercially available products marketed for stings.

What to do if you get stung: First, look for any tentacle adhering to skin, and flush the area well with cold ocean water. Do not rub the sting area because you could inadvertently distribute the venom further into the body. Then vinegar or evidence-based commercial product should be applied if there is continuing pain.

NOAA scientists are working on a way to forecast jellyfish, using the Chesapeake Bay as a testing ground, so residents and business owners can understand the probabilities of encountering jellies based on changing environmental conditions – such as salt concentration and temperature of bay water.

How cool would that be? Having an app on your Apple Watch that when you're surfing, will alert you to jellyfish nearby. We'll probably put a human on Mars first, but still, that would be awesome.

PIC OF THE WEEK:

I love set ups like this. On small days, you surf the outer point. On big days, you surf the inner point. 6' and rippable for days on end...

Keep Surfing,

Michael W. Glenn
International Man of Mystery
Asked To Speak Next Month At Apple's Special Event
Made A SUP With Boogie Board Material, A Flex Stringer, Attached A Foil, And Use A Kite To Pull Me. I Call It The SUPoogiexoilkite. (Patent Pending)