This is a test of the Emergency Boardriding System. This is only a test...
SURF:
The end of August is supposed to be the hottest time of the year, right? But instead we get below average air temperatures, below average sea surface temperatures, clouds sticking along the coast, no surf, and WNW wind everyday. Pretty sure we're being filmed for Punk'd, Impractical Jokers, Candid Camera, Jackass, Fear Factor, AND Crank Yankers, all at once. But fear not- I'm going to test out the Emergency Boardriding System this weekend to see if it still works. Remember, this is only a test. So what do we have on tap for the long holiday weekend? First up is waist high+ NW windswell and background SW swell for Friday- and much better weather.
We did though have a good storm off New Zealand a few days ago and it looks like we'll have building chest high+ SW swell arriving late Saturday and lasting through Monday. As you head towards the OC, it should be a foot bigger. But what's the wind and weather doing? Will it finally coincide with the surf? Yes, finally the weather and water temps will feel like summer. Looks like we've got a heat wave building and temps along the beaches will hit the high 80's by Sunday. This may also help boost our water temps back to 70 degrees. Wonder if it will be crowded? (You already know the answer to that). So why just a test of the EBS this weekend and not just turn the darn thing on?! Well, the Waves & Weather will coincide this weekend but it won't be big. Think fun instead of firing. Regardless, enjoy the surf and take heed of the following info:
- Sunrise and sunset:
- 6:26 AM sunrise (6:15 if you push it)
- 7:07 PM sunset (7:15 if you push it)
- Due to the WNW wind the past 2 weeks, water temps dropped to the low 60's as you know and are hovering around 68 today. Hopefully with the heat wave this weekend though, water temps will hit the low 70's by Monday.
- And the tides this weekend are easy to remember:
- 1' at breakfast
- 4.5' at lunch
- 1' at dinner
FORECAST:
After the 1st SW swell this weekend, we get a smaller reinforcement from a 2nd storm that arrives on Tuesday as well as more NW windswell.That will keep us in chest high+ surf.
On it's heels is yet another small but fun SW swell for chest high sets the 2nd half of next week. Finally some rideable surf around here! Nothing big again but at least chest high sets later next week. Get on it because after that, the models show it going flat again. Make sure to check out Twitter/North County Surf if anything changes though!
BEST BET:
This weekend with great Waves & Weather or next Tuesday with a slightly smaller SW but better NW. Or the 2nd half of next week with small but fun SW.
WEATHER:
Unless you've been living under a rock, then you know about the heat wave starting tomorrow. High pressure will be large and in charge, squashing the low clouds/fog and raising our air temps to the mid-80's by Saturday and maybe 90 by Sunday. Let's hope that helps raise the cool water temps. By Monday, the low clouds may return briefly as a weak cold front moves through the Pacific NW, but we'll still have temps near 80 at the beaches for the holiday. Models hint at light offshore flow on Tuesday due to the cold front mentioned above, but that seems REALLY early for that to happen. BUT... there was a dusting of snow earlier in the week in the Rockies, so maybe we're starting winter early this year? Our water temps sure feel like it. For the latter part of next week, we should be back to milder weather with temps in the mid-70's at the beaches.
NEWS OF THE WEEK:
Over the years I've done various stories about our tides- how they work, difference between spring and neap tides, the Bay of Fundy (i.e. a 43' tidal swing; in comparison, the most we have here is 9'), and what causes them. The biggest influence? The moon. Did you know though, the moon is slowly moving away from earth? What's going to happen when it's too far away to make a difference (that's a long way away- so don't worry). Here's a recent report from the Business Insider to shed light on the subject:
Our moon is on the move. Each year, it drifts an estimated 1.5 inches further away from Earth. And in the process, Earth's rotation is actually slowing down. What if one night, the moon simply disappeared? Would we miss it? (The answer is 'yes' of course).
A full moon is on average 14,000 times brighter than the next brightest night-sky object, Venus. So without it, every night would be as dark as a new moon. And star gazing would be spectacular. But by the next morning, you'd begin to realize just how important the moon is for life on Earth. To start, between the sun, Earth's rotation, and the moon, the moon has the largest influence on Earth's tides. Without it, high and low tides would shrink by an estimated 75%. This would jeopardize the lives of many types of crabs, mussels, and sea snails that live in tidal zones and disrupt the diets of larger animals who rely on them for food, threatening entire coastal ecosystems in the process. Within a few decades, we would start to see mass population declines in the sea and on land. One of the largest spawning events in the world occurs in the Great Barrier Reef. Each November in the days following the light of a full moon, coral colonies across the reef - spanning an area larger than the state of New Mexico - release millions of egg and sperm sacs within nearly minutes of one another. Scientists are certain that the full moon plays a role in the timing, but exactly how remains a mystery. On land, animals like these Red Crabs also use lunar cues to reproduce. After living most of their lives in the mountains, millions of adult crabs migrate down to shore. And then, only during the last quarter of the moon, females release their eggs into the sea.
Now, the moon may not hold as much sway over human reproduction. But without it, something else we care equally about would change - the weather. Tides and tidal currents help mix cold arctic waters with warmer waters in the tropics. This balances temperatures and stabilizes the climate worldwide. Without the moon, weather forecasts would be practically impossible. The average difference between the hottest and coldest places on Earth could grow to life-threatening extremes.
But none of this compares to the biggest change that we would have coming over the next millennia. Right now, Earth tilts on its axis at 23.5º mostly due to the moon's gravity. If the moon disappeared, Earth's axis would wobble between anywhere from 10 to 45º. Some experts estimate that Jupiter could help keep Earth's tilt from reeling completely out of control. But even just an extra 10º tilt could wreak havoc on the climate and seasons. In the past, Earth's tilt has changed by about 1-2º, which scientists think could have caused Ice Ages in the past. It's hard to know what a 10º or 45º tilt would do but probably nothing good for most life on Earth.
The moon isn't just imperative for life on Earth today. Experts believe that it may also have played a key role in the formation of life more than 3.5 billion years ago. Turns out, the moon isn't just a beacon of light in the night sky. Its existence is crucial to the delicate balancing act that makes life here possible.
PIC OF THE WEEK:
You take this one, I'll get the 12th one.
Keep Surfing,
Michael W. Glenn
Savvy
Only Conspiracy Theories I Believe In Are Bigfoot & The Loch Ness Monster
1st Surfer To Ever Do A Cutback, Air, Floater, Off The Lip, Carve, Rock & Roll, Tailslide, Barrel, Layback, Snap, Roundhouse, Tail Whip, & Reverse On 1 Wave
