THE Surf Report

 

And That's A Wrap!

SURF:

Well, wasn't that impressive. And we're still 6 weeks away from winter! A solid storm wreaked havoc along the Western U.S. and Southern California was no exception. 

As far as the surf went, the storm unfortunately came out the N so we didn't see a lot of groundwell from it- just windswell. The past few days have been cleaner BUT the water's been dirty due to the rain. 

No fear though, by the weekend, we should see cleaner water and a new little SW filling in for Friday/Saturday. We're pretty late in the season, so don't expect much, but spots in far N SD should be waist high with the odd chest high set in the OC. 

SD will get in on the action though by Sunday as NW windswell picks up from a trough moving by to the N. Look for chest high sets and maybe a bit of wind. And here's the tides, sun, and water temps for the next few days:

• Sunrise and sunset for the weekend:
•  6:17 AM sunrise (that's early)
•  4:49 PM sunset (that's early) 

• Water temps are where they should be this time of year- around 62

• And tides are this weekend are:
• 4' at sunrise
• 5' late morning
• down to 0' at sunset

FORECAST:

The N Pacific is officially awake. After the NW windswell on Monday, we get a fun NW groundswell on Monday/Tuesday. Look for chest high sets in N County SD and shoulder high waves in southern SD. 

The rest of the week is on the small side but we have WNW swell filling in next weekend for shoulder high surf in N SD and head high surf in S SD. If having to wear a 3/2 is the price to pay for fun NW swells, I'm happy to be broke. 

WEATHER:

What originally looked to be a run of the mill cold front on the forecast charts last week, turned into a full blown barn burner on Tuesday (more on that below). In its wake is cool sunny skies for Friday/Saturday and a bit more clouds/wind on Sunday. Next week we have more cold fronts moving by to the N of us which may give us off and on offshore flow. No real Santa Ana winds but we will have sunny skies most of next week. Temps for the foreseeable future look to be low 60's during the day and high 40's at night. Make sure to follow North County Surf on Twitter!

BEST BET:

Monday/Tuesday with fun NW or next weekend with a better angled WNW for us. 

NEWS OF THE WEEK:

So much for that 'weak' cold front I forecasted for last Tuesday. Within a few days of posting that miscalculation, we were treated with a mid-January haymaker. Here's the report:

• 6-9" of rain in the San Bernardino Mountains
• 6-8" of snow at Big Bear
• 1-1.5" of rain along the SD coast
• wind gusts of 45 mph along the coast
• and anywhere between 70-100 mph gusts of wind in the local mountains
• Sierras also got roughly 4' of snow and most resorts are opening early

Does this mean the drought is over? Nope. Does this mean La Nina is a bust? Nope- but there has been on rare instances where we see above average rainfall during La Nina years. But don't bet the house on it. So where do we stand with rainfall so early in our season?

• Newport Beach: As of last week, they had 0.48" of rain- only 81% of normal. Now they have 1.59" and are 221% of normal. Take that with a grain of salt though as they're aiming for 11.18" by season's end.
• Oceanside: As of last week, they had 0.43" of rain- only 62% of normal. Now they have 1.83" and are 226% of normal with a goal of 11.86" to hit 'average' by season's end.
• San Diego: As of last week, they had 0.16"- just 30% of normal. Now they're at 1.16" and 171% of normal (with average at season's end being 9.79").

No rainfall is forecasted in our near future but some models are hinting storms in the Pacific may push our high pressure aside and we could see rain again Thanksgiving week. Awesome.

BEST OF THE BLOG:

Halloween is in the rearview mirror and we've got more holiday spirit in our sights ahead. The North County Board Meeting is in full swing and the next couple of months are going to be BUSY. In particular:

• NOVEMBER: Time for our next Surf Meeting! We're going to mix it up this time and get some waves at South Ponto from 7 to 9 AM. Set your calendar for next Friday, November 18th to network, grab a bite before work, slip into a barrel or two, and learn how you can help the community at our next charity event. We'll be just south of the south jetty- look for the tent as usual. And speaking of our next charity event...
• DECEMBER: We're off to Pacific Coast Spirits in South O'side! If you haven't been there yet, you're missing out; great food, great drinks, and great atmosphere. Here's your chance though: Our annual holiday party & charity event will be Thursday, December 15th from 6 to 9 PM. This season we'll be benefiting Sea Trees; helping to protect and restore ocean health (which is important to your health too)! Cost is just $100 per person and includes, appetizers, dinner, and 2 drinks. As usual, space is limited- and we sold out early last year- so reserve your spot asap as it's first come, first serve! To secure your ticket, reach out to either:
  • Rich Clark, rclark@fuzionpayments.com 
  • Michael Glenn, northcountyboardmeeting@gmail.com

In addition to celebrating the holidays at Pacific Coast Spirits, we'll also be having a live auction to benefit Sea Trees- so get ready to battle it out for some great holiday gifts! 

And if you're unfamiliar with the North County Board Meeting, we've been around for 8 years and were created by business professionals who also happen to surf. Our goals are:

• Encourage the growth of businesses
• Being a resource for networking
• Giving back to the community
• All at the same time making an excuse to surf

You can find out more about our group and events here.

Thanks for your support and we'll see you November 18th AND December 15th! 

PIC OF THE WEEK:

For Thanksgiving, I'll be spending my time along this wave rich coast. For those of you that know, you know. For those of you that don't, let's just say it's sharky (the big ones- not those little So-Cal juveniles), cold, lots of current, the occasional fog bank, and for good reason- fairly empty. That's why I'm bringing my youngest child with me. Misery loves company! For more inspiring shots of California and beyond, check out Todd Glaser's work here.

Keep Surfing, 
Michael W. Glenn
Top Brass
Already Filled Out My Bracket
Refuse To Surf In A Crowd