THE Surf Report

 

Wet 'n' Wild.

SURF:

For those of you that like to take the guess work out of surfing, I offer you the Palm Springs Surf Club. 3-5’ perfect surf every day starting January 1st. And for those of you that like to take a little risk in your life, I give you… THE Surf Report. I swear Mother Nature is trying to give the Palm Springs Surf Club a run for their money. I would have said from February to October- give me a wave pool in all of it’s chlorinated glory as our surf was awful. But now- I’m not so sure with our recent run of waves. And there’s more coming. A lot more. 

For Friday, we get a new small WNW groundswell for chest high sets (bigger in SD) later in the day and into Saturday. 

Then on Sunday we get more WNW for slightly bigger shoulder high surf (and better in SD again). We also have some storms trying to break down the door by Sunday so expect more high clouds but no real rain or wind to speak of. Yet. And here’s the sun, tides, and water temps for the upcoming weekend:

• Sunrise and sunset:
• 6:45 AM sunrise
• 4:45 PM sunset

• Water temps low 60's.

• Tides are getting back to normal:
  • 4' at sunrise
  • about 5.5' before lunch
  • and almost 0' at sunset.

FORECAST:

Here comes the fun part. Models show storms lined up on the horizon like incoming jumbo jets at LAX. The good WNW groundswell on Sunday continues into Tuesday and drops slightly into Wednesday. THEN… the storms could be finally coming ashore by then. 

Surf picks up again late Wednesday to the head high range- but it’s shorter interval WNW swell and may have SW wind on it. For Thursday into Friday, we could have storm surf and wet & wild conditions. The weekend cleans up slightly and long range charts show SOLID surf arriving after Christmas- and maybe more wet & windy weather. Just between you and I… I’m all for it. If anything changes between now and then, make sure to follow North County Surf on Twitter. 

WEATHER:

If you’re a southern California native, you know there’s no such thing as a white Christmas, let alone a wet Christmas. Well, we may be in luck this season. But first- the upcoming weekend. On Friday we’ve got weak offshore winds as storms to the N of us try to break down our high pressure. We’re left with dry conditions and high clouds through Saturday. More storms early next week finally start to saturate the air and we MAY have some showers on Monday- but most likely real rain by Wednesday into Thursday. And on it’s heels could be more storms towards the Christmas holiday. Here's what we have on tap for at least the next 7 days:

• Friday: Sunny. Temps 67/55.
• Saturday: Ditto but a touch more high clouds. Temps 67/55.
• Sunday through Tuesday: Increasing chances of showers. Temps low 60's during the day and high 50's at night.
• Wednesday/Thursday: A real storm? 
• Friday and beyond: More storms?...

BEST BET:

• Late Friday into Saturday: Fun WNW and good conditions. 
• Late Sunday into Tuesday: Better WNW but deteriorating conditions
• Bigger surf next weekend and beyond but stormy?...

NEWS OF THE WEEK:

I've been obsessed with wave pools ever since the pro tour held a contest in knee high dribblers back in '85 at the surf capital of the world... Allentown, PA. Fast forward 30 years, and I posted the latest news on the chlorine dream in the North County Surf blog here. Almost 10 years later and countless wave pool blogs later, we finally have our first wave pool in Southern California. Why is this an important milestone? If you've ever spent countless springtime surf sessions in a 4/3 dealing with crowds, lack of surf, S wind, and fog, you know what I'm getting at. You don't think I'm headed over the hill to surf countless shoulder high waves in 80 degree water while my lady sips Pina Coladas and films me? Sign me up. With over 20 million people living within 2 hours of the pool, this is going to be a boon to the wave pool industry and hopefully more will be built soon as the Palm Spring Surf Club will be constantly sold out. So if you haven't heard yet, here's Travel and Leisure Magazine with the scoop:

The long-awaited Palm Springs Surf Club (PSSC) is preparing to officially swing open its doors to the public at the turn of the new year, on Jan. 1, 2024. And with it bring a brand new wave to Southern California. Specifically, to 1500 S Gene Autry Trail in Palm Springs.

“Opening The Palm Springs Surf Club marks the realization of a dream that was once unimaginable — catching waves in the desert. We have assembled a passionate team to create an extraordinary space that will provide world-class entertainment and bring together people from within and beyond the surf community,” Vinny Smith, the general partner of the club, shared in a statement provided to Travel + Leisure. “This team took a dilapidated park that was built in the late 1970s and created what you see today.” 

The idea for the resort started to form in 2018, when Cheyne Magnusson, who helped curate and create the original wave park in Waco, Texas, partnered with pro surf icon Kalani Robb to build a next-generation wave prototype in what was previously the Wet ‘N’ Wild waterpark in Palm Springs. In 2019, they completed the prototype and invited Smith to come test it for himself. So impressed, Smith brought in hotel developers Tim and Colin O’Byrne to help create what is the final club today.  

At the resort, guests can surf an engineered wave that ranges from two to seven feet, depending on just how gnarly each guest feels, which goes on for 400 feet, with the length of each ride going between seven to 11 seconds.  And truly, it can be experienced by everyone from beginner to pro. 

“We're thrilled to bring this unique desert surf experience to life. Whether you're an avid surfer, a beginner, or someone who simply loves to watch this spectacular sport, The Palm Springs Surf Club has something for everyone,” Tim O'Byrne said. “Surfing is a mesmerizing sport to watch, and at PSSC, the experience of observing surfers ride world-class waves against the stunning backdrop of the Palm Springs Mountains is unparalleled.” 

However, even if you don’t want to paddle into the waves, you can still enjoy the 21-acre club thanks to its other water-centric perks like waterslides, ADA-accessible lounge pools, and lazy river, along with its dining venues like Amala restaurant, which will offer sustainable bites. (Guests can also choose to just come to Amala and skip the park entrance fee altogether.)

There are also three full bars on site, where guests can order bespoke cocktails or a draft beer. And anyone choosing to surf can get a low-key bite at Drifter’s just next to the pool. Guests are also more than welcome to lounge about in the private cabanas or day beds lining the river and the wave pool.

And if you’re worried about the water usage in the desert, don’t be. PSSC uses just 1 percent of the water volume required by a typical golf course while generating over 70 percent of its energy resources in-house. 

Surfers are welcome to bring their own boards or rent from the in-house shop. Riding the wave starts at $100 for beginners (for a group of 12), $150 for intermediates (group of 12), and $200 for the advanced (group of 9).

Reservation stations can be booked at palmspringssurfclub.com right now.

See you out there. I'll buy the first round at Mastro's.

PIC OF THE WEEK:

The Golden State has been golden lately. Just ask this A-frame at some undisclosed So-Cal desert. Ok- who's kidding- I'm pretty sure you can guess where this is.

Keep Surfing, 
Michael W. Glenn
NEVER In Doubt
Got 11 More Days To Go Until I Can Be Naughty Again
Gambling Is Illegal At Palm Springs Surf Club, And I Never Slide