THE Surf Report

 

SURF:

As El Nino wanes and spring is on the horizon just 2 weeks away, we start to turn our attention from the N to the S. Today we had fun NW wind/groundswell and surprisingly clean conditions considering last night's cold front. For Friday, the NW peaks with shoulder high waves early then fades through the day. Saturday looks to be waist high but clean. 

For Sunday, we have small SSW swell filling in for waist high sets and chest high towards the OC. And here’s the sun, tides, and water temps for the upcoming weekend:

• Sunrise and sunset:
• 6:06 AM sunrise
• 5:53 PM sunset 
• only 2 more weeks until we see 12 hours of sun...

• Water temps are still hovering around 60 

• And tides are extreme again this weekend:
• about 5' at sunrise
• 6' at breakfast
• down to -1' mid-afternoon
• and up to 2' at sunset

FORECAST:

The SSW mentioned above will peak on Monday with more waist to chest high surf as new NW windswell fills in. BUT... that new NW will be generated by a dry cold front moving by to the N of us which will generate WNW winds along our coast- and bumpy conditions. Those swells will peak on Tuesday- with more wind. Wednesday will have leftover NW/SW and cleaner conditions. 

Late in the week, we have more chest high NW windswell (but cleaner conditions) and more chest high SW. Those should last into Saturday. If anything changes between now and then, make sure to follow North County Surf on X (Twitter). 

WEATHER:

Good to see a 'normal' storm around here. Quick and 1/4-12" of rain. For Friday, we'll have a transition day, then high pressure fills in Saturday/Sunday for a great weekend (watch the afternoon sea breeze though on Saturday). On Monday, a weak cold front moves by to the N of us for more clouds and the return of WSW winds. Later in the week, high pressure should set up and we could be back to sunny skies and temps in the low 70's along the coast. And here's what we have on tap for the next week:

• Friday: Cool and mostly sunny skies. Temps 63/50.
• Saturday: Sunny with an afternoon sea breeze. Temps 65/50.
• Sunday: Sunny and cool. Temps 65/51.
• Monday/Tuesday: Clouds and breezy. Temps 63/52.
• Wednesday and beyond: More sun, high pressure sets up. Temps near 70 by the weekend.

BEST BET:

Nothing big in the coming days, but fun. 

• Early Friday with leftover shoulder high NW. 
• Early Monday with shoulder combo swell. 
• Late in the week with shoulder high combo swell. 

NEWS OF THE WEEK:

As you know by now, I'm a fan of wave pools. Now of course these will never replace the experience of battling King Neptune, but they do though have their share of benefits. Like when it's flat with May Gray in San Diego- but you can trunk shoulder high waves Palm Springs while my lady sips Mai Tais poolside. But what about closer to home? Like when it's been flat, overcast, and crowded for weeks with no surf in sight? That's where Ocean Kamp in Oceanside comes in. As mentioned in THE Surf Report a few times (most notably 2 years ago), I would have guessed it should have been open by now. Seems as though it's had a small hiccup- but fear not- it's still on its way. Here's what The Coast News reported recently:

Ocean Kamp, a giant mixed-use housing development set to replace the former swap meet and drive-in movie theater, is progressing steadily even after the recent discovery of human bone fragments at the project site.

In 2022, the project was approved by the Oceanside City Council as a residential-commercial development with up to 700 homes, a 300-key resort, 134,000 square feet of retail and office space, and a 3.5-acre wave lagoon on a 92-acre site at the northeast corner of Foussat Road and state Route 76. According to staff, the project will produce a $3.4 million net surplus to the city’s general fund at build-out, $295 million in one-time economic impacts from construction, generate nearly 1,800 jobs throughout construction, and drive $8.9 million annually in economic activity countywide.

Since the project broke ground, however, neighboring residents have noticed work crews have been frequently absent from the construction site over the last few weeks. According to developer Jon Corn, CEO of O’Side Partnership, crews started mass grading in 2019 to raise the entire site by 10 feet and are now waiting on the city’s permission to begin the second phase of grading. “We have pretty much maxed out this initial grading permit, so we are now working with the city to obtain a phase-two grading permit along with permits to relocate utilities and build roads,” Corn said via email. “Once we have those permits, we will complete grading and install utilities and roads.”

Corn said that the project has not received any stop-work orders or formal delays, but the periodic stops and starts are due to crews bringing in clean fill dirt when it’s available.  During the first phase of grading, crews unearthed shards of Native American artifacts and some human remains.  “The human remains are small bone fragments that, while small, have been treated with respect and dignity under the supervision of Native American monitors,” Corn said. According to Corn, the items were “carefully and meticulously sorted, identified and stored” in cooperation with the local San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians. “Eventually, all artifacts and remains will be repatriated to the earth according to the customs and practices of the tribe,” Corn said.

Indigenous peoples have inhabited the San Luis Rey River Valley and the areas of present-day Oceanside for thousands of years. This isn’t the first time that a developer has found artifacts and human remains when digging up earth near the riverbed. According to residents of the adjacent Wanis View Estates community, approximately 10 skeletons were found during its construction in the early 2000s. The remains were repatriated on a plot of land that is fenced off from the public near the river in the community and contains a variety of native trees, shrubs and flowers.

Ocean Kamp should be completed in three years, Corn said. (i.e. by the end of 2026).

PIC OF THE WEEK:

The big storms this winter blew out river mouths up and down the CA coast. The result was amazing sandbars and great surf once the weather (and water quality) cooperated. Now that it looks like winter is in the rearview mirror and El Nino is fading, hopefully this won't be it for the rest of the decade. (I'm not crying- you're crying). 

Keep Surfing, 
Michael W. Glenn
Superb
Really Don't Feel Like Presenting At The Oscars This Sunday
2006 Power Surfing Hall Of Fame Inductee