It’s always something.
SURF:
Kind of a fun week we had for surf. Some leftover SW from that beast 8 days ago and a little NW windswell mixed in. Conditions were nice too- almost seemed like summer. Today we have building NW windswell with some smaller SW that showed up last night. Waves in most areas from the combo are chest high with head high sets- and slightly bigger south county SD.
Unfortunately we have a very late season cold front moving into the area this weekend (Tahoe is actually getting a dusting of snow- amazing that it’s almost June) and it’s going to kick up some more NW windswell for us. South county SD will get some overhead sets from it by Saturday eveing into Sunday. Glad we’re getting the swell, bummed we’re getting the wind. Underneath the short period NW swell the SW will continue. But it’s going to look like a washing machine out there late Saturday into Sunday. Once the front blows through Sunday evening, we’ll have leftover NW/SW for chest high waves and clean conditions. I guess 1 out of 3 clean days this Memorial Day weekend is better than nothing. Water temps are almost mid-60’- hopefully the NW wind on Sunday won’t drop it to under 60. Ouch. Tides the next few days are about 2’ at 5am, 4’ at 7am, down to 1’ at 1pm, and back up to 5’ at sunset. Make sure to keep up to date on the waves and weather at Twitter/North County Surf .
FORECAST:
After a mixed bag of waves and weather this weekend, we’re due for more swell next week and hopefully cleaner conditions. Models call for a smaller NW windswell to hang around early in the week with another slight bump towards Wednesday. We also have building SW towards Tuesday afternoon- and it looks good. Probably head high+ in north SD and overhead in the OC. With the combo SW/NW the middle of next week, should be a good day of surf. Models also show another storm lining up in the southern hemisphere the next couple of days which would give us another solid SW towards late next weekend.
WEATHER:
As advertised above, we’ve got a very late season cold front coming through the region this weekend. Temps will be about 15 degrees below normal. No real rain is forecasted (except I ate my words a couple weeks ago on that very same forecast) and the real impact will be wind and clouds. Not a good way to kick off the unofficial start to summer. Things look gloomy Saturday afternoon through Sunday. By Monday the skies clear and temps rebound slightly. Next week looks to be seasonal with low clouds/fog in the morning burning off to cool sunshine in the afternoons.
BEST BET:
Before the winds really kick in Saturday, you might be able to get some fun SW/NW early Saturday morning. If not, wait for that new solid SW and NW windswell to show Wednesday and hopefully the weather will cooperate by then.
NEWS OF THE WEEK:
The report card for clean San Diego beaches is in and it’s looking pretty good. The San Diego Union Tribune this past week reported the following:
“No heat wave is on tap for local beaches this Memorial Day, but visitors who venture into the surf anyway have a pretty good shot at not getting sick. County beaches continue to rank among the best in the state for water quality, according to the 21st annual report released Wednesday by the environmental group Heal the Bay in Santa Monica. For the past year, none of the San Diego region's beaches earned Heal the Bay's "beach bummer" distinction for being among Southern California's most polluted spots, down from one -- in Mission Bay -- last year. And, the county by far had the most spots in California that earned an A+ for cleanliness during dry weather. "The beaches are good but we still need to ... monitor these beaches to understand where the problem beaches are," said Kirsten James, water quality director for Heal the Bay. "And we still need to focus on the wet weather period because in San Diego, beachgoers are in the water year-round." For wet-weather water quality, the group gave a handful of spots in the region D or F grades, including the San Luis Rey River outlet in Oceanside, the projection of Avenida de la Playa at La Jolla Shores, the projection of Carnation Avenue in Imperial Beach, and Border Field State Park near the U.S.-Mexico border. Heal the Bay also noted that several sewage spills during last winter's storms fouled local coastlines. The future of the annual analyses and similar products updated online is in doubt because there's no known funding source to continue beach water testing in San Diego County beyond this year, and similar funding woes plague the rest of the state. The cost of San Diego County's program is more than $300,000 annually. So what are the cleanest waters at San Diego County beaches? Here’s the best:
Oceanside
• Tyson Street
• Forster Street
• St. Malo Beach
Carlsbad
• Cerezo Drive
• Palomar Airport Road
Encinitas
• Cardiff Campgrounds
• George’s beach break
Solana Beach
• Fletcher Cove
Del Mar
• 15th Street
Ocean Beach
• OB Pier
• Ladera Street
Point Loma
• Point Loma Treatment Plant
• Point Loma Lighthouse
Coronado
• Ocean Boulevard
• North Beach, NASNI Beach
• projection of Loma Avenue
As far as the ‘Beach Bummer’s go for California, stay away from these spots. Unless you like getting unidentified illnesses:
• Cowell Beach (at the wharf), Santa Cruz County
• Avalon Harbor Beach (Catalina Island), Los Angeles County
• Cabrillo Beach (harborside), Los Angeles County
• Topanga State Beach (at creek mouth), Los Angeles County
• Poche Beach, Orange County
• North Beach Doheny, Orange County
• Arroyo Burro Beach, Santa Barbara County
• Baker Beach (at Lobos Creek), San Francisco County
• Colorado Lagoon, Los Angeles County
• Capitola Beach (west of the wharf), Santa Cruz County
Heal the Bay's grading system is based on samples taken by more than 25 state, county and city agencies for fecal indicator bacteria, a widely used proxy for viruses other organisms that make people sick. The group's report card is among the most authoritative annual assessments of beach water quality and it updates online grades weekly based on current tests. While the results of beach water report card are similar from year to year, proponents say they promote fixes by highlighting problematic spots. Also, some beachgoers fear that abandoning regular tests will return California to an era when beach pollution is rampant like it was before Assembly Bill 411 of 1997 became a national model and forced sampling at popular spots along the shoreline. The biggest challenge for beaches statewide remains the same as it has been since 2008: the number of water samples taken has been falling and that means less precise data about pollution. Over the past year, Heal the Bay said roughly 2,800 fewer samples were taken than before budget cuts started under former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Some places along the shoreline must be tested by wastewater agencies that discharge to the ocean, but that just accounts for a fraction of the tests taken each summer. Heal the Bay said a "comprehensive" water-sampling program costs $2 million a year for California and adopting new rapid-testing technology would push the bill to $3 million. Federal funding is at about $500,000 for California, leaving a gap that's proving hard to fill. "We don't have any plans to handle it," said Dave Clegern, a spokesman for the State Water Resources Control Board, which has helped to provide emergency funding for beach testing in recent years. A spokesman for Supervisor Greg Cox said county officials aren't expecting any windfall from the state and they have a few more weeks to try to carve out funding in the county budget.
Rapid tests -- which can produce results in a few hours rather than a full day -- were studied in Orange County last year and plans are for a pilot project in Los Angeles County this summer. After that, many beach advocates hope they become the norm. If that happens, daily water quality warnings could be posted by noon, in time for beachgoers to avoid dangerous spots.
BEST OF THE BLOG:
For those of you who missed the blog this week (and I know who you are) make sure to catch up this weekend on the battle in the air- Julian vs. Josh. Or a little mid-week Surf Check. Or check out the new oceanfront restaurant finally going in at Cardiff. Or if you want to see the world’s most crowded wave being surfed by the world’s greatest surfer, then watch Slater destroy Malibu in the blog below. There's something for everyone
PIC OF THE WEEK:
Some of the coolest pics I come across are waves I didn’t even know existed. In the age of multiple surf magazines, websites, tv shows, etc., there’s still some gems waiting to be discovered. Case in point; this rippable little wall in Tasmania. Sure it’s not thumping like Pipe or has superstars like the Superbank; but no one’s out, it looks like a fun day at Trestles, and my gear on the point isn’t going to get jacked. Honey, I’m packing my bags.
Keep Surfing,
Michael W. Glenn
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