Postcard from California: foggy flatness

Posted on January 2nd, 2009 in At large, California, Postcard, Santa Barbara.

Hello Friends,

Went out this afternoon on a surf hunt along the coastline north of Santa Barbara. My hope had been that there just might be a little trickle of swell getting in to the slightly more exposed coast. Drove as far as a little windswell spot called Tajiguas. There was windswell. And it was little.

And that was the same story all the way back down the coast to Santa Barbara. There were a few tiny waves that might just have been surfable at a place south of there called Haskills. The fog was going in and out and I got a nice picture of a couple tender boats and the veiled sun. A point of trivia: the pier just out of shot to the right was the only point on the US mainland to be struck during WWII by shells fired from a Japanese submarine.

Before giving up entirely, we drove on to Isla Vista, a dormitory annex to the University of California’s Santa Barbara campus (my alma mater and the only university I know with a top quality point break). Along with Campus point there’s another point break called Deveraux (the map name is Coal Oil). Deveraux is the spot to go when there’s big west to north west swell and a high tide. But not really the spot for weak, NW windswell and low tide. However, it was the only place we saw someone in the water catching ankle-high “waves”.

Ah well, at least we got out of the house for an hour or two.

I’ve just taken a look at the latest wind reports from North Head and Little Bay and it would appear that Sydney is getting the ESE treatment. 10-15kts of the second worst wind direction we have. And, though the Sydney MHL buoy has dropped off the perch yet again, it would appear from Batemans Bay data, that you’ll be lucky to have much more than a metre or so of short period south windswell. Not a good look. Still, at least your water is lovely and warm.

My surf outlook remains pretty ordinary. One of the models is suggesting we might see some 16 sec period 4 foot WNW swell tomorrow though… so here’s hoping…

Go well!

TG’s Forecast

Posted on January 2nd, 2009 in Surf Reports.

Surf forecast issued Thursday 1/1/09…New Years Day 2009!   Seven day outlook for Sydney…(with some reflections).

The Southerly hit Avalon at 10.10 pm, 1/1… The TV programming is less than ordinary…It’s holidays…so clearly it’s time for a forecast!

First – Huge congratulations to my modest son-in-law Bruce Baker, navigator (father of my grandson Josh, husband of daughter Belinda – hey I’m proud), and the crew of “Quest” – overall winners on handicap of the 2008 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race!  Well deserved – For Bruce that’s two Sydney Hobart First placings out of seven trips south to Hobart (which included the 1998 bad one).

Story here…

http://rolexsydneyhobart.com/news.asp?key=4180

Surf for the holidays… Weather’s been great…so surf has been small.  But.. with the right equipment..and the right time, ie tide, you can still have fun.

Don says in his California postcard that it’s also small at Rincon (one of the holy grails to surfers of my generation…lovely place – lots of  Aussie gumtrees!) but “not too tiny if you have a standup paddlebord or a mal”…

Well coincidentally, it’s the same here… (I’m sure they won’t mind me mentioning them (??)), couple of days ago when I wished Tommy Carroll a happy new year he’d been having a ball on his stand up paddle board -”loving it!” …happy as a grommet… Today, Mark Warren was on his mal, grinning with each wave…

 

This is the essence of surfing… The reason for surfing… Having fun!!  Two (former) World Champions (and VLWRs…very large wave riders) …out there having a ball when it’s tiny…

So, it’s blowing now… Is it gonna bring up some swell??/ Who cares … The ocean will be there for you to make your own fun… at the right tide, right place, right equipment…

If you don’t have “the right equipment”, you can still bodysurf or have a swim.. If it’s good enough for Barack…

Friday: in the 1-2 metre range at South swell places – with southerly winds.

Saturday:around the 1 metre mark from the South/South East.  with winds turning SE to NE.

Sunday: in the 1-2 metre range North East.

Monday: ditto

Tuesday: about 1 metre East North East/East

Wednesday: about 1 metre East

Thursday: ditto.

ey bizarro… because of the swirling nature of the East Coast courrent – the water temp right now is slightly warmer in Sydney (23) than in Byron Bay ( 22).

http://www.mhl.nsw.gov.au/www/wave_last4.htmlx

Weather from the Bureau:

 

SYDNEY FORECAST

Issued at 4:15 pm EDT on Thursday 1 January 2009

 

Warning summary
Strong Wind Warning for Pittwater, Port Jackson and Botany Bay for Thursday evening. Refer to www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw for the latest warning information.

Forecast for Thursday evening
Fine. Moderate to fresh west to northwest winds ahead of a fresh to strong southerly change in the evening.
Precis: Fine. Late change.

Forecast for Friday
A shower or two, mostly in afternoon and evening. Partly cloudy. Moderate southeast winds, fresh near the coast.
Precis: Shower or two.
Fire danger:

 

City:         Min:  18 Max:  23   Parramatta: Min:  17 Max:  23
Terrey Hills: Min:  16 Max:  21   Penrith:    Min:  16 Max:  25
Liverpool:    Min:  16 Max:  24   Richmond:   Min:  15 Max:  24

 

UV Alert: 9:00 am to 4:50 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 10 [Very High]

Saturday Becoming fine.

City:          Min:   17  Max:   23
West:          Min:   14  Max:   27

 

Sunday Fine.

City:          Min:   17  Max:   27
West:          Min:   13  Max:   30

 

Monday Chance shower or thunderstorm.

City:          Min:   20  Max:   30
West:          Min:   17  Max:   35

 

Tuesday Fine.

City:          Min:   20  Max:   32
West:          Min:   17  Max:   37

 

Wednesday Mostly fine.

City:          Min:   21  Max:   29
West:          Min:   19  Max:   33

 

Thursday Chance shower.

City:          Min:   21  Max:   29
West:          Min:   19  Max:   31