Ghost Trees

Just Stupid Dept.

From Wetsand.com

One of the biggest swells of the winter hits Pescadero Point, Central California – December 4th, 2007. Filmed by Bruno Lemos and edited by Matt Shuster.

Google does the Oceans?

Very interesting project by search engine giant Google is set to be officially debuted on Feb 2, 2009 at  the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco. The Guest list is headed by none other than former vice-president Al Gore, so it could be a big deal.

Here’s what we hear ahead of the launch…

Following on from Google Earth and Google Sky, Google Ocean (the name may not be exactly that) is rumored to be the world’s most comprehensive map of the world below the seas.

But don’t expect the kind of high resolution visualisations offered on Google Earth. While some sea floor regions have been mapped at very high resolution (see the picture below), for the most part our knowledge of the undersea world is still quite limited. It is costly and time consuming to image the subsurface features and as a consequence most of the work that has been done so far has been for purely commercial purposes.

According to a story on CNET Google Ocean will show depths of the sea and may, where the data exists provide high-resolution images.

Additional data will be displayed as overlying layers that depict phenomena like weather patterns, currents, temperatures, shipwrecks, coral reefs, and algae blooms, much like the National Park Service and NASA provide additional data for Google Earth and Google Sky.

“Google will basically just provide the field and then everyone will come flocking to it,” predicted Stephen P. Miller, head of the Geological Data Center at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “There will be peer pressure to encourage people to get their data out there.”

It may be that Google will show off some clever new way to look at the data. The Guardian’s story on the subject included this intriguing little gem:

At the Macworld Expo in January, Google engineers unveiled a program called EarthSurfer, which combined Google Earth with Nintendo’s Wii Fit to create an exercise game that allows players movement “around the landscape” by way of balancing on a board. “You control it by leaning forward to go forward, and back to go back,” said David Oster, the EarthSurfer programmer on the project at the time. “It’s great stuff.”

(photo credit: This screenshot shows an example of high-resolution imagery above and below sea level. The view is looking eastward at Monterey Bay on the California coast with the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the background. The continental slope is sculpted by submarine canyons with their numerous tributary gullies.
(Credit: GeoMapAppVG/Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University)

re: above, that prominent submarine canyon in the left third of the picture has one branch ending just off Ghost Trees and the other off Moss Landing (well known for big waves).

Spinning Sharks in Fla.

Sharks that jump out of the water and spin are apparently reasonably common along the coast of Florida*.  In this short video you can see one of these critters in full flight just behind a guy on a mal…

*According to the map accompanying this entry in wikipedia, the same species can be found in Australian waters.

Late arvo little windswell

Hello Friends,

Get thee to a north corner. They ain’t big, but at least there are a few waist high things to be found at semi-exposed north corners. Wind is out of the NNE at 10-15 kts and the average period has perked up a little to be around the 7 second mark. Size at sea is still averaging around a metre and the direction is pretty much east.

There were quite a few bods in the water at Northy when I swung by there around 5pm. Quality was not amazing, but it was okay looking for a summer afternoon with tiny windswell.

Outlook for tomorrow is currently basically the same as today except that tomorrow should see a 15-20kt S-SE change in the afternoon.

Here’s a snap for ya:

1700 picking a little one up on the inside.

Manly

Its a repeat of the last week small weak easterly swell.

Manly

Its a repeat of the last week small weak easterly swell.

Adam Melling Wins Rip Curl MP Classic in Fantastic Surf at Coolangatta

Gold Coast, AUS – Adam Melling (Lennox Head/NSW) signalled his intentions loud and clear for the 2009 season by taking a huge win at the Rip Curl MP Classic held in excellent 1.5m (5ft) barrelling high performance surf at Coolangatta Beach today.

Melling was rated 35 on the ASP World Series last year and was always in contention to qualify for the elite ASP World Tour but didn’t quite finish the season off in Hawaii. This year he wants to erase the disappointments of last year and today’s winning start to his competitive year indicates he’ll be a serious contender.

“I haven’t competed for a few months since returning from Hawaii in 2008 and I was really looking forward to dusting off the cobwebs and getting back competitively here and that’s how it has panned out – I couldn’t be happier right now, my boards are great, fitness and injuries all good and to win in such excellent surf in this event is super great – It’s a special event named after an extraordinary surfer.”

Regardless of today’s win, Melling is focused on the big picture for the season and added “ This year is all about a top 10 finish on the ASP World Series and qualifying for the elite World Tour – I was devastated to get close last year and not get there so I’m really focused for this season to give it my absolute best.”

Melling’s final two wave scores today were a 9.4 and an excellent 8.5 to easily take the final on a total of 17.9 with Gold Coast surfer Ice Pierera – Ryan (Coolangatta) coming in second on a scoreline of 15.8.

NSW surfers Matt Wilkinson (Central Coast) placed 3^rd on 14.5 and Stuart Kennedy (Lennox Head) placed 4^th on 13.6.

Michael Peterson, accompanied by his mother, sat in the judging tower to watch all the days action. Peterson commented on the surfing and  surf, in reference to the sand pumping saying “It was fantastic to watch all these surfers performing so well – they were all ripping out there – The waves were good but definitely not as good as they should be or as good as I remember surfing them… There’s poor sand build up out there and the waves have chunky sections.. it’s not as perfect as it used to be – it should be barrelling all the way through to Kirra and further.”

Regardless, it was the first great swell of the Gold Coast season and the surfing all day was incredible with outstanding 9 point plus rides common throughout.

Adam Melling scored a perfect 10 point barrel ride in his quarter final today which picked him up the Toohey’s Wave of the contest award while Blake Ainsworth (Coolangatta) took out the Air Asia X expression session which won him a return trip to Kuala Lumpa on Air Asia X.

Full results from today’s event can be found at www.surfingqueensland.com.au

Moooona

It’s looking really weak and dribbly out there this morning, for once it’s actually worth taking a longboard out. Only just though.

ne/ne combo not brilliant but surfable

Looked ok last night with a glass off! Hopes were up for a decent early, but the n/ne wind was into it this morning before sunup and forecast to blow with fair strength today. 2ft occasional bigger set out of the ene. Standard summer setup – clean and tiny in northern ends ( well most nth ends), windy, onshore and slightly larger as you head south. Surfable. Missable. Rosco.

Huey is happy

Huey is happy about the kiwi kids beating the aussie has beens last night. 2-3ft at Piha and winds shifting to offshores later. Decent East coast swell on the way for the long weekend after a week of near flatness. Start making plans!