Heads up this week big swells.

Not sure how it will effect us around here but just A heads up.


http://www.ksbw.com/news/central-california/santa-cruz/hurricane-marie-sending-swell-to-california-beaches/27736694?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=ksbw%2Btv%2Baction%2Bnews%2B8#!bKzKe3

NWS has an alert:

Marine Weather Statement
MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
334 AM PDT TUE AUG 26 2014

...LARGE SOUTHERLY SWELL WILL ARRIVE IN OUR COASTAL WATERS TUESDAY
AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY...

PZZ535-540-545-560-565-570-571-575-576-262200-
MONTEREY BAY-POINT ARENA TO POINT REYES TO 10 NM-
POINT REYES TO PIGEON POINT TO 10 NM-
PIGEON POINT TO POINT PINOS TO 10 NM-
POINT PINOS TO POINT PIEDRAS BLANCAS TO 10 NM-
POINT ARENA TO POINT REYES 10 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE-
POINT REYES TO PIGEON POINT 10 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE-
PIGEON POINT TO POINT PINOS 10 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE-
POINT PINOS TO POINT PIEDRAS BLANCAS 10 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE-
334 AM PDT TUE AUG 26 2014

SOUTHERLY SWELL FROM 3 TO 4 FEET CONTINUE THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA
COASTAL WATERS FROM TROPICAL CYCLONES LOWELL. THIS AFTERNOON
LARGER SOUTHERLY SWELL GENERATED BY HURRICANE MARIE WILL ENTER THE
COASTAL WATERS. SWELL WILL PEAK AT AROUND 4 TO 6 FEET...POSSIBLY
UP TO 8 FEET MID WEEK...WITH SWELL PERIODS STARTING AROUND 17 SECONDS.
MUCH OF THE LARGEST SWELL WILL BE MORE THAN 20 NM OFFSHORE DUE THE
SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH-SOUTHEAST DIRECTION THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY.
EARLY THURSDAY THE DIRECTION BECOMES MORE SOUTHERLY AND THUS
WILL POSSIBLY HAVE IMPACTS CLOSER TO SHORE. SOUTH SWELL WILL EASE
LATE IN THE WEEK BUT CONTINUE AT UP TO 3 FEET INTO THE WEEKEND.

MARINERS AND FISHERMEN SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR STRONGER THAN TYPICAL
CURRENTS THROUGH THE WEEK AND POSSIBLY NEXT WEEKEND...ESPECIALLY
IF THEY ARE PLANNING ON DIVING OR ENTERING THE WATER.

Cheee hoo!!!  About time we get some decent surf.  Probably won't be that big once it reaches here though, most forecasts are calling for 3-4 foot wave face range for Santa Cruz.  Might have to surf instead of fish this weekend =)

at point lobos-southern carmel area this morning/now  it is medium  onshore winds and light wind ripples otw with small short duration swells smashing around and all bunched up...so basically picking up a bit as of 11 a.m tue.

Maybe it will help push some warm water & tuna up this way.

Boo.

Guess it's good timing for the head cold I've got right now... 

Thanks for the heads up Andy.

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Tomorrow could be interesting at most launches and some major surge for anybody diving

Was thinking about fishing Marin but will probably stay closer to home

PZZ545-270345-
POINT REYES TO PIGEON POINT TO 10 NM-
836 AM PDT TUE AUG 26 2014

TODAY
NW WINDS 10 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. MIXED SWELL NW
2 TO 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS AND S 3 TO 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG
LATE IN THE MORNING.

TONIGHT
NW WINDS 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. MIXED SWELL
NW 2 TO 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS AND S 3 TO 5 FT AT 17 SECONDS. PATCHY
FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.

WED
W WINDS 10 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. MIXED SWELL NW 2 TO
3 FT AT 7 SECONDS AND S 4 TO 6 FT AT 16 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN
THE MORNING.

WED NIGHT
W WINDS 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. MIXED SWELL
NW 2 TO 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS AND S 4 TO 6 FT AT 15 SECONDS. PATCHY
FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.

THU
W WINDS 5 KT...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR
LESS...BECOMING 3 FT. MIXED SWELL NW 2 TO 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS AND S
4 TO 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG.

FRI
W WINDS 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...BECOMING 2 FT OR
LESS. MIXED SWELL NW 3 TO 5 FT AND S 3 TO 5 FT. PATCHY FOG.

SAT
W WINDS 10 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. MIXED

I'm not entirely certain how to read what it means for a southern swell to be coming. Translated into safety, should I plan on staying in this weekend instead of going out to Monterey Bay if this condition persists through Saturday-Monday?

I'm not entirely certain how to read what it means for a southern swell to be coming. Translated into safety, should I plan on staying in this weekend instead of going out to Monterey Bay if this condition persists through Saturday-Monday?

normally quiet beaches will have stronger surf than usual. Out in the open water it shouldn't change things very much, unless the area is prone to strange currents. Most of the impact from a swell pattern like this is to make beach launching increasingly technical. Even the harbor can get sketchy at the sandbar if the swell is big enough....

also, halibut tend to hate south swells and sometimes it can chase even rockies into their holes.
time will tell how long the effect of the hurricane will last, but it should be decreasing by Sunday....

Super long period south swell creates a sneaker wave hazard on normally protected beaches.

So, maybe Monterey instead of Santa Cruz this weekend? Are there any fish in Monterey?