ARW tips needed

I live in Oakland, yet I've only been to ARW a couple of times. I just prefer the open ocean. However, I want to beat the rain tomorrow so I have limited time. So ARW it is! What do I look for in condition reports to be safe out there? Can I go tomorrow, Monday, morning and be good? How do you predict a too strong current/tide? Open ocean, I look for <5' swells, <10-12 mph wind. Where do you get wind reports for ARW? `

Then there is a matter of eating Bay fish, it has more toxins than open ocean fish. Do you eat halibut from the Bay? How do you feel about eating fish caught in the Bay?

Thank you!

I use windy for wind predictions. Usually it picks up there in the afternoon but between storms it could be totally different. Swell is a non-issue. Tides can be an issue, especially along the wall and 2nd wall. Generally you want to go with the tides and back.
The main issue right now is most of the halibut are still in the ocean. There may be some shakers hanging around. Best season seems to be April to June/July. But stripers could be around. And there are always leopard sharks or dogfish. I think both the halibut and stripers move in and out of the bay, so I’m not convinced it makes a difference whether you catch them in the bay or the ocean as far as toxins.

The OEHHA advisories for adults are two servings per week of halibut and one serving per week of striped bass from San Francisco Bay. These are pretty well researched and cautious. Also, their serving size is 8 ounces for a 150 pound person, which is more than I normally eat. For kids and women who might be pregnant, it is one serving of halibut per week and no striped bass.

Larger fish tend to have significantly higher contaminant levels. Mercury isn’t the only contaminant of concern, but you can look at mercury levels at this site I threw together: fishtox.com

I use Sailflow.com and click on the Hornet weather station. Scroll down to see the wind and further down for the tide