Bonzer Love.....

So first impression of my new bonzer - WOW. Surfed it this am in pretty epic beach break conditions. Never in my life surfed a bonzer, so didn't really know what to expect. I can say this - fans of the bonzer talk about a "5th gear/dimension" - the speed, long turns - it's very much true. The board is a missle - loves long rail turns and actively engages the pocket at the tap of your toe or heel. I can't wait to get this board in some bigger surf. You can tell the board will come alive even more with some serious juice underneath. It's not a vertical surfing machine, in the way a thruster or quad goes north to south on a wave you know - but if you really like taking your turns out and projecting way down the line - it's certainly something for your quiver. Thanks to Graham at Shelter Surf Shop in Long Beach and the Campbell Bros in Ventura. As for our surf - should have another clean morning or two with light winds. Surf will start to come up Friday - and get pretty solid by sundown (back in the 8-12ft range). Look for size to stick around Saturday. We have a small storm blowing thru Friday/Friday night. Lingers into Saturday and then high pressure regains control. Probably another small storm next Tuesday or so - and then we could also be looking for more of a shift back to a wetter pattern late next week. That's it - cya in the water.

Rain continues, new west starts the week...

Rain spreading north to south tonight. Storm sticks around thru Tuesday. Look for double to triple overhead waves at NW facing spots Monday - swell direction 280-290 as new West swell fills in. Still plenty big Tuesday and then we'll see a fade Wednesday to several feet overhead - smaller still Thursday. Wind wise - I think Wed/Thurs mornings this week look like the best conditions. (could see East wind Tuesday). Look for waves to pick up again Friday. Overall not quite as hard core stormy this week - but not ideal. Certainly a few windows to get wet. Keep an eye on the winds.
cya in the water.

Get on it Saturday

Saturday still looking like the break in the action with east winds forecast and large swell still in the water - double to triple overhead at the NW facing spots. We might get lucky and have some east wind Sunday morning too - based on the models - but we'll see. Very ominous looking slug of moisture out in the Pacific - just crossing the dateline - which will be potentially a very heavy rain maker for Sunday thru Tuesday. Rain today, showers Friday - winds crap both days. Saturday it's on for sure in the am if you can find a protected spot to surf. cya in the water.

Hitler's Surf Trip Ruined

When can we surf again Wasabi?

I know you're all wanting to know - it looks like Saturday is the first window. But don't expect small and clean nuggets - it's still going to be large with surf in the 16-19ft range - however, winds look to be out of the W/NW - so breaks protected from the winds and can tame the size might work. Until then, a few more brutal beat downs courtesy of the Pacific - the biggest to come tomorrow morning (Wednesday) with the highest winds, seas and rain totals of the week! More rain Thursday and then things begin to dry out on Friday. So hang in there for the next 48 hrs - and then ye shall be rewarded with a potential surf day on Saturday.

See you on the other side....

Pacific Sat picture tonight tells the story of the coming week - storms lined up all the way across the North Pacific. South winds will ramp up tomorrow as storm #1 barrels ashore, followed by four storms through next Friday. Large swells will start to hit Tuesday (deep water 20ft) - and remain in place over the course of the week. With plenty of wind, rain, short, mid, long period energy. Basically the Pacific is about to unleash a can of whoop ass on the entire West Coast. Tomorrow morning might be surfable - as south winds will be light in the am - but quickly pick up in the afternoon. Beyond tomorrow - I don't see any real clear windows for a surf sesh - however during these type of events it's always good to keep an eye out for the odd break/change in the winds. The rain is good, and we most certainly need a good soaking. cya in the water...some time in the future.....

"Big" Update

So swell peaked overnight - still good size this morning at -12-15 ft at 15-18 seconds - but not quite as big as models forecast. Winds have changed behind the front to light NW - and for Thurs/Fri mornings look for offshore flow with plenty of size still around. Rain returns Saturday with increasing south winds. Then the well advertised major pattern shift starts late Sunday - lasting thru most of the following week. Heavy rain, lots of south wind and no doubt very large storm surf to accompany the storms. Get the next couple days while you can because I dont think many of us will be doing too much surfing all next week. cya in the water.

BIG

Biggest swell of the winter to date is marching towards our shores tonight. Look for very large surf over the next 2-3 days. Peak of this event looks like Tuesday night into Wednesday with 18-20 ft deep water, long period swell - which will translate to 4-5 times overhead and bigger at NW spots that handle that size. Pretty much will be unruly everywhere with strong s to sw winds over the next 36-48 hrs. Look for lighter winds by Thursday into Friday before another storm comes ashore late in the week. Then, all bets are off as models are forecasting a very intense stormy period for the entire West Coast starting late next weekend and continuing well into the following week. In short, El Nino is really kicking into gear now and the long awaited global hemispheric pattern change with low pressure on the West Coast, high pressure in the East - is taking shape. We've been under a ridge of high pressure most of the Fall and early Winter, now the jetstream is going to take direct aim at us next week. Some models also hinting at the polar jet swinging in as well. You mix the warm, moist air of the southern jet and cold, cold air of the northern jet and you get one pretty epic stormy period. Lot's of rain, heavy snow in the Sierra - the whole sha-bang. We'll see if the models stay on course - it's still a week out. Interesting, the global wave models are also forecasting some most impressive wind fetches in the North Pacific next week - so we could see even larger surf. One other note - we've now lost the SE Papa Buoy - 600 miles off the Coast - which is a super important buoy for tracking incoming swells. So with that buoy offline, the Calif Buoy offline and the SF buoy offline - it's going to be very hard to pinpoint exact size of incoming swell trains. Best is to keep your eyes on the Bodega, Pt Reyes and SF Bar Buoys - for a somewhat accurate read of what is hitting close to our shores. That's all for now. Cya in the water.

Barneys

I don't think any of my blog readers are Barneys - I know you all get it. So perhaps you can print this note out and post it at your favorite beach. After watching a couple of my friends get dropped in on, almost decapitated by long board wielding, kooked out, surf once a month Barnsters today - I'd like to make this request to the Barney's: 1. Don't drop in on someone when they're flying down the line. They dont want the company, trust me. You might even consider LOOKING as well. 2. When all you Barneys are paddling out to your favorite spot - paddle OUTSIDE and towards the shoulder of incoming waves - don't sit like dumb asses in the impact zone talking about your recent stock trade or how cool your foam board is. Paddle with PURPOSE and get your fucking ass into the line up. Ok, I feel better - share the stoke bra.

Now as for the surf - BIGGEST FREAKING SWELL OF THE SEASON coming next week along with a nice fat rain event - so dont even think about it. Did I mention gale force south winds? Indeed. So all hell will break loose around here starting Monday into next Wednesday. Talking deepwater swell in the 20-25 ft range with very long periods - 17 sec plus. In short, super big - probably Monday night thru Wednesday. High tides, rains, south wind, big surf - can you say coastal flooding and erosion? That's the picture. So enjoy Sunday while you can - still plenty of swell in the water - in fact getting bigger than today - and probably East Winds again.

I'm watching you Barneys - so you best keep your distance. cya in the water.

Big West Swell Shows Late Thursday

Large W swell to start showing after sundown Thursday. Look for 8-12 ft deepwater - long period energy on Friday - from 265-290 - 15-17 sec interval. Good for triple overhead sets at standout NW facing beaches Friday. Size looks to stick around Sat/Sun too - perhaps down a couple clicks - but pretty solid at the northwest facing breaks. Winds dont look that bad - light & variable Thursday morning and Friday. With potentially even cleaner winds Sat/Sun mornings. Right now the next real rain chances look like next week - but the models have been calling for rainy days all season and we've had very few storms with any muscle. In fact - most spots in Nor Cal are running at half or way below average rainfall totals for the season. So it's time to start thinking about conserving water again - spread the word. While this El Nino has been great for the surf - it's not providing the needed snowpack and rain events we need to reverse three very dry seasons. Still have a lot of winter left - so hopefully the jetstream will get it's act together and bring us some good soaking rains. In the meantime - more surf on tap with good weather - cya in the water.

New Bonzer

New Bonzer on the way for the next week. Thanks Graham at Shelter - can't wait to ride this. Dims - 6.8 by 20 1/4 by 2 3/4. 5 fin Russ Short/Campbell Bros Diamond Tail.

Forecast for upcoming week

Small W/NW swell continues Tuesday (4-5 ft at 10 from 252)with offshore flow. Smaller surf still on Wednesday morning, before our next W/NW swell starts to show later in the day. This new swell will increase on Thursday - with sets several feet overhead at the better NW facing spots. Look for this swell to peak Friday - with boomer sets into the double overhead range. Swell for that event will be in the 12-13 ft range again, long period from 274 + on Friday. Look for big surf to continue into next weekend. More on that mid week. Weather wise this week we're locked under high pressure, with a small weather system due to brush us to the north on Wednesday, which may change our offshore flow to more onshore. Light onshore winds may continue on Thursday. Going into the weekend - we could see a stronger storm system come ashore with rain and more winds. So smaller for a couple days and then long term looks grande again. Definitely a robust season for surf along the North Coast. Cya in the water.

December Moods

Another amazing shot - thanks to Bryan Hawken.

Big Swell Hitting!

Another huge swell train is knocking on the door tonight - Pt Reyes showing 13ft at 15 sec from 290 - larger to the north with buoys showing 19ft at 15 sec. Look for light N to NE winds Saturday - and extra large surf at all NW facing beaches and points - dble to triple overhead and bigger. cya in the water.