Friday 92L Updater: We stop short of saying a wave is possible but it looks lightly better than yesterday’s forecast. 2 reasons: 1 it’s showing better on the models and 2 the nhc has upped the odds of a cyclone in the gulf moving away from WFL. I think you will at least see the sea state bump up a notch from the south as it moves away so at least the 1ft southy will be around late Saturday and into Sunday. We will have to wait and see if it can get stronger. Checking FL WX conditions we have WSW wind near Miami and ENE winds up in Ft Peirce so we have low level spin, minimal convection. I say 50/50 we get a small WFL bump Sunday am? Farther out on the extended, WX is forecast to fester down near the Yucatan. Please help out with Siesta Key Event Saturday. It’s going to be super cool.
Site Note: Sorry for the lack of updates this week. The afternoon t-storms have been super fierce. The lightning blasted my router and its gonna take a bit to get a new one. I’ll try and update 92L on Friday. Lots of expenses coming by surprise at the slowest time of the year. If your kindness moves you to help my family out, know your generosity is very much appreciated.
Sessions: I was thinking of really amazing out of the blue surf sessions I had over the years on the Gulf Coast. A lot of them were with former Surf Shack owner and epic GC surfer Greg Agerskov. This had to be November or December 1992. I remember because I was a newly wed living in St Pete for the 1st time in a little apartment right by Crescent Lake. It was Saturday mid-day and I was driving home around the lake noticing the grey skies and the 40′ washintonia palms getting pulled a certain direction. I told the wifey I was going to the beach. For some reason I ended up at Blind’s Pass between Upham and Sunset in St Pete and the waves were going off shoulder high and perfect breaking at “Sand Spit” inside the pass. That was the name of the break. I don’t know why there were waves. I was into the WX but there were no models or tips just took a chance and scored. Me and Greg traded a lot of great waves that day. At one point a pair of dolphins were jumping out of the water and surfing the swells right next to us as they swung into the pass. Great session, surfed till dark. Never caught the inside of that inlet as good as that day before or after. I think I had this song in my head when I was surfing that day…
http://youtu.be/R0n4lYrb4ss
It’s Hang Ten time, friends! For the fifth year in a row, The Compound is teaming up with the Center for Autism Research and Education for the Hang Ten for Autism event on September 13th. We need your help in the water and on the sand! Participants, volunteers, and surf guides can now register on www.careautism.net or email info@careautism.net.Please make sure you sign up on line as soon as you can that we have a idea of what we are in need of the most before the event. This is a huge day for CARE and the families they service, and always a fun time for everyone involved. Come be a part of giving these families an unforgettable day on beautiful Siesta Key.
OK WFL, moving into September how do you rate the summer of 2014?
6…
Surf-wise pretty bad over here on the GC. Just caught Cristobal and that was so much fun it really helped wash the disappointment away. The lack of surf has helped me shred at my job and chores so there is a positive side. Plus, what kind of El Nino winter lies ahead? Low pressures tracking from the west through the Gulf, I hope
that would be awesome
DAWN PATROL — this wahine SCORED !!! … waves didn’t show yesterday – but today, Sunday…. these
SWEEEEET little gromlefties showed up….so w/ the bigkahuna board@SK#9…. QueenoftheFoamies had a new game….can you say Go Down the Line? consistently… ’cause that’s what was happening –over and over and over. Perfect LEFTS <3
To look back in the water and see a trail w/ a gorgeous curve in the water…HALLELUJAH !!! Looked good enough to stop traffic on the beach…. which goes to show the 'ol mare STILL CAN : ))))) thanks Micah for the heads-up… I scored
glad you scored some fun little lines Evy.
I would rate this summer in the low 4’s. Maybe even a 3. I can’t remember a summer that had less swell, both coasts. I did get a quick trip to CR in, and scored great waves, but that doesn’t make up for an entire summer of flatness. I am hoping we get some good cold fronts this winter to make up for it. Low’s dragging into the gulf from the west, with heavy SW flow to start off 2-4 day wave events would be eipc. Like in the mid eighties when I first started surfing.
Cristobal last Thursday is Satellite Bch was the best this summer for me (6-8 ft. faces and clean), although Bertha was also great and Arthur super fun. Had to burn vaca days and drive 3 hours but worth it to surf. Plus I got a fun little LB session yesterday morning in Satellite. All EC events as the Gulf has been quite calm and looks to stay that way for a while. The TX Gulf may get a little something from the Campeche low.
I am entirely with Russ on this low 4 … maybe even a 3 … really, really bad Gulfside …
I was lucky enough to score both EC canes and still would say 3-4… GC activity has been painful!
Does anyone think this little south line will hold through evening?
Fun nugs down south right now … pics look kine on Gulfster … hope some of you are getting it …
Think it will hold through the evening?
I got out of the water at 1PM and there were still some sets coming in. They were smaller than this morning and further apart, but at least there was still clean knee-thigh high surf.
Missed it. Got to remember to check in once in a while during the summer. 🙁
I rate this summer a 2, for the 2 tiny wind swells that we have seen. I’m not counting the late season cold front in May… East coast is a bit below average as well. Heading to the goon on Monday then off to the OBX next weekend. Hopefully we have some waves for the ESA Eastern Championship!
I agree that this summer is a 2 out of 10 for FL, which pretty much sucks. 2 for the Gulf is generous more like a 1, maybe a 3 for the EC given the 3 named storms did produce plus a number of small but fun days in between. Correct me if I am wrong but I think summer 2013 was as bad or even worse?
I agree, downright awful summer 1.5-2. Couldn’t make it to the EC b/c of my schedule, but Gulf side was no bueno.
I would rate this summer a 1.5 for the gulf and a 3 for the ec. Climate change? Ive got high hopes for el nino
I give this summer a -3, absolutely pathetic
I’ll be completely honest, this doesn’t feel like a cycle. Does anyone even remember the last good summer we had here on the Gulf Coast? I remember a good solid storm swell the first year i was lifeguarding, in 2007. Maybe I’m forgetting stuff, but it seems like if this is the trough of a cycle, then period is more like 8 or ten years.
Just back from the Goon. Definitely not an epic wave, but it will have to do for now. Just doesn’t feel right surfing in Chlorine and waiting on the sidelines for your next wave… I really hope that wave parks don’t show up everywhere in the future.
+ .5 definately the lake of mexico this year. It’s got to come around.
sorry guys for the lack of updates we had a gnarly storm here that knocked the cable out. Gustav and Isaac were 2008 I don’t think there’s been a true channel swell from a named hurricane in a long time.
Can anyone help me out? The water’s been so flat and calm (and hopefully clear as a result) I’m thinking it might be a nice weekend to try and explore the reef/rocks I’ve always heard were just off the beach somewhere between middle beach and the manasota public beach at the north end.
But I have no idea where these rocks are. I know there are a few smaller outcroppings right (like a few feet) off the beach, but I’ve been told there are some spots that are between ten and twenty feet deep within swimming distance of shore.
Can anyone help me out with directions or a landmark?
Jack
in gnarley electrical storm killed my router today. I should have a new forecast up Thursday or Friday.
Jack – park at middles and walk about a mile north to the rocks on the beach. The reef runs straight out 100′ then south about 100 yards. It also extends out several hundred yards past the sand. Lots of sharks there right now & the vis has been terrible. Last time I was there we saw sharks everywhere and a 10′ great white was on the outside of the reef spotted by a local charter captain.
watching
Jack- go out to boca grande pass right at the beginning of a incoming tide walk around the point to the old phosphate docks that stick out from the shore you’re almost guaranteed 10-20 ft vis we’ve gotten some nice snapper over there lately sheepshead to lots of gags but undersized, I agree with bficsh I wouldn’t recommend the manasota reef right now. If you go out to about 20 ft of water on the docks there’s 3 Goliath grouper that hang out they’re cool to swim down and see
You’ll also see ALOT of snook you can’t shoot them though unfortunately
@BFisch Sharks, huh? Maybe that spot can wait a little while longer. Do they clear out ever, or are they always around at that spot?
Thanks for the info, by the way!
That area is super sharky, yep.
I’ve always seen small sharks close to shore and sometimes larger past the sand. It’s the only place in Florida that I have had a shark take my fish off of my spear after shooting it. The winter time is the best for minimal shark activity. Every year the shark population grows and more are spotted closer to shore. I suggest spear fishing with power heads in your pocket, ready to go…. 😉
Off to the ESA Easterns Surfing Championship in Nags Head, NC. Heats will be ran from this Sunday through the following Saturday. Check out the live webcast at http://www.surfesa.org to see your local Gulf coast surfers compete against the entire US eastern region. Good luck to all of the Gulf coast competitors!
good luck this weekend BFisch. Go kick some east coast ass over there :). I was torn between Easterns and CR this summer. CR won 🙂 .
Yeah, good luck to all WFL’ers! Anyone score some waves this afternoon? Naples Pier was thigh to occasional waist for an hour or two, then backed off some. But, good enough to catch some nice ones. Not pretty, but definitely beautiful!
So, anyone feel like going with to the shark cafeteria? Not necessarily to spear, just to check it out. Long shot, I know.
Small waves in in srq, someone get it because I have to go to work… :\
Taking the floaty fish an the skimboard out
Outa work, still waves, schwing!