One of the 1st waves from the new swell wedges into Indy. 5pm cel phone picture from yesterday. This swell is from the front that back-doored Sunday night. I had to pic my kid up at 6pm. The last wave I saw was twice this big and fully spit as it detonated on the inside reef. Doh!
Looks like a solid front next week but it takes forever to bang thru. The 1st part with the low pressure could put a small 1-2ft west wave on the beach late Monday right before dark. Tuesday looks really small as the Arctic High sinks in slowly(maybe rideable on a log, knee high range) then Wednesday is full on NW with 25knt N winds. That’s the outline and confidence is good that at least by middle next week there will be cold front surf if not sooner. Have a good day. Yesterday’s Spring Outlook is below.
NW PR: It was small all day yesterday in PR. Then around 5pm the new swell started to hit. Today is good surf in NW PR, wish you were here. We’d go to the Well and have a barrel fest :)… Apologies to everyone who has came and went and we have not been able to get together for a surf. Thanks for reaching out. Hopefully next time our paths will cross.
Fade to Black
(from Columbia EDU)Synopsis- Weak El Niño conditions are present and are expected to continue through the Northern Hemisphere spring 2019 (~55% chance). El Niño conditions formed during January 2019, based on the presence of above-average sea surface temperatures (SSTs) across most of the equatorial Pacific Ocean (Fig. 1)
December and January were good months for the GC. Things slowed down in February by comparison. There were still a few good days but almost 2 weeks of flatness squeezed in there. How does March look? We are looking for the 1st surf around 3/5 then a week behind that another front. Pretty average. The chances are that these March fronts will have a lot of NNW and N going NNE in them. Not the westerly fronts like we saw in December and January. 3 North fronts and 1 banger is the call for an avg. March. The northerly fronts will feature clean 1-3ft surf at best cold front spots. Not really looking for el ninyo to dig in again. That 2 month span was it as el ninyo fades to black… What bugs me about the above figure is September… 2017 was going into La ninya and that’s what spawned the 3 monsters, Harvey, Irma and Maria. This September could be active coming off a hot winter and no el ninyo to knock the Cape Verde spinners back…
Back tomorrow with an update on the 3/5 front but I will leave this page so we can check back when we get to April…
Cory scored Domes during March 2018. Photo: M Weaver.
Below average. No 30ft swell this year. A lot of waist high days. A couple barrels. March is typically the coolest, driest month in the Caribbean. People in PR are nervous b/c we are in a serious drought and the reservoirs water levels are falling.
PR
does sharkys break anymore? a freind was telling me the only place to surf is the jettys
We look at it when we venture down that way, but we havent had the winter swells these last several years, like the several prior to that. The last 2 swells we went for the higher probability. Hoping to get a look soon again.
Thanks Heath I’m sure that other sand bar in Manatee Cnty is a more sure bet and a lock for having more size than down in Venice on those types of swells. Hope you score Saturday. Looks like fun swell though not nearly as big as the last one.
MW – Thanks for the good news this morning and Happy New Year, everyone. Regarding Sharky’s … I haven’t seen it break well in years. Then again, I haven’t checked it on those real solid N swell days when the wind goes NE day after. Maybe it’s worth a look next time we all go down there. Keep ya posted on that.
HAPPY NEW YEAR – took the dog for a run on TurtleBeach yesterday mid-morning and was surprise to see sweet little rollers – good for the SUP or Log…. had the dog and not the boards ….O.wellllllll.
Good to pop in here and see ….. we got some WAVES coming and the water quality is at long last looking correct. Beach sand renourishment at Turtle has been just about completely swept way – another storm or two and it’ll be right back to the way it was – fascinating to see where the shoreline change and where the displaced sand ended up – further south – growing the beach in other areas….Lady Gulf has her way.
why doesnt someone clean the Venice cam? c’mon how hard is it? check the Puntas cam in PR on surfline, now that’s a clean cam, I wonder who cleans that one? 🙂
what’s up with all the buoys forever broken? 036 broken broken 039 bent broken 099broken c’mon
and boycott shell gas b/c none of their oil rig anemometers south of LA work either!
Snuck in a 30 min sesh before work today at dawn. Super low tide and flat to occ. waist lol. I’m hoping there’s some left later
Awesome pic. Made me remember bring a little tike in 84 making sand forts on the beach, there with my baby brother. We were a beach going family. Two foot curls in the summer a little kid were awesome.
Fuggin, did you got to the jetty in lb?
That’s the one JDH. Hoping to catch it good again before they pump the rest of the sand in.
1/9/2018-N Pinellas had a knee-waist set wind nug from 3-dark. Nothing to write home about, but got wet.
yo Dolphin! thanks for the report, glad u got some
whole place to myself for most of a sleepy sunrise to mid/late am session. fun enough.
Dang dude. 8 years in PR … that’s hard to believe. I remember when you dipped out of here. Do you still have that coffee table book of waves I gave you after we got everyone’s “farewells” written? Great to still have you as part of the scene repping the Gulf.
Thanks Rob, and props Ericito for taking the right day off! Pack hot water and lots of rubber!
I’ve been watching that banger take shape, looks like a good one! Told a couple people to take the 21st off lol. Friends at Venice now says there’s waves. Might go for a sesh!!!
Whats up guys. Been reading this report for a very long time. Funny you mention geting a new board. I was looking at “the bulldog” and “the pill” by foil surf I think. Any of you guys used one before? Also what other local boards do you use? Ive kinda gotten to fat sice I moved here. and as your all well aware the surf here is tough (even on a good day its still normally 3-4). I wanna try somwthing differet and the price on the foil board is right. So whats out there? See you all in the water!
P.S Anyone need a 510 dumpster diver ?
Rippey, no other shaper is more dialed into gulf coast surfing than gumsurfboards.com
Reach out
Gum surfboard mini Simmons is insane! Couldn’t recommend a better board! Talk to him about your volume and he will shape ya a magic board!!!
Don’t forget the legend himself who as far as I know tought everybody around town and that’s mr. Juan Rodriguez at “One world” hopefully his health is ok I haven’t talked to him in awhile anybody if he is still shaping?
I had a 5’10x22x3 Simmons shaped by seafarer. I’m 6’2/ 220lbs. It’s perfect for any gulf surf, keeps up with the day-after-front long boards, and gets me into the the chunky dumping short period early. Seriously think about a Simmons.
Mine is a fat squash tail but I’ve seen guys rip on some that are more pulled in at the tail. Just a thought.
Oh and it’s a quad setup and approx 44liters. If you’re lighter definitely don’t need that much volume. It floats me like a longboard.
check out the new surfer mag… shape it yourself hahaha. Im shaping again for the first time in 30 years. Im not very good that’s why I quit 30 yrs ago but it’s fun. Seafarer makes rad sticks
Scored vsj this am with about 60 of my best friends lol. Fun peaky waves with juice but not as big as I was expecting. They definitely lost some energy on the outside shoals but still very fun. Also, got to try out my new to me fish and I love it! Thx Dylan!
I got this email: Hey Micah. Yesterday was really good but the swell a few weeks ago where we had all that really really strong west wind for 24 hrs was much better and probably twice as big. I know you were curious so I thought I’d let you know. Regardless, yesterday was super fun, I surfed ******* ***** Perfect small a frame barrels. Prob shoulder high on the biggest set wave peaks.
Waves were pretty amazing but man Top Secrets isn’t as spread it as it used to be. When it was breaking well in the cove, the hole, and a few places in between, it could take 70 or so surfers. But lately there’s only one peak that isn’t mushed out or closed out, so 25 surfers is all it takes to make it frustrating. At least the crowd is less punchy than it was 20 years back.
Yesterday was awesome no doubt. Fun waves! I don’t think it was the best day of the winter, top 5? Definitely top 10! It’s crazy how busy and hectic it can get on a hyped swell! Surfed last week with waves just as good with only 10 people out! Get em while ya can though right? Counted at least 75 people out at sj around 10 am which is insane considering, like I said, some days it’s epic with like 10 people out! Saw Evan g and a whole bunch of other top guys out, pretty rad watching them on local waves! Hope we get some more this week and next!
It was top 2 of the winter for me a 3 of my buddies Monday. It was only the 4 of us scoring. Sweet……
My two cents. The Sun 12/16 swell was the best day of the winter glassy solid west swell. The Sat 12/22 swell was the biggest yet clean. The MLK Day swell on 1/21 was also very good but 3ed on my list. Very subjective….to each his own. 🙂
Hey guys sorry for the late and inconsistent reports I’m in New England this weekend I will be back in PR early next week and back to normal thanks
save for a day of one footers last feb was also completely flat. climate change is real. hurricane season coming.
Stay away from Jetblue. If you are a simple packer who can go away with just a backpack or carry on they penalize your board fee and charge you an additional $30 on top of the $100 per board fee (NOT BOARD BAG BUT PER BOARD)
$260 roundtrip for one board
Thank you for the reminder and the heads up d-bot you guys need to check out awayco. I used it for El Salvador- so genius, travel without boards and get a shred stick I rented a Slater sci-fi board $23 a day. it was sick. surf zone in Aguadilla is now working with awayco. That Will bring your bill way down and you’ll be on a good board…
Mar Azul has haydenshapes for rent 25 bucks a day
I have space underneath my house that is safe and secure to rent if you want to leave a board
I have boards also
Hd in the grandscheme of things pr is way off climo also. We have waves but not as good as it used to be. That’s what the old timers say.
This winter was looking really good for the Gulf Coast until February hopefully things flip-flop again in a couple weeks
that long period day in mid/late december was pretty special for the gulf. just kept getting better and better till dark on the incoming tide—wave after wave after wave w light onshore wind.
I scored multiple tds superbowl sunday at the Canaveral pier. Fell asleep for 3rd quarter or real superbowl but don’t think I missed much lol
Anybody good with old board id or know a place I should look? Just picked up a dirt cheap old mini simmons and am pumped to fix it up and cruise around on.
Chest high at the standouts? You think that’ll play out?
absolutely have you seen the wind in the gulf?
Fort Desoto pier dp sesh gonna be firing!
Solid round of fun surf this am. Thanks for the heads up!
Surfed vsj yesterday 7-12 super fun!
Pinellas 2/13/19- 1:00-3:30 session had small knee+ fun nug. Weird almost SW like lefts in swell but N wind. definitely odd swell and tide but worth getting wet. We need some juice, sick Corey pic.
thanks dolphin for checking in!
from a regular aura reader: “I didn’t Surf at all yesterday I had to work but I did watch the buoys and reports. 42099 is back on line in case you didn’t know. 42098 bumped back up late in the day yesterday with a little more wnw swell. Must have been from the fetch you saw the day before”.
my take: that was definitely a el ninyo style front, a bit weird and quirky but lots of west…
Not trying to start controversy, but I see online where somebody is claiming to have the best gulf surfing website.
I can’t help but chuckle. I’m on the best surfing website for the Gulf with the best forecaster, right now.
Nobody is better nor more dedicated to dialing us in when the swell is on. Never a BS claim or ego talking. Just straight knowledge and experience.
I sure appreciate The Best Forecaster and story teller of years passed. Thank you Micah.
dude checks in the mail… hahaha thanks man
JDH speaks the truth.
JDH – 100% Agree –
Needed to peek in – I’ve been FROZEN – HIBERNATING…..
Can’t wait for the water to be piss warm & the air body temp. Looking forward to Spring…. miss Neptune and LadyGulf. For me winter sucks.
i figured as much Evy, glad your ok, i hope your surfing bear comes out of hibernation soon…
Hopefully southy log wave tomorrow since I have the day off.
GM you got your southy log wave, I bet PAG is fun or another shallow sand bar, enjoy your day off, stoked for you 🙂
Thanks admin your site is rad!
SW 2ft @ 8 seconds is pretty magic here
someone once told me that waves become swell at 8 seconds. 7 seconds is wind waves but 9 seconds is solid swell so yeah I think your right, stoked for you guys looked like a beautiful spring day and a small wave to surf, real clean too
Have to agree with “magical” long mutant lines down here mon & tues detonated on thie inside sandbars for some fun closeout sections on the SB & long lines hitting the shoal was peftect for some 100yd LB dreamers ???
from what I saw the Monday/Tuesday waves were Yucatan/Cuban but the Wednesday waves were Cayo Hueso- from the Keys straight up the coast. does that sound right?
Explored and surfed Egmont Key for the 1st time ever. Found thigh high nugs around the old power plant, super clean with the island blocking the south winds. Positive the south side of the island would have more size judging by the swell coming through Tampa Bay. Brought my twin fish on the ferry. Has anyone surfed this spot? P.s. love the reports
For sure Admin last night it was weak not really ridable amd mushy where I frequently surf. Mon & Tues was juicy and the sandbars lit up with that bit of west in it and longer period.
LBE – have surfed all of the area islands and shoals. Egmont never really gets much bigger than what you saw. The shoals that extend pretty far offshore from Passage Key and Egmont really sap the juice from the waves.
Next time you’re feeling adventurous, check an island just to the north.
Anybody know if there’s waves at pag right now
Based on the cams I would say knee high or less LB wave. I used to have a blast surfing a log on tiny fun waves there. Go 4 it…
Any waves up in pinnelas later
More likely tomorrow
Waves were super fun today. Occasional bigger sets coming through with some juice and looooong lines.
cool man, no spot naming but what cnty? up N or Down south? thx
i didnt see any pics