Surfline.com chief forecasters Sean Collins gives us the low-down on today’s swell, which will produce some big waves to crash on our shore.
He notes that the long-period swell will hit a few select areas Wednesday, and will spread out by Thursday and Friday.
Wednesday prime OC spots: Seal Beach to Golden West Street, with solid overhead surf (5-8 foot faces with bigger sets, and 12-foot sets at HB cliffs), with the swell size dropped as you head south because of islands blocking the swell path. Newport and Laguna will see 2 -3, San Clemente 3-4, with some 5- foot waves.
Thursday will still offer up waves, with most areas seeing solid head high with 8-foot sets at the better west facing areas, with larger sets at the best spots. Newport and Laguna will still be a bit blocked, with 3-4 and occasional 5.
The swell was in Hawaii yesterday, where they looked like this. Don't worry, they won't be that big here.
Surfline forecaster Jonathan Warren gives us more of an overview of the swell:
Although weather will be an issue for the next few days, swell won’t be. A very solid West-Northwest groundswell will fill into the coast on Wednesday with the longer period energy. Expect surf to steadily increase on Wednesday, showing strongest late in the day and for the standout breaks that pick up long-period swell in the northern section of the county. These select spots pick up from waist-head high (3-5’) in the early morning to overhead to double overhead before dark (7-10’). NOTE – many spots will not see this initial, long period energy and will be smaller (mainly from Newport through South OC).
This swell will fill in further for Orange County as a whole on Thursday, due to the peaking swell and decreasing swell period. More head high to double overhead+ surf (6-12’) can be found throughout the region (size will vary depending on each specific break, showing strongest for North OC).
Friday morning will continue to offer solid waves, but expect a fading trend throughout the day for a gradual decrease in the surf.
Looking further out, this West-Northwest swell will continue to gradually fade out through the weekend for smaller surf, although still plenty of waves to be found. This swell event is a very tricky one and there are many variables to consider when planning a surf session. We strongly advise checking Surfline for a more detailed forecast.
Post from: OC Beach Blog
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