Swell magnet
Cold water, modest swell for unofficial start of summer
Although the official start of summer isn’t until June 21, Memorial Day weekend is when the masses start packing up the station wagon and heading down to the beach with whatever spider ridden, dust laden, yellowed piece of foam they can get their hands on.
The one factor in favor of the more seasoned beachgoer is that the water temp remains in a borderline, hypothermia inducing, state of frigidity. There will be surf over the weekend so be careful out there. Along with the “weekend warriors” will be the only thing that’s more frightening — the “Memorial Day Maulers.”
Thursday morning: Looks to be kind of a let down as all swells back off into the waist high plus zone for the better breaks. But there should be enough sauce to float your proverbial boat, providing you have a long board or fish in your quiver.
The conditions look to be okay with variable winds at 3-6 m.p.h. until around 10 a.m. and then those will shift to the West to 8-12 m.p.h. in the afternoon. The air temp will climb up to a comfortable 69 degrees.
Friday morning: We should see a little bump in size in the form of chest high, short interval, (10-12 seconds), NW wind swell. This energy is coming in at a steep, 300 degree angle so only the most exposed West facing breaks will see any legitimate size. We’ll see some small, sporadic sets out of the South, but the lack of frequency will turn a South facing break into nothing more than a waiting game.
The conditions should be pretty good for the morning session with 2-6 m.p.h.. winds out of the NE until around 10 a.m., and then those will shift to the West to 12-16 m.p.h. in the afternoon. The air temp will hover at the 69 degree mark.
Saturday morning; Looks to be a bit better as we see a bump in size out of both the NW and SW. The South swell is more of a slam dunk, but doesn’t look to be super consistent or powerful. Nonetheless, the better breaks should see waist to chest high sets. The NW energy is all dependant upon how much wind velocity we actually see in the outer waters. To believe the models, it should be chest high or better for the standout West facing breaks. At this point I’m not taking any bets just yet.
The conditions should be passable with variable breezes at 2-3 m.p.h. until around 10AM and then those will shift to the SW to 8-15 m.p.h. into the afternoon. The air temp will remain in the 69 degree range.
Sunday morning: If things play out as scripted, we should see even more wind swell, with best breaks going shoulder to head high plus. We’ll also continue to see waist high plus, (or better ), sets out of the S/SW.
The conditions look decent with breezes out of the E/SE at 2-6 m.p.h. for the dawn patrol and then those will get up to 10-12 m.p.h. in the afternoon. The air temp will dip a hair down to the 65 degree mark.
Water temps: South Bay 59 degrees, Newport 62 degrees, Huntington 60 degrees, Santa Monica 59 degrees and Malibu 56 degrees. I Be sure to follow us on Twitter & Facebook for extra updates and exclusive offers. ER