Tom_in_CA
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
- Messages
- 20,729
.... Does the energy die out because of the distance? Is island "shadowing" knocking the swells down?
Hey there Compass. I can't speak for the difference between Orange county to Santa Barbara distance. And yes, the channel islands can play havoc with trying to predict where an incoming swell will impact. I can't say for certain that a south swell that is affecting San Diego or OceanSide, or Orange county, would fade by the time it reaches other parts of So. CA (santa barbara, for instance).
But I CAN say that the distance it travels to Monterey bay , it definitely start diminishing. The further it travels, it makes sense that it's going to lessen. But it's all relative: Because each beach acclimates to its historic norms.
The southern swells you guys wait for would start all the way down at the equator, eh ? As opposed to W and NW swells which start from Japan or Alaska . As such, you guys (all your beaches face south) can get erosion in the middle of summer. When no local adverse weather is going on . Ie.: sunny and warm, not in the middle of CA storm season.
We have noticed this phenomenon for our Santa Cruz beach (the singular beach in our part of the state with faces south). That sometimes it goes off big-time, in the middle of the summer, when .... erosion is the last thing on our mind. We tend to wait for the winter storms , and THEN start studying the surfer/mariner forecasts. But for those that hunt Santa Cruz, they watch for these fluke summer southern hemi swells. A buddy of mine has perfected that, and has sometimes found himself digging 200+ coins and 1 to 3 gold rings in a single hunt. Trouble is .... it doesn't happen that often. Doh!
incredible hunting! That’s just amazing!
