It's hit and miss that time of year. I caught it great last Easter but it was a planned attack with a late bought ticket and forecast swell. I like to know the forecast and buy tickets when I know its gonna go off. I would rather spend the extra $100 on the ticket knowing that I'm getting good swell that buy it way early and end up on the north coast surfing chop.
Look for one of those strong cold fronts coming across from the NW. Behind it are those cold, stong northwest winds that flips the switch and turns on most of the north and west coasts with groundswell. Knowing that, you can see how springtime can be much less consistent than winter.