sooo im constantly hearing that swellinfo.com should not be used as the only source for a surf report. i was just wondering what you guys check to determine whether the waves are gonna be good. also, im really itchin to paddle out today, does anyone know anywhere i can go thats gonna be ridable??
drive by the beach on your way to work
check out the cam
ask a friend who sits home all day
blast texts out to friends who live near the beach to see if it's going off
looks flat to me bro, get some other stuff done so you can paddle out when it's pumping maybe beginning of next week.
Monday morning bro!!!!!! I know it's still a ways out but whoa! Sunday night into Monday morning might be good!
...numerous weather maps, front maps, FNMOC, NWS, bouy data, forecasts, websites, crystal balls, tea leaves, black magic...
.......lmaoOriginally Posted by LBCrew
I was taught as a fisherman/sailor/surfer you should keep a log of conditions every time you go out and of course sift through the data periodically and look for patterns etc. I did this for about 7 years or so, out of the 23 I've been surfing -- currently I don't bother -- but now its like basically muscle memory or instinct or whatever you want to call it --- I just know. Most of the time when I advise this to younger guys I know who surf they kind just of look at me like I got a **** growing out of my foreheadi was just wondering what you guys check to determine whether the waves are gonna be good.
Yea, man... I remember when I was going to Rutgers, living in New Brunswick, it would be "one of those days" when you just knew there was waves. Sometimes I'd jump in my car and drive to Manasquan Inlet or Spring Lake or the Hook, and get it, but sometimes I just couldn't, for whatever reason.
But yea... you just know.
If you live or surf in a area for any extended time you will learn to know when it good and when it wont. I text ppl but there are very few that I will belive . I also look at tide tables and the weather ch aswell
First of all you have to know your beaches. All of this data means nothing unless you know what really works in your spot. Just because that graph is green doesnt necessarily mean that your spot will work in 25 knot off-shores. Each break is a bit unique, even if its all beachbreak.
From swellinfo you can get accurate enough buoy data (rough size -always a little hyped a week out, but direction and period are usually on point). Watch the weather channel for the weekly coastal radar maps. Low pressure systems make waves. Major storms at sea make waves. Long durations of strong wind makes waves.
Wind is always the wildcard on the east coast. I have like 4 sources that I check for wind predictions, but when it comes down to it anything outside of 24 hours is a guess. (what you are looking for is a switch offshore, then light off-shores timed with the arrival or presence of a swell, but you knew that right?)
Tide is easy, they can predict that ish 100 years out. I think you can trust swellinfo on that one. Just know what works at your beach.
And finally- the surf conditions a month out always reveal themselves to me...................... in the bong thread
Last edited by leethestud; Dec 8, 2010 at 12:38 PM.
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