Swellinfo, why have we been having so many cross up swells this year? The wind roars out of the east all night and i wake up the next morning with a SOUTH swell with east funkiness on it or sometimes the other way around. Like today, Thursday 4/12, somewhat resembles a SE swell but there's north funk in it and it's lining up like crap. Where are all the classic northeast swells that turn jenks or the pier on? Or even south swells without an easterly component to them. Take a look at the forecast, hard E-NE wind sunday than a SSE GROUND SWELL on monday. WTF! I am very curious. Thanks.
Hey, Its all about the storm track, and the positioning of the low pressure as it moves off the coast. Lets give a little example here: Think about the counter-clockwise motion around the low pressure. If the low is moving up from the south and say moves off the coast around Hatteras (#1). This will often produce a southerly fetch to the east of the low (how much fetch depends on the pressure gradient - a lesson for another time). And now, if the low moves to the Northeast (#2), say just off the Delmarva Coast you may get a NE fetch into the mix as well (also dependent upon the pressure gradient). Many times when we get a pure straight south swell the center of the low will skirt up the coastline, and not go far enough offshore for the northeast fetch to develop. When we most get a dominantly northeast fetch, this is mostly dependent upon the pressure gradient, which usually occurs as a high pressure (clockwise motion around the high) sits to the north of the low.
swells thank you swellinfo man, so the lows this year have just been moving off the coast at unfavorable locations for us, oh well at least there's been waves
Ya, I would agree with that statement. However, I do know of certain spots, where the mix swell can do wonders, creating real peaky, wedgy waves. I'd say one of the main factors, is if there is any current. Like, if there's a mix S / NE swell, with clean conditions, and not much of current, than most spots can handle fine. But, if the NE winds kick in, creating cross chop and current, then things go down hill...
