First one was early morning. It was exclusively the "leftovers" (still head to head and a half) of the old swell and it was fun (conditions were a 6, as I scored from the cliff).
Then I wanted to take some photos, but I forgot to put back the sd card in my camera, so I got nothing to show you. Around 9.30 I checked the buoys and decided to hit the water again before it was going to get too big.
It was a bit bumpy because of light wind, but it was totally gorgeous, with the sets of the new swell easily identifiable amongst the old, closer period ones.
Such a pleasure to be in the water while a new long period swell is picking up. I'm weird, but for me that is such a special thing.
This is a gopro shot that as usual doesn't render the size (almost doh) but what it does render is the stunning colors and the rocks on the bottom (and the bumps).
I left Hookipa around noon and went home to have lunch. I drove back (had to go to Haiku) at 12.45 and it was already too big for me to be wanting to be out there. The crowd was half strong, so I guess they must have got some serious sets on the head. When I surfed it, it was around 3f 22s. When I saw it again it was 4f 22s. At that period, a foot of open ocean difference will mean several feet of size difference when the waves shoal upon the reef before breaking.
I came back from Haiku around 1.30 and it was already huge (6f 20s), with only one lonely surfer out a middles (under the arrow). Sorry about the bad photo, but I couldn't wait for a set, since I was on my way to work. A very steep rise, as expected, that I will comment more on in the buoys section just below.
3am significant buoy readings
South shore
South facing buoys only readings westerly wraps, but there's not much from the south to talk about. Check the camera though, because Lahaina will have a wrap too.
North shore
NW
14.2ft @ 14s from 332° (NNW)
N
19.7ft @ 17s from 328° (NW)
Waimea
12ft @ 17s from 333° (NNW)
Pauwela
15.3ft @ 17s from 326° (NW)
The highest numbers are at the N buoy because, as pointed out in the previous posts, also this swell's biggest amount of energy is missing us to the NE. So the more SW you move from the N buoy, the smaller the numbers will be. The buoy registered an increment from 2 to 17 feet in like 8 hours. My very personal criteria to call a rise steep is when a swell gains a foot an hour or more. This one, rose twice as fast.
With 15f 17s in Maui, your choices for surfing might be limited to: Jaws, the harbor or the west side.
Current wind map shows a new very strong fetch NW of us and that is the one responsible for the next big swell that Surfline predicts to peak at 15f 16s from 335 on Friday morning.
Thanks a lot to the reader that left a comment with the new link for the MC2km maps. But of course I'm posting this before their maps get updated, so below are two options and I will have to figure out which one is better. Here's the "old" MC2km map at noon.
And here's a more freshly updated NAM3km map at noon. They do look pretty similar, so I guess either one will work, but if you read this post after 6, you should click on the MC2km link and check the updated maps.
The windurfing contest is far from over (sunday Nov 13 is the last possible day) and with such huge waves, only the pro's are requested to go to the skippers meeting this morning. More precisely the four that are still involved in the double elimination bracket below: Kai Lenny, Levi Siver, Browsinho and Kevin Pritchard.
I think it's gonna be too big, but with only 3 or 4 heats to run (that could be as long as needed), it'll be definitely worth to check the Aloha Classic page to see if the webcast is on.
Kai was on a tear the other day and it was my pick for the final winner. I'm pretty sure this morning he will be involved in some Jaws kind of stuff and maybe wait for the call from the beach.
If the contest will be called off, all the pros will want to sail Jaws, so get ready photographers, because, together with Honolua, that's the place to be today!
Lastly, sorry about the sad image, but it's good to be reminded of the impermanence that characterizes the life of all beings. Better enjoy, 'cause we're all gonna end up like that one day.
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