Thursday 2 8 17 morning call

Couple of fun sessions yesterday, the second of which was at Honolua Bay. Some waves looked pretty good like this one below.

Some others didn't look quite as good. The conditions were accurately described in the mid day beach report (got to keep checking the blog if you want to have a chance to score!). Always trust the description (and numerical mark) more than the picture in those. Sometimes it can be better than the picture looks because I don't have time to wait for a set. Sometimes (like yesterday) it might look better than it really is (like yesterday) because the best set of the day just cames in when I'm taking the photo.


Here's a funny sequence. When I paddled for this wave, the section to my left was closing out and I was the next one down the line. One of those cases in which you know it's your wave and you don't have to worry about dropping in on people.
That's what I thought, but my friend Moke caught it on the other side of that section and somehow was able to make it around it. At this moment, I have no idea that he's behind me and I'm focused on the wave which had a pretty fast line.

I was completely unaware of him for the entire length of the wave. He didn't call it either (I always call if someone is in front of me, because I want him to know I'm there) and you can imagine my surprise when I saw his board next to mine in my peripheral vision.

The face expression in this shot when I finally realize that someone's behind me is priceless. I instinctively shouted "Oh, I'm sorry!" while the final closeout section shut down on both of us.

 

And here's the clip. Good thing it was a friend and not a real moke (a very big, very local Hawaiian)!


4am significant buoy readings
South shore
Lanai
3.5ft @ 13s from 277° (W)

Wrap only, check the webcams.

North shore
NW101
7.1ft @ 11s from 327° (NW)

Waimea
6.6ft @ 13s from 325° (NW)

4.4ft @ 10s from 328° (NW)

Pauwela

7.2ft @ 13s from 336° (NNW)           

4.1ft @ 9s from 345° (NNW)

 

Below is the graphs of NW101 and Pauwela. Check how the swell in Maui peaked yesterday afternoon and that's quite different from the Surfline forecast I posted two days ago that had the peak predicted at 2am.

The steady decline at the NW101 buoy one suggests a similar decline locally during the day like the blue dotted line I drew. This time the difference between the size at sunrise and the size at sunset should be clearly noticeable, but with a start at around 7f 13s, the waves at Hookipa are still going to be in the well overhead range.

 

Current wind map shows:
1) the solid WNW fetch that has been in place for at least three days. Here's what Pat Caldwell describes it.

A WINTER-CALIBER LOW PRESSURE DEEPENED TO 954 MB 2/6-7 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS. THE SYSTEM IS TRACKING NNW 2/8 WEST OF 170E AS IT SLOWLY WEAKENS. SEAS WERE ESTIMATED ABOVE 35 FEET IN AN AREA ABOUT 2100 NM AWAY 2/7. THE LONG DURATION AND LARGE SIZE OF THE FETCH OVER THE 280-310 DEGREE BAND SHOULD MAKE FOR A LONG-LIVED ABOVE-AVERAGE EVENT.

2) the NNE fetch associated with the low that generated the swell we've been surfing the last couple of days that now moved in the gulf of Alaska. Pat Caldwell calls this swell at 2f 12s on Saturday, I still think it should be a bit bigger. The WW3 output seems to agree with me and proposed a 0.96m 10.2s towards 197 degrees, which translates in 3f 10s from 17 degrees. We shall see.

Notice the lovely area of light winds in which the islands are sitting today. That should clean up the conditions quite a bit.

 

NAM3km map at 7am confirms the light wind and clean conditions.

 

Slightly stronger trades at 2pm.