Wednesday 3 21 18 morning call

A windsurf session for me yesterday, can't remember when was the last time I had so much fun at Hookipa. That is until the wind got strong, of course. Occasionally logo high waves with dreamy smooth bottom turn sections classifies as "as good as it gets" in my book. In comparison to that, it looked pretty average when I got out of the water after the wind got strong (and I lost my center fin by hitting a turtle). It's not that I don't like windsurfing anymore, I still absolutely love it. I just got extremely selective with the conditions. Below is a photo by Jimmie Hepp from this gallery taken later in the afternoon. That is very different from what I sailed.


Shot of the day goes to Flash Austin though, as he's figuring out how to uses this version of the "wind weapon" that he calls my 3.5m hand held wing for foiling. I messaged him that I'd like to try that.


3am significant buoy readings
South shore
No indication of southerly energy at the buoys, the Surfline forecast calls for 1f 14s from the south. Plus there should be a wrap from the NNE swell all the way down to Launiupoko at least (that's my guess).

North shore
N
9.2ft @ 16s from 26° (NNE)

6.4ft @ 13s from 17° (NNE)

4.3ft @ 10s from 2° (N)

Pauwela

5.6ft @ 13s from 17° (NNE)

4.1ft @ 11s from 12° (NNE)

3.2ft @ 6s from 46° (NE)

Big long period NNE should be on the rise all day today and the 16s reading at the N buoy confirms that.

Pat Caldwell defined this swell "unusual" and he's right, because we don't get many large long period swells from that direction. Here's another important consideration he does: Given the more NE angle for the extra-large event, breaking patterns are expected to be much different than normal with some areas dormant and others extra active, depending on the breaker zone orientation relative to the swell, degree of shadowing and localized refraction from the sea floor.

Let's have a look at this Google Earth image to see what he means. On the right you can see that the NNE lines will hit the north shore reefs unblocked and peel right like a point break. From Hookipa all the way down to Upper Kanaha there should be plenty rights working beautifully (except for the wind). Lowers might get blocked by Uppers a bit. the Waiehu coast will take a direct impact and probably be too big for anything.

Let's now look at the west side. Obviously, the waves will get into Honolua Bay no problem and I drew a bunch of red lines to show how the swell should be able to wrap all along the coast all the way
to Lahaina. It is my experience that actually such a wrap tends to focus on the coast between Lahaina and Launiupoko for some reason. Obviously, the further you move away from the Bay, the smaller the waves should get. Happy hunting.


Wind map at noon.


North Pacific shows a distant NW fetch, a closer but much smaller NW one and a still decent perfectly oriented NNE one. This swell is going to last until the weekend before turning more east.


South Pacific still shows a small SSE fetch.


Morning sky.