Saturday 5 18 19 morning call

This is Cloudbreak on May 14th as posted by Tavarua Island Resort. The reason I post it (other than its intrinsic beauty) is because some of the waves we're going to surf today are the leftover energy that made it through the many islands on the way. Don't get too excited, as Tasman Sea swells are inconsistent in nature.


This has nothing to do with the waves, but I found it on fabebook and thought about sharing. It's the plan for a proper Paia bypass to get rid of the line at the traffic light, which everybody who lives past Paia seems to hate so much.

For me, it represent an opportunity of practicing the acceptance of reality. A fairly easy one actually, as it's wonderful to be able to admire the extremely tall palm trees by the baskeball court gracefully waving their branches in the wind.

Before moving to Maui in 2001, I've lived in Rome for 11 years and I've experienced what being stuck for hours on the Grande Raccordo Anulare surrounded by cement and polluted air means. As far as traffic lines go, the Paia one is my favorite in the whole world. I'm almost afraid to lose it and I'll make sure I'll celebrate it even more each time I'll be "stuck" in it in the future.


3am significant buoy readings
South shore
Barbers
1.6ft @ 12s from 185° (S)

0.8ft @ 20s from 208° (SSW)

Lanai
2.2ft @ 13s from 173° (S)
0.8ft @ 20s from 214° (SW)

South swell on the steady decline (it lasted pretty much a whole week), but still hanging in there with 2.2ft 13s. Fortunately, the new long period SSW one is right on its heels, but, as I say at the beginning, those ones are even more inconsistent than the S ones. Check the webcam before going. You probably noticed that I'm not reporting from there anymore... because there's no more need, there's the camera.

North shore
NW001
3.9ft @ 11s from 315° (NW)

Pauwela
3.4ft @ 7s from 59° (ENE)

Here's a common mistake I've seen many times: if you only look at the table of Pat Caldwell, you would see 3ft 11s from the NNW predicted for today. But if you read what he says, you'll see that swell is only predicted to pick up in the PM. And that's for Oahu, which means that for Maui it will pick up most likely during the night. In other words, this swell is for tomorrow for us. Maybe something at sunset. For today (just like for the last two days), that small 7s energy will make for waves that will actually break and generate some white water (so it's not technically flat), but that's about it. Very weak and barely surfable with a longboard.

North Pacific has two lows, but not fetches for us.


South Pacific has three fetches, the one I like the most is the SE of New Zealand.


Morning sky.