Saturday, May 08, 2021

Saturday 5 8 21 morning call

Hookipa yesterday morning. That's why I don't surf Pavillions.

5am Surfline significant buoy readings and discussion.
South shore
Barbers

1ft @ 15s from 196° (SSW)
0.5ft @ 20s from 191° (SSW)

Lanai

1.1ft @ 15s from 194° (SSW)

Below are the maps of April 30 through May 2nd showing the possible source of the small 15s energy at the buoys. Here's how Pat Caldwell described it:
A compact, low-end gale in the subtropics ENE of New Zealand 5/1-2 had the head of the fetch about 3000 nm away. This size fetch of marginal magnitude would be a write-off if it was deeper in the mid latitudes. But since it nosed into the tropics, it has better odds. It should turn the surf up a notch on Saturday 5/8 from 180-195 degrees and drop Sunday peaking near average. PacIOOS/CDIP American Samoa buoy did show swell within 5-8’@10-14s 5/4. But as mentioned, shorter-period swell lose size much more rapidly with travel distance (due to greater angular spreading). Thus, still not that much surf for Hawaii, but clearly anything could top what’s out there now, so an improvement.


So, nothing to lose sleep on, and the webcam confirms that. Check the Lahaina or Kihei webcams if interested, for size, conditions and consistency.

North shore
Pauwela

5.6ft @ 8s from 73° (ENE)
3.4ft @ 5s from 81° (E)
1.7ft @ 12s from 351° (N)

ENE windswell continues to be the dominant energy in the water, I don't think the small 12s N energy will do much. Home guess for Hookipa is waist to chest high. Tomorrow a new medium period and size NW swell should arrive.

Forecast and energy spectrum of Pauwela from this PACIOOS page.



Wind map at noon. The other ones can be found here (click on animation of the 10 meter column).



Fetches map
(circles legend: red: direct aim, blue: angular spreading, black: blocked) from Windy.
North Pacific
(about 4 days travel time from the NW corner of the North Pacific):



South Pacific
(about 7 days travel time from east/west of New Zealand):



Morning sky.


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