January 2012
3 posts
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WatchBe sure to stay tuned to the end of the video for a “visualization” exercise led by Mr. Wassel. Apparently it works too, because the wave he paddled into at Jaws has got to be the frontrunner for the XXL paddle award.
Below are the historical wave reports from January 4th, 2012. Looks like the swell conditions at the Pauwela station (@buoy51205) maxed out around 14 feet at 17...
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East Pacific - XXL Swell in the Long-Range...
A significant swell is showing in the long-range East Pacific model, with Buoy 46006 (SE PAPA, 600 NM West of Eureka, CA) forecast to reach 33 feet at 13 seconds (W 276°) on Friday, January 20th.
The long-range model is subject to revision, but the forecast for Half Moon Bay is currently showing swell conditions approaching 23 feet at 15 seconds (WNW 292°) by Saturday afternoon (1/21).
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2012 Da Hui Backdoor Shootout Results
The 2012 Da Hui Backdoor Shootout saw epic conditions throughout its holding period, which means they were able to cherry-pick the best days at Pipeline and Backdoor. Everyone got shacked, but in the end, it was Reef McIntosh who emerged victorious, with Volcom winning the team division.
2012 Da Hui Backdoor Shootout Results
Individual
Reef McIntosh ($30,000)
Jamie O’Brien ($20,000)
...
December 2011
5 posts
4 tags
Hawaii - December 29th Surf Forecast
Hawaii surf forecast update for December 29th, 2011: A little something for everyone over the next seven days. Moderate northwest surf continues into the weekend, with improving conditions as the wind backs off. Monday, January 2nd is looking fun, with a fresh NNW swell and light easterly winds expected. Wednesday will see high surf advisory conditions, with gusty NE tradewinds in the 15-20 knot...
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Half Moon Bay - Large WNW Swell With S Winds on...
The Half Moon Bay forecast for Sunday, December 18th. A solid west-northwest swell in the 10 feet at 16 seconds range, with moderate South winds. Interesting.
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Hawaii - December 13th Surf Forecast
Hawaii surf forecast update for December 13th, 2011: After a few days of strong northeast winds and lackluster surf, get ready for another round of solid northwest swells, with surf heights forecast to get progressively larger throughout the week.
Summary: Fun northwest swell for the north shore on Wednesday, slightly bigger with better winds on Thursday, then advisory level surf on Friday. The...
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WatchEntries are still being accepted for the Live Like Sion 2011-2012 Steep & Deep Pipeline Photo Challenge. With a solid 312° northwest swell currently in the forecast, now would be a good time to get your entry in.
Seeing how the judging panel knows a thing or two about getting steep and deep (including Gerry Lopez, Shawn Briley, Braden Dias, and Michael Ho), expect the winning photo to be...
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Hawaii - December 4th Forecast Update
Hawaii surf forecast update for December 4th, 2011: Good news for the 2011 Billabong Pipeline Masters. Back-to-back northwest swells forecast to grace the North Shore with head-high to double-overhead surf Tuesday through Saturday.
Both pulses are visible in the detailed Waimea Bay forecast above, with the first swell building rapidly on Tuesday before fading on Wednesday. The second, larger...
November 2011
6 posts
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Hawaii - November 30th Forecast Update
Hawaii surf forecast update for November 30th, 2011: A new northwest swell arrives today, with the Northwest Hawaii station (@buoy51101) already reporting 7.2 feet at 14.8 seconds (337°) as of 6:00 a.m. HST. Surf heights are expected to increase throughout the day and into Thursday, reaching the 8-10+ foot range late Thursday to early Friday.
Winds could be a little sketchy late Thursday and...
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Hawaii - String of Northwest Swells Expected
Hawaii - A series of large northwest swells have popped up in the forecast window, with separate pulses expected on Wednesday into Thursday and another next Monday. The long-range models are also showing a big swell brewing in the north Pacific that could bring the largest surf of the season so far later next week.
Looking at the forecast for the Northwest Hawaii station (@buoy51101), the...
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Hawaii - Finally Some Action in the Long-Range...
The long range forecast is finally showing some promise, with potential for the first real Pipe swell of the season on Thursday, December 1st. Models are showing back-to-back storms brewing to the Northwest, which are expected to produce long-period swells late next week.
First things first though, a big north swell is expected to build rapidly late Saturday into Sunday, with conditions...
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Hawaii - La Nina Woes
The Hawaii Winter season has started with a whimper, with the Triple Crown forced to get underway in small surf at Haleiwa on Monday. There is a small pulse of NNW swell expected over the next few days, keeping things contestable, but definitely not the type of surf you expect in late November.
Looking at the Waimea Bay buoy forecast, there’s a much more notable North swell expected to...
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A Classic Day at Ocean Beach
The 2011 San Francisco Bodysurf Classic saw gray skies, challenging conditions, and a lone, brave speedo. In the true spirit of bodysurfing, the Classic turned out to be more celebration than competition, with an overwhelming turnout where everybody made the finals.
Once the onshore side-shore offshore onshore spray settled, the results were in: Mark Cunningham (1st), Joe Sloggy (2nd, in...
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The 2011 San Francisco Bodysurf Classic
Kelly may have wrapped up the 2011 ASP World Title, but the 2011 San Francisco Bodysurf Classic title is still up for grabs! The swell forecast is looking favorable for the event, but the winds are sketchy, with a light to moderate Northwest flow expected on Saturday.
It is local policy that unfriendly people may not enter The Bodysurf Classic. Unless they can prove upon entry that...
October 2011
3 posts
3 tags
WatchContest vs. Freesurfer via Korduroy.tv
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Hawaii - Moderate NE Swell Monday, NNW Next Sunday
The Waimea Bay forecast model is showing a moderate NE swell peaking late Monday (6 feet at 12 seconds, 35°), with a long-period NNW swell expected to arrive next Sunday.
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How To: Buoy Reports via Text Message
Did you know you can subscribe to buoy observations via text message? Simply text “follow buoy51201” to 40404 to begin receiving text message updates from the Waimea Bay buoy. The best part about SMS updates is that you don’t need a fancy smart-phone to stay current with your favorite stations.
TL;DR: Quick Start Cheat Sheet
These examples use the Waimea Bay station, which...
September 2011
20 posts
4 tags
Hilary Update: Thursday's Swell Slightly Upgraded
As of 8:00 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 (NHC Advisory #28): Hurricane Hilary has begun its northwestward turn, with an initial motion estimate of 310° at 7 mph. As expected, the hurricane has also begun to weaken with maximum sustained winds now in the 110 mph range (Category 2). Rapid weakening is likely after 24 hours, as Hilary encounters cooler sea surface temperatures and...
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Hurricane Hilary Surf Forecast Update
As of 8:00 a.m. PDT on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 (NHC Advisory #26): Hurricane Hilary continues to maintain Category 3 strength, with maximum sustained winds near 115 mph. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles, with Hilary presently moving west (270°) at 10 mph. The hurricane is expected to turn west-northwest later today, then turn north on Wednesday.
The Point Loma Wavewatch...
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Hurricane Hilary Enters Southern California Swell...
As of 8:00 a.m. PDT on Monday, September 26, 2011 (NHC Advisory #22): Hurricane Hilary has entered the Southern California swell window, and is currently a major hurricane (Category 3) with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph. Hilary is moving west (265°) at 10 mph, but is expected to make an abrupt northwest turn by early Wednesday. Gradual weakening is expected over the next 48 hours, with...
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Hurricane Hilary: Small SSE Swell For Now, But...
As of 8:00 a.m. PDT on Friday, September 23, 2011 (NHC Advisory #10): Hurricane Hilary remains a Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. Hilary is currently moving west (275°) at 9 mph, and is expected to continue in that direction during the next 48 hours.
During the next two days, Hilary is forecast to remain a major hurricane as she continues to track over very warm...
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South Pacific: I'm Not Done Yet!
Don’t write off the South Pacific just yet. The tail end of the Wavewatch III forecast model is showing a potential southwest groundswell for both Hawaii and California during the first week of October.
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Hilary Rapidly Intensifies to Category 4
As of 8:00 p.m. PDT on Thursday, September 22, 2011 (NHC Advisory #8): After being upgraded to a hurricane earlier this morning, Hilary has rapidly intensified over the past 12 hours and is now a Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 135 mph.
Hurricane Hilary is moving west-northwest (295°) at 9 mph, and is expected to continue in that direction over the next 24 to 48 hours....
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Come Hell or High Water West Coast Premiere
The west-coast premiere of Keith Malloy’s Come Hell or High Water is tomorrow (Friday) night in Encinitas, at the La Paloma Theater. Tickets will be available at the La Paloma box office the day of the showing. It doesn’t look like there are any presale or online options. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the film screens at 8 p.m.
The film explores the history and progression of the sport...
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Hilary Intensifies, Now a Hurricane
As of 8:00 a.m. PDT on Thursday, September 22, 2011 (NHC Advisory #6): Hurricane Hilary is currently moving WNW (295°) at 10 mph, with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph. Hilary’s track is forecast to continue along the southwest coast of Mexico, with additional strengthening expected over the next 48 hours.
After the next three days, the models diverge significantly with regional models...
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Hilary Expected to Become Hurricane on Thursday
As of 8:00 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 (NHC Advisory #4): Tropical storm Hilary continues to strengthen, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. The National Hurricane Center expects Hilary to intensify to hurricane strength tomorrow, and tropical storm warnings have been issued along the coast of Mexico due to the nearshore forecast track.
The storm is forecast to reach peak...
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Tropical Storm Hilary
As of 8:00 a.m. PDT on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 (NHC Advisory #2): Tropical Storm Hilary has formed south of Mexico, currently packing maximum sustained winds near 40 mph. Hilary is moving west-northwest (290°) at 5 mph, and is expected to increase in both speed and intensity over the next few days.
The latest National Hurricane Center forecast expects Hilary to reach hurricane strength by...
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N. CA - Extra-Large NW Swell Thursday
The first big WNW swell of the season is forecast to arrive on Thursday, with swell conditions peaking at 11 feet at 15 seconds (WNW 302°). Look for the incoming swell to appear in the real-time reports (@buoy46012) sometime late Wednesday to early Thursday, as it quickly builds overnight before slowly fading into the weekend.
An even bigger WNW pulse is expected next Tuesday, with the...
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Hawaii - Solid NNW Swell Wednesday
Solid north-northwest swell forecast for Wednesday, with conditions of 4-6 feet at 15 seconds (NNW 344°) expected. Moderate-period energy remains steady into the weekend (4-5 feet at 10-11 seconds), with the swell direction rotating slightly northwest (337°-329°). With favorable east-northeast trade winds also easing into the weekend, it looks like a fun string of surf for the north facing...
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The North Pacific Awakens
It’s still not officially winter, but the North Pacific’s summer slumber is officially over. The first big swell of the 2011-2012 winter season is making its way towards the Pacific Northwest with enough size to test your summer training regimen.
Washington and Oregon will receive the brunt of the energy, with surf heights building rapidly throughout Wednesday and peaking in the...
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San Diego Power Outage Affecting CDIP Stations
All Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) stations stopped reporting real-time data on Thursday afternoon, likely the result of yesterday’s massive San Diego power outage. The San Diego Gas & Electric company reported that power had been restored as of 3:25 a.m. this morning, however the buoys remain offline and there is no official announcement from CDIP regarding the downtime.
If...
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Katia Continues Northwest, Swell Continues to...
As of 11:00 a.m. AST on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 (NHC Advisory #34): Hurricane Katia is a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, and is currently moving northwest (310°) at 9 mph. Katia is not expected to make landfall, with a forecast track turning progressively more northerly through Thursday.
The next few days will see increasing moderate-period southeast swell from...
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Hurricane Katia Swell Arrives on the East Coast
As of 11:00 a.m. EDT on Monday, September 5, 2011 (NHC Advisory #30): Hurricane Katia has strengthened and is now packing maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. Katia is currently moving northwest (310°) at 13 mph, and is forecast to strengthen further, possibly becoming a Category 3 hurricane later today.
Southeast swell from Katia is already hitting the East Coast, with moderate to long period...
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Hawaii - First NNW Swell of the 2011-2012 Season
The first north-northwest swell of the 2011-2012 Hawaii season is on its way! Conditions build quickly throughout the day on Thursday, peak early Friday morning (5 feet at 12 seconds 341°), then slowly decline into the weekend.
Swell direction remains steady throughout the duration (341° - 344°), so spots that favor the NNW angle (and aren’t subject to early season sickness), will likely...
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Hurricane Katia Strengthens to Category 2
As of 11:00 a.m. AST on Sunday, September 4, 2011 (NHC Advisory #26): Hurricane Katia has intensified to a Cateogry 2 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph. Katia is currently moving NW (305°) at 12 mph, with additional strengthening forecast for the next few days. It is possible that Katia could reach major hurricane strength by Monday.
Katia passed just south of Buoy 41044 this...
August 2011
44 posts
9 tags
Katia Likely to Become a Hurricane Today
As of 11:00 a.m. AST on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 (NHC Advisory #10): Tropical Storm Katia is expected to reach hurricane strength sometime today. Currently, Katia has maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and is moving WNW (285°) at 21 mph. The long-range forecast calls for continued strengthening, with Katia reaching major hurricane strength by Sunday morning.
The Cape Canaveral forecast is...
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A Ma‘alaea Moment
Town was a solid 6-8+ yesterday, with occasionally larger sets closing out the channel at Bowls. We’ve heard reports of an epic Castles canoe surfing session, and seen some photos from Bomburas that resemble Off The Wall. But over on Maui, it looks like the elusive Ma‘alaea had some speedy moments of its own.
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Hawaii - Believe the Hype
Hopefully all those people who complain about overhyped town swells are in the water right now, because these are some of the most intense buoy readings the South shore has seen in years. A steady and powerful 5 feet at 20 seconds reported at Barbers Point this morning.
For real-time swell reports from the Barbers Point buoy, follow @buoy51204 on Twitter.
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Tropical Storm Katia Forms in the Atlantic
As of 5:00 a.m. AST on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 (NHC Advisory #5): Tropical Storm Katia has formed in the tropical Atlantic, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and a West-Northwesterly (290°) movement of 17 mph. Katia is forecast to continue strengthening during the next 48 hours, reaching near hurricane intensity by late Wednesday or early Thursday, and possibly major hurricane strength...
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Ke11y Slater Wins 2011 Billabong Pro Tahiti
Kelly Slater managed to weave his way to the front of the ASP World Tour rankings yesterday after winning the 2011 Billabong Pro Tahiti. Teahupo’o served up an unbelievable string of surf, including a massive “code red” day that will undoubtably surface again in the 2012 Billabong XXL award finals.
After scoring epic conditions in Tahiti, the ASP now heads to the Atlantic...
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S. CA - Large SSW Swell Peaks Thurs/Fri
The Tahitian mega-swell is making its way across the Pacific at the moment, with 25-second SSW (201°) forerunners expected to reach the Point Loma buoy by Wednesday. Wave heights will continue to rise through Thursday as the swell fills, with solid 20-17 second swell periods expected through Friday.
Given the tremendous amount of energy this swell is packing, the forecast remains favorable...
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Step Into the Arena
When Raimana bounces hard and Bruce loses his pants you know Teahupo’o is maxing out. There’s all kinds of coverage floating around the web right now, and I’m sure the XXL submissions will come pouring in over the next few days. Watching the highlight reels you’d think it was all glory out there yesterday, but you’d be mistaken.
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Hawaii - Advisory Level South Swell En Route
Next week’s forecast is looking amazing, with a ton of South swell expected beginning Monday and lasting throughout the week. Forerunners from the first pulse are expected as early as tomorrow, with 17-second energy filling overnight. (1) Swell conditions of 3-4 feet at 16 seconds (186°) are expected on Monday, with wave heights on the rise throughout the day, possibly reaching high surf...
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Round 2 of Billabong Pro Tahiti Underway
Round 2 of the 2011 Billabong Pro Tahiti is currently underway, and the upsets have already begun, with trials winner Ricardo Santos defeating ASP World Tour #5 Taj Burrow. In the first heat of the day, Tahitian local Heiarii Williams got hung-up in the lip and went over on a solid 10-footer, while Jeremy Flores scored a 4.5 for a huge barrel he didn’t make. It’s an absolute...
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Hurricane Irene Bears Down on East Coast
As of 11:00 a.m. EDT on Friday, August 26, 2011 (NHC Advisory #25): Maximum sustained winds from Hurricane Irene have decreased to 105 mph, with hurricane force winds extending outward up to 90 miles from the center. Irene is currently heading North (360°) at 14 mph, and this motion is expected to continue throughout the day.
While the intensity of Irene is slightly lower, little change in...
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Billabong Pro Tahiti: Massive Swell & Favorable...
The latest forecast for the 2011 Billabong Pro has both Kelly Slater and the medical staff concerned, as huge surf is expected to peak on Saturday with conditions in the 15 feet at 18 seconds range (SSW 198°).
Anyone who wants to paddle around me Saturday has my official blessing. @joelparko just pretend it’s snapper.
- Kelly Slater
Currently, a new South-Southwest swell is building, but...
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“This is my 11th WT event and this is definitely from my perspective the most...”
– Dr. Paul Fisher, Australian trauma doctor and medical lead at the 2011 Billabong Pro Tahiti.
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“Anyone who wants to paddle around me Saturday has my official blessing....”
– Kelly Slater (@kellyslater) in reference to Saturday’s massive forecast for the 2011 Billabong Pro Tahiti at Teahupo’o.