Here’s a look at the real-time wave reports from Half Moon Bay (@buoy46012) yesterday. Solid 15-second swell energy in the 12-15 foot range. Throw some light winds into the mix and this is what you get.
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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).
We’ll be keeping an eye on the models to see how this swell develops over the next few days.
January 19th Update: Swell Sightly Downgraded
The swell is a bit smaller than initially forecast, with swell conditions at @buoy46006 now expected to peak Friday afternoon at 29 feet at 13 seconds (W 266°). The Half Moon Bay buoy is expected to build rapidly on Saturday and peak in the evening at 21 feet at 14 seconds (WNW 290°).
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.
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.
These examples use the Waimea Bay station, which has the Twitter username buoy51201. Text messages should be sent to 40404, which is Twitter’s shortcode.
Here’s how you can receive real-time buoy reports via text message, with a little help from Twitter’s SMS service.
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 long-range forecast showing swell conditions of 13 feet at 15 seconds. Keep an eye on the Half Moon Bay forecast to see how this swell develops over the next few days.
