big swells expected this weekend

[dazedone]

Christian and I plan to try Malaga tomorrow around noon and perhaps a night dive at Redondo. NWS issued a coastal flood advisory. Malaga is somehwat protected from a SW swell, so we will give it a go and see what conditions are like tomorrow.

COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 405 AM PDT THU SEP 15 2005


CAZ039>041-87-151700-
LOS ANGELES COUNTY COAST INCLUDING DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES-SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SOUTH COAST-VENTURA COUNTY COAST-CATALINA ISLAND-
405 AM PDT THU SEP 15 2005

..COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM FRIDAY THROUGH 1100 PM SATURDAY...

UNUSUALLY LARGE SWELLS ORIGINATING FROM NEAR TAHITI ARE EXPECTED TO ENTER THE CALIFORNIA BIGHT BEGINNING FRIDAY AND PERSIST THROUGH SATURDAY. THESE SWELLS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WAVES OF 6 TO 8 FEET...WITH SOME SETS TO 10 FEET OR HIGHER...ALONG THE SOUTH FACING BEACHES OF LOS ANGELES...VENTURA...AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES... INCLUDING THE COASTAL ISLANDS. ALONG WITH THESE LARGE SWELLS...VERY HIGH TIDES OF 6.5 FEET ARE EXPECTED TO COMBINE AND RESULT IN TIDAL OVERFLOW OF THE LOW LYING SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FACING COASTAL AREAS FRIDAY EVENING AND AGAIN EARLY SATURDAY NIGHT. MINOR BEACH EROSION IS ALSO POSSIBLE DURING HIGH TIDES. THE ABOVE NORMAL ASTRONOMICAL TIDES WILL DECLINE AFTER SATURDAY NIGHT.

FORECAST HIGH TIDES AT LOS ANGELES HARBOR...

FRIDAY EVENING.............6.5 FEET AT 848 PM. - SATURDAY NIGHT............6.3 FEET AT 935 PM.

IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO FISH OR OBSERVE WAVES FROM EXPOSED COASTAL STRUCTURES OR ROCKS DURING HIGH SURF CONDITIONS. VERY LARGE WAVES CAN SUDDENLY SWEEP ACROSS PREVIOUSLY DRY AREAS. SWIMMING OR SURFING IN THESE WAVES MAY BE DANGEROUS FOR ANYONE.

 

[drbill]

Things are looking fairly good out here, at least topside. Don't see much swell entering Avalon Bay (although a SW shouldn't affect the beaches much). Everyone come on over and make it a dive/Arts Festival weekend on the island!

 

[dazedone]

For what it is worth, I just got off the phone with my wife who is down in Cabo, and she is seeing 10 foot surf down there. Still planning on trying to dive somewhere tomorrow.

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

I just went diving at the LJ Shores... The red tide is gone, the vis was 3-20 feet.. The swells were up to 3 feet and didn't pack much force... It was a nice dive!

Sean

 

[HBDiveGirl]

I walked the clifftops of Malaga cove and Flat rock this afternoon, 3PM. Lots of sunshine to clearly illuminate the water condition.

Uhm...good news/bad news...

GOOD:
No swell to speak of...maybe 1 or 1.5 foot junky surface wind swell.
Things can change overnight, especially visibility and red tide.

BAD:
The water looked opaque and murky from the shore out about 50 feet. This was about 3PM, with plenty of beautiful sunshine.
At the far edge of the murk, just as the reef kelp began, the water went from powdery grey/green to dramatically RED. Big red tide, extending from the Malaga reef out a couple of hundred yards, then finally turning blue-ish.
Same conditions at Flat Rock, with red tide starting at the murk inshore and going out a couple of hundred yards.
It could change overnight...

No measurable swell at beaches in Redondo or Hermosa.

A bientot :14:
Claudette

 

[SoCalAngel]

Thank you so much for the reports. :07: I think I'll go out with Ray this Sunday.