After a fairly impressive rain event this weekend, it would be recommended to keep your distance from the water early on this week. The same storm that rained on us here in North San Diego county created some wind swell waves, as well as incoming waves from both the North and the South from storm leftovers.
Where are these waves coming from? The incoming swells are being pushed by storms to the North and the South, each storm sending outer waves that will reach San Diego county. The storm to the South is moving towards the Northern coast of South America, slowly wandering further South as time goes on. Waves from the South will mix with the waves from the North as they head our way, creating both right and left breaking waves for this week. The bad news is the storm in the North is moving further North (similar latitude to Alaska) which will likely cause the water temperature to drop, as the swells reach our coast. The peak swell height will likely reach us later in the week, around Thursday or Friday, so keep checking up to find the best waves.
Suggestions: With mixed swells coming our way, it will likely be more important to find a spot with some decent shape to begin with. This usually means dealing with a bit of a crowd and some bottom features (a coral reef, sandbar, or something else that makes the waves form in a certain spot). I would recommend Buccaneers in South Oceanside for this week. The basic shape of waves at Buccaneers are decent (though pretty fast) and tend to be the biggest in the area, unless you plan to go all the way North to Oceanside Harbor. Be patient; there is plenty of space without getting in someone’s way.
Tip: From personal experience, getting back into surfing after a break can be hard. Try taking out a longer board for the first session due to the recent rains; it will help you remember and repeat the “get up motion” successfully. This will also help you not only in the short term, but in the long term as well. Being able to stand up reliably, and quickly, is a must for facing off steeper and bigger waves. If you surf a 5’9” shortboard, then a 6’1” or a 6’4” longboard can get you the stability you need to have fun and get some practice in. A longboard is not a necessity for practice, but they can be a lot of fun too.
