Large Easterly Fetch in the South Pacific
Your right Hambone, it slipped in under the radar. With an arrival time not likely until mid next week it will definitely be mentioned Fri if the fetch develops as progged.
It's also very far away so unless wind speeds get up swell decay will wipe most of the size from it. Leaving a very inconsistent and weak background signal that is easily lost in the more dominant swell train.
IE we had a long distance E swell signal in the last swell and it was barely noticeable.
Thanks Freeride, damn, I thought it would do something more interesting than a weak background signal thingie. Oh well, I must stop relying on those imaginary weather cartoons...
Thanks Freeride, damn, I thought it would do something more interesting than a weak background signal thingie. Oh well, I must stop relying on those imaginary weather cartoons...
By: "hambone"
All depends where you're located hambone. Let's hope GFS comes to fruition and I'm with you......E'ly swells shit all over S'ly swells in SE Qld in my opinion.
Being north of Cape Byron Donweather, an easterly swell generally means I can have a great time at my local beachie, while a southerly swell (depending on how acute it is) means I have to drive south, which I usually pass on, having 2 1/2 kids and a hectic family and work schedule.
Donw mentioned this in another unmentionable forum. It's a big high, and a big fetch, but to reach the oz coast it would really need a solid low on the top edge to give it some serious oomph.
By the time it is expected to be hitting the east coast there will be a fairly substantial SSW swell working into it. I don't know what happens when an easterly swell heading for SE Qld meets a pretty serious SSW swell coming from somewhere near Antartica, but I don't think it is going to help the easterly swell.
Will be interested in hearing the reports of actual swell.
By the time it is expected to be hitting the east coast there will be a fairly substantial SSW swell working into it. I don't know what happens when an easterly swell heading for SE Qld meets a pretty serious SSW swell coming from somewhere near Antartica, but I don't think it is going to help the easterly swell.
By: "batfink_and_karate"
I doubt very much the S/SW groundswell will have any real impact on the long range E'ly groundswell. Swells often pass by/through each other without very little impact.
I'm not seeing the S/SW groundswell hitting at the same time I'm seeing the E'ly groundswell arrive.
It's been a damm persistent fetch.
Might have other ramifications in terms of re-activating the west pacific warm pool and increasing the chances of ECL or other low pressure development.
Will be interested in hearing the reports of actual swell.
By: "batfink_and_karate"
Solid (ie grunty) 3ft/3ft+ this morning but the E'ly groundswell was fecked over by a ragged, raw, junky close range S/SSE swell, which meant conditions were way less than ideal with wobbly, rip affected waves and a crappy N'ly sweep.
Feck I hate S'ly swells.
I'm seeing and surfing 2-3ft....with the very occassional 3ft+ set in the mix (that is the E swell we're talkng about).
Pretty stock standard for a long distance tradewind swell and not all that interesting on it's own.
The S/SSE swell at least added extra energy and formed some tasty A-frames.
Was looking pretty damm idyllic just north of here this arvo.
Miles of barelling A-frame beachbreak with butter texture.
Oh, screw you for posting those images. I want waves like that, damn it! grumble, mumble, kicks a stone.
The S/SSE swell at least added extra energy and formed some tasty A-frames.
By: "freeride76"
Unfortunately not at my local this morning Steve :(, but I can see from your pics above that you're banks are in way better shape than mine (although tide might have something to do with that now!!).
Those 'miles of barelling a-frame beachbreak' are exactly why I love this little swell. It's very egalitarian in the direction department. Everyone gets a piece, at least where I am. That and the reliable offshore conditions and sunshine - classic.
Having said that one had to work around the tide as it seemed to be much better on the incoming tide between low and mid... at first light the outgoing tide seemed to kill the delicate energy and same once it got too full.
At it's best, most of today and yesterday's early on my stretch have been a very punchy, hollow, 2 foot, with occasional 3 foot a-frames. Super fun, but you had to be looking around to find the right little spot, as some spots were just unmakeable/closing out even with the small swell.
Can someone explain to me why the large fetch currently developing in the middle of the South Pacific and forecast to be active for the next few days (part of a large high pressure system with the strongest winds located SE of Fiji and SW of Tahiti) would not be a source of swell for the East Coast? It's probably going to be something obvious like it's blowing in a slightly off direction, but it looks like it's going to be blowing at a pretty conspicuous angle towards the east coast, particularly over the weekend, and although it's long-range, if it is blowing in the right direction, surely the size of the fetch will generate some punchy high period set waves around the 2-3 foot category??
Just wondering because it's not mentioned in today's forecast. Obviously there's other activity closer to home in the Tasman but those easterly fetches can generate some super fun surf...