Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Early Forecast
Hawaii's surf Gods are yet to shine on the Billabong Pro Pipeline, the opening event of the Championship Tour, though better waves are expected over the coming two days as a moderate-sized NW groundswell fills in.
With Pipeline set to wrap up by the end of the week, we look onwards to event number two, just down the road at Sunset Beach.
With just a two day break, the waiting period for the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach kicks off this Sunday the 12th (Monday Australian time) and the early indications are for yet more lacklustre swell.
Last year's Men's event was won by wildcard Barron Mamiya, which saw him promoted to the CT proper, while Brisa Hennessy took out the Women's (WSL/Heff)
Being a swell magnet, Sunset doesn't need much to get going. At 3 - 4 feet it'll break on the point, moving out into the bay when the swell gets to about 6 feet. Above that, it just gets more exciting. Yet even when it's perfect, Sunset is never easy; it's always shifting and tricky to navigate for even the world's best.
The initial forecasts have the waiting period opening with a swell from a strong but poorly aligned storm. A low tracking north-east between Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula and the Hawaiian Islands on Thursday will generate a fetch of severe-gale wind, however it's aimed to the north-east, away from Hawaii. What will result is side-band energy spreading off the low, arriving the day before the waiting period kicks off (Saturday), easing on Sunday from 3ft.
Flukey source of swell for the opening day
A weaker, but more favourably aimed, fetch of strong W/NW winds is forecast to follow a day or so behind the low, producing a small mid-period NW swell for Monday. This should build to a slightly better 4-5ft across Sunset, easing from the 3-5ft mark on Tuesday morning.
So, two swells down and nothing's really hit the mark yet.
The best swell for the first half of the waiting period should make landfall on Thursday, as a strong but short-lived low fires up north-west of the islands early next week. At this stage surf to 6ft to occasionally 8ft is likely when it peaks on Thursday under strong E/NE-NE trades.
Following this, a broad but not overly strong low forming off Japan should generate good, moderate-to-large surf for the end of the waiting period, but we'll have to look at this in more detail over the coming days.
Though it's early, the take home message is this: Expect another drawn out waiting period, with the most potential showing into the final days of competition.
Better swell producers for the second half of the period
Comments
Heading over on the 18th, was kinda hoping the comp would be run & done and the pros outta there by then. Sounds like buckley's chance of that?
Yeah highly unlikely sorry.
No need to apologise mate - not like you can control the weather!
The broader scale synoptics still remain unfavourable for any major surf through the period.
Higher than normal pressure (pink) is forecast for the coming fortnight. Worth keeping on that low off Kamchatka, as that'll be the source of some better surf later in the period.
This week, Monday 6th - 13th..
Next week, Mon 13th - 20th..
First half of the period looks very slow, hope for a few better swell producers later in the period.
There's a green dot over the NZ North Island called Gabrielle :-(
thoughts and prayers for the wsl
Indeed.
A couple of lows have popped up for the start of the waiting period.
The first should now generate a good NW groundswell for Monday (Tuesday Australian time) to 6ft with the rare 8ft'er, easing through the day.
A secondary pulse of slightly larger NW groundswell is on the cards for Wednesday afternoon and Thursday (Hawaiian time) with larger 8ft sets expected, still 4-6ft Friday morning.
A big improvement from earlier in the week.
We talking 6ft Swellnet or 6ft Surfline?
Always Swellnet. So DOH to TOH.
yeah i know. WSL will be calling it 12ft.
Just a couple of cheeky 8 foot swells popping up on the forecast
Doesn't take much eh, with little troughs and lows moving through but looks like some consolidation.
Couldn't believe how skunked they were getting again, then next minute two solid swells just appear on all the forecasts out of nowhere. Must be a lot of relieved people at the WSL.
Noice.
Thx Craig for the encouraging update. It's not the prettiest wave but the pros really earn it at Sunset
“Sunset is never easy; it's always shifting and tricky to navigate for even the world's best.”
Kelly doesn’t like Sunset, and Sunset doesn’t like Kelly.
It’s an interesting place for a wsl comp. Big open playing field, waves coming hither and thither, no particular take off spot.
I wonder what the rules are if somebody decides to take off out the back? Can the priority surfer still just pull in in front of them half way down? I believe they tweaked the rules a bit so Gabe and others can’t do that ugly thing.
Admittedly Kelly was very unlucky copping the interference against JJF (if memory serves). Nobody was really at fault, just bad luck in that instance.
Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere but this is a great watch and well worth 13 and a half minutes of any interested surfers time. All the excellent waves from last year, volume adjustment recommended.
How is the swell looking for the rest of the period?
There's a small to moderate sized NW groundswell due to build tomorrow, but it'll be mixed in with some sizey mid-period NE swell. Looks to be onshore, building surf to 4-6ft or so, easing from 4ft Thursday morning with cleaner conditions.
Following this an inconsistent, moderate sized NW groundswell is due Sunday, generated by a strong but poorly aimed low forming off Kamchatka today. This low will produce a good run of moderate sized energy, but with no major size, building Sunday to 5-6ft, and holding that range Monday, easing slowly Tuesday.
They might get one more swell on the final day. All in all the biggest and best day has passed.
The Hawaiians may ask the WSL to kindly not return again in January. That non stop run of waves completely grinded to a halt from the beginning of the Pipe waiting period to the end of Sunset.
Cheers for the update above Craig.