Not much windsurfing going on here on Maui the last several days. Wind has been pretty light all over. Meanwhile, the north shore has been getting some very large NW swells – big enough for Jaws to be breaking.
The good news is that we might see trade winds start to fill in tomorrow. The bad news is that I think they’ll still be too light to be sailable tomorrow and they’ll be short-lived. Looks like Friday is our best shot of wind but then it goes away again after that.
Another very large swell is heading our way and should arrive on Maui starting tomorrow. This one is looking like it will be ginormous. According to Pat Caldwell (Hawaii’s surf forecasting god), “An extratropical cyclone has occluded near the dateline over the past 24 hours, with the center of low pressure nearly stationary. The circulation associated with this system is extraordinarily large, the breadth equivalent to distance from California to kentucky. This pattern is expected to give a long-lived, extra-large episode, meaning significant breakers on outer reefs, with high surf holding into Saturday…. Local surf from this source should slowly build late Thursday from 310-325 degrees with 17-20 second periods. The episode should peak on Friday morning with extra-large to occasionally marginally giant breakers.” A high surf warning is in effect, surf along north facing shores will rise to 20 to 25 feet through Thursday into the weekend.
Extra large surf and returning trades on Friday could mean a select few will be sailing Jaws on Friday. My guess is that Hookipa will be closed out, a few pros will head up to Jaws to sail and everyone else will be at Kanaha. Kind of tempting to think about going up to the bluff above Jaws and shooting some video, but it’s been over a week since I’ve sailed so I think if it’s windy enough, sailing will take priority.
Light Wind, Big Waves
Not much windsurfing going on here on Maui the last several days. Wind has been pretty light all over. Meanwhile, the north shore has been getting some very large NW swells – big enough for Jaws to be breaking.
The good news is that we might see trade winds start to fill in tomorrow. The bad news is that I think they’ll still be too light to be sailable tomorrow and they’ll be short-lived. Looks like Friday is our best shot of wind but then it goes away again after that.
Another very large swell is heading our way and should arrive on Maui starting tomorrow. This one is looking like it will be ginormous. According to Pat Caldwell (Hawaii’s surf forecasting god), “An extratropical cyclone has occluded near the dateline over the past 24 hours, with the center of low pressure nearly stationary. The circulation associated with this system is extraordinarily large, the breadth equivalent to distance from California to kentucky. This pattern is expected to give a long-lived, extra-large episode, meaning significant breakers on outer reefs, with high surf holding into Saturday…. Local surf from this source should slowly build late Thursday from 310-325 degrees with 17-20 second periods. The episode should peak on Friday morning with extra-large to occasionally marginally giant breakers.” A high surf warning is in effect, surf along north facing shores will rise to 20 to 25 feet through Thursday into the weekend.
Extra large surf and returning trades on Friday could mean a select few will be sailing Jaws on Friday. My guess is that Hookipa will be closed out, a few pros will head up to Jaws to sail and everyone else will be at Kanaha. Kind of tempting to think about going up to the bluff above Jaws and shooting some video, but it’s been over a week since I’ve sailed so I think if it’s windy enough, sailing will take priority.
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