Surf News Network

7am OBS, Happy Aloha Friday, May 17th

One more soggy day w/ periods of moderate to heavy rain. Possible clearing this afternoon. Light to moderate SSE winds. Flood Watch for Kauai and Oahu. High Surf Adv. for south facing shores of all islands. SCA for Big Island waters. Lots of brown water runoff.

Big Picture updated 5/12. Moderate, mid-period NNW. Solid, but bumpy and dirty, SSW. Small East trade wind swell. Call 596-SURF: 7a, noon, 3pm; plus, the 5p (recap-forecast).

North Shore:

Up & Dropping 11 sec NW. Semi clean w/ lite SSE winds. Sunset 2-4' occ. 5'; Rocky Pt 2-4'; Pipe 2-4'. Chuns 2-3' occ. 4'; Laniakea 2-5'; Ali'i Beach Park 2-3'. Overcast w/ rain. Murky water at most breaks.

West:

Up & Dropping 11 sec NW + Up & Holding 17 sec SSW. Residual bumpiness from yesterday, but cleaning up some. Makaha is 2-4' and mostly breaking behind the reef. Clouds and rain and runoff.

Town:

Up & Holding 17 sec SSW + Dropping 13 sec SSW. Residual bumpiness from yesterday, but cleaning up some. Waikiki reefs are 2-4'+; Kaisers-Rockpiles to Ala Moana to Kewalos are 2-4' occ. 5'. Filthy water at Bowls and surrounding area. Clouds and rain.

Diamond Head:

Up & Holding 17 sec SSW + Dropping 13 sec SSW + sloppy southerly wind swell. Surf's 3-5'+ but washed out and onshore. Clouds and rain.

Sandy's:

Up & Holding 17 sec SSW + Dropping 13 sec SSW + sloppy southerly wind swell. Surf's still messy from yesterday's onshores. Full Pt/Half Pt are 3-5'. Shorebreak is 2-4'+. Clouds and rain.

East Makapu'u:

Rising 7 sec E trade swell + north wrap. Lite and variable winds. Surf's 1-2' breaking in the shorebreak throughout the bay. Clouds and rain.

Winds

Friday

Range:
5-15+mph SSE
Fickle winds again

Saturday

Range:
10-20mph East Trade

Sunday

Range:
10-20mph ESE

Monday

Range:
10-20mph ESE

Tuesday

Range:
10-20mph ESE

North

Friday

05/17

Primary

Up & dropping 11s NNW
Haw: 2-4 occ +
Face: 3-7 occ +

Secondary

None NONE
Haw: 0
Face: 0
Good

Saturday

05/18

Primary

Dropping 11s NNW
Haw: 2-3
Face: 3-5

Secondary

Rising 16s NNW
Haw: 1-1.5
Face: 1-2
Fair to good

Sunday

05/19

Primary

Up & holding 12s NNW
Haw: 1-2
Face: 1-3

Secondary

Dropping 9s NNW
Haw: 1-1.5
Face: 1-2
Good offshores

Monday

05/20

Primary

Dropping 10s NNW
Haw: 1-1.5
Face: 1-2

Secondary

Rising 7s NE
Haw: 0-1.5
Face: 0-2
divin , paddlin, fishin, sailin

Tuesday

05/21

Primary

Dropping 9s NNW
Haw: 0-1.5
Face: 0-2

Secondary

Up & holding 8s NE
Haw: 1-1.5
Face: 1-2
divin , paddlin, fishin, sailin

West

Friday

05/17

Primary

Up & holding 17s SSW
Haw: 2-4 occ +
Face: 3-7 occ +

Secondary

Up & dropping 11s NNW
Haw: 1-2 occ 3
Face: 2-4 occ 5
Poor onshore

Saturday

05/18

Primary

Holding 16s SSW
Haw: 2-3+
Face: 3-5+

Secondary

Dropping 11s NNW
Haw: 1-2+
Face: 1-3+
Poor onshore

Sunday

05/19

Primary

Up & Rising 18s S
Haw: 1-2 occ +
Face: 1-3 occ +

Secondary

Up & holding 12s NNW
Haw: 0-1.5
Face: 0-2
Poor-fair side-shores

Monday

05/20

Primary

Dropping 16s S
Haw: 1-2 occ +
Face: 1-3 occ +

Secondary

Dropping 10s NNW
Haw: 0
Face: 0
Fair side-offshores

Tuesday

05/21

Primary

Dropping 14s S
Haw: 0-1.5
Face: 0-2

Secondary

Dropping 9s NNW
Haw: 0-1
Face: 0-1.5
Fair to good

South

Friday

05/17

Primary

Up & holding 17s SSW
Haw: 3-5 occ +
Face: 5-9 occ +

Secondary

Dropping 13s SSW
Haw: 1-2 occ 3
Face: 2-4 occ 5
Poor onshore
+ Dropping 6s wind swell

Saturday

05/18

Primary

Holding 16s SSW
Haw: 3-5
Face: 5-9

Secondary

Rising Later 21s S
Haw: 1-2 occ +
Face: 1-3 occ +
Poor onshore

Sunday

05/19

Primary

Up & Rising 18s S
Haw: 2-3 occ 4
Face: 3-5 occ 7

Secondary

Dropping 14s SSW
Haw: 2-3 occ +
Face: 3-5 occ +
Poor-fair side-shores
5' later

Monday

05/20

Primary

Dropping 16s S
Haw: 2-3 occ 4
Face: 3-5 occ 7

Secondary

None NONE
Haw: 0
Face: 0
Fair side-offshores

Tuesday

05/21

Primary

Dropping 14s S
Haw: 1-2 occ 3
Face: 2-4 occ 5

Secondary

Rising Afternoon 20s SW
Haw: 0-1.5
Face: 0-2
Fair to good

east

Friday

05/17

Primary

Up & dropping 11s N
Haw: 1-2 occ +
Face: 1-3 occ +

Secondary

Rising Slow 7s ENE
Haw: 1-2
Face: 1-3
Fair to good
North wrap

Saturday

05/18

Primary

Up & Rising 7s E
Haw: 1-2
Face: 1-3

Secondary

None NONE
Haw: 0
Face: 0
Choppy

Sunday

05/19

Primary

Up & holding 7s E
Haw: 1-2+
Face: 1-3+

Secondary

None NONE
Haw: 0
Face: 0
Choppy

Monday

05/20

Primary

Rising 7s E
Haw: 1-2+
Face: 1-3+

Secondary

None NONE
Haw: 0
Face: 0
Typical

Tuesday

05/21

Primary

Up & Rising 8s E
Haw: 2-3
Face: 3-5

Secondary

None NONE
Haw: 0
Face: 0
bumpy

Current Swells:

Friday 05/17
Primary: Up & dropping 11s NNW surf @2-4 occ +
Secondary: Up & holding 17s SSW surf @3-5 occ +
Third: Up & dropping 11s N surf @1-2 occ +

Marine Warnings:

Friday 05/17
Flood Watch for Kauai - Oahu. High Surf Adv. for south facing shores of all islands. SCA for Big Island waters. Lots of brown water.

Sailing Report:

Friday 05/17
Fair due to moderate SSE winds.

Diving Report:

Friday 05/17
North shores: Poor to fair from solid NW swell and South winds; West shores: Poor due to solid NW and SSW swells. plus side-onshore winds. South shores: Poor overall with high surf and moderate onshore winds. East shores: Good due to tiny surf and moderate side-offshore winds.

Oahu

Maui

Kauai

Big Island

Weather

Surf Advisory and Warning Criteria
Location/shoreline Advisory Warning
North-Facing Shores- 15 Feet faces (8' Local) 25 Feet faces (15' local)
West-Facing Shores - 12 Feet (7' local) 20 Feet (12' local)
West-Facing- Big Is.- 8 Feet (4'+ local) 12 Feet (7' local)
South-Facing Shores- 8 Feet (4'+ local) 15 Feet (8' local)
East-Facing Shores- 8 Feet (4'+ local) 15 Feet (8' local)

Big Picture

INACTIVE.
Get the latest on the tropics at www.hurricanes.gov
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center outlook for the 2017 Central Pacific Hurricane Season calls for 5 to 8 tropical cyclones to either develop or cross into the Central Pacific with a 40% chance for an above-normal season, a 40% chance for a normal season, and a 20% chance for a below-normal season. An average season has 4 to 5 tropical cyclones, which include tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes.
A tropical depression forms when a low-pressure area is accompanied by thunderstorms that produce a circular wind flow with maximum sustained winds below 39 mph. An upgrade to a tropical storm occurs when cyclonic circulation becomes more organized and maximum sustained winds gust between 39 mph and 73 mph. A tropical storm is then upgraded into Category 1 hurricane status as maximum sustained winds increase to between 74 mph and 95 mph. (The highest classification in the scale, Category 5, is reserved for storms with winds exceeding 156 mph).
Tropical cyclones go by many names around the world, and the terminology can get confusing. Once a tropical cyclone strengthens to the point where it has gale-force winds—39 mph or greater—it becomes a tropical storm. A storm that reaches tropical storm strength usually gets its own name to help us quickly identify it in forecasts and warnings. Once a tropical storm begins producing sustained winds of around 75 mph, we call the storm a typhoon in the western Pacific near Asia and a hurricane in the oceans on either side of North America. A “typhoon” and a “hurricane” are the same kind of storm, they just go by different names…it’s only a matter of geography.
NWS criteria for High Surf Advisories & Warnings.
In coordination with civil defense agencies & water safety organizations in Hawai`i, the NWS uses the criteria below for the issuance of High Surf Advisories & Warnings in coordination with civil defense agencies & water safety organizations in Hawai`i.
All surf height observations & forecasts are for the full face surf height, from the trough to the crest of the wave.
Advisory and Warning Criteria Location
Warning North-Facing Shores 15 Feet 25 Feet
West-Facing Shores - Remaining Islands 12 Feet 20 Feet
West-Facing Shores - Big Island 8 Feet 12 Feet
South-Facing Shores 8 Feet 15 Feet
East-Facing Shores 8 Feet 15 Feet
'Travel Time' Buoy 51101 to Waimea Buoy. Distance: 269 nautical miles (~310 miles). Angle: 307 deg
Wave Wave Wave Depth Wave Direction (deg)----------
Period Length Speed Shallow 295, 305, 315, 325, 335, 345, 355
(s) (ft) (nm/h) (ft) Travel Time (hours)----------
10sec. 512. 15. 256. 17.3, 17.7, 17.6, 16.9, 15.7, 14.0, 11.9
12sec. 737. 18. 369. 14.5, 14.8, 14.6, 14.0, 13.0, 11.6, 9.9
14sec. 1003. 21. 502. 12.4, 12.7, 12.5, 12.0, 11.2, 10.0, 8.5
16sec. 1310. 24. 655. 10.8, ,1 1.1, 11.0, 10.5, 9.8, 8.7, 7.4
18sec. 1658. 27. 829. 9.6, 9.8, 9.8, 9.4, 8.7, 7.8, 6.6
20sec. 2047. 30. 1024. 8.7 8.9 8.8 8.4 7.8 7.0 5.9
22sec. 2477. 33. 1239. 7.9 8.1 8.0 7.7 7.1 6.3 5.4
24sec. 2948. 36. 1474. 7.2 7.4 7.3 7.0 6.5 5.8 4.9

Tropical Storms - wind 39-73 mph (34-63 kt)
Category 1 - winds 74-95 mph (64-82 kt)
Category 2 -winds 96-110 mph (83-95 kt)
Category 3 -winds 111-130 mph (96-113 kt)
Category 4 - winds 131-155 mph (114-135 kt)
Category 5 -winds 156 mph and up (135+ kt)
Please visit the Central Pacific Hurricane Center website at www.weather.gov/cphc for the most recent bulletins.
ENSO is a single climate phenomenon, it has three states or phases. The two opposite phases, “El Niño” and “La Niña,” require certain changes in both the ocean and the atmosphere because ENSO is a coupled climate phenomenon. “Neutral” is in the middle of the continuum. The MJO (Madden-Julian Oscillation) is an eastward moving disturbance of clouds, rainfall, winds, and pressure that traverses the planet in the tropics and returns to its initial starting point in 30 to 60 days, on average, unlike ENSO which is stationary. In a nutshell, more active means more surf.
Kelvin wave (A Kelvin wave is a wave in the ocean or atmosphere that balances the Earth's Coriolis force against a topographic boundary such as a coastline, or a waveguide such as the equator. A feature of a Kelvin wave is that it is non-dispersive, i.e., the phase speed of the wave crests is equal to the group speed of the wave energy for all frequencies. This means that it retains its shape as it moves in the alongshore direction over time.)