Big drops this morning at The Wedge. Photo: The Couch Surfing Show//screenshot
Employers in California are bracing for an influx of sick days from surfing employees. One of the largest south swells in years is currently lighting up the Golden State’s beaches, reefs, and points.
An impressive storm whipped up in the South Pacific, with a track straight towards Mexico and Central America, and seas up to 50 feet. California surfers, from San Diego to Santa Cruz (and beyond), have been anxiously anticipating the incoming waves they’ve seen ravaging coastlines further south: firing left points in Peru, huge surf for the Championship Tour surfers at the El Salvador Pro, Nathan Florence wrangling Puerto Escondido, and Oahu’s pros flocking to Ala Moana Bowls.
Surfline is calling it the biggest swell of the season, and possibly one of “the biggest in the last decade.” Some say California hasn’t seen any south swells this big since a similarly large swell in July 2020.
Forecasts are predicting the swell to peak later today, Tuesday, June 9, with buoy readings of 4.5 feet at 19 seconds. Images of the surf are already filtering around the internet, like these massive peaks at the Wedge in Newport Beach.
The swell is coming from a relatively southerly angle, around 197 degrees, so more south-facing shorelines will be picking up the brunt of the swell. Solid waves will stick around until Thursday, but there won’t be much time to rest. Another healthy shot of south swell will follow next week.
