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BUOY ROUNDUP
On Wednesday, August 5, 2020 :

• Buoy 233 (Pearl Harbor Entrance)/Buoy 239 (Lanai): Seas were 3.3 ft @ 10.5 secs with swell 1.8 ft @ 9.5 secs from 181 degrees.
• Buoy 106 (Waimea): Seas were 3.5 ft @ 5.9 secs with swell 2.7 ft @ 6.3 secs from 36 degrees. Water temp 80.2 degs.
• Buoy 46025 (Catalina RDG): Seas were 3.6 ft @ 7.1 secs with swell 3.1 ft @ 6.4 secs from 260 degrees. Wind at the buoy was northwest at 6-8 kts. Water temperature 68.2 degs. At Harvest Buoy (071) primary swell was 6.1 ft @ 6.7 secs from 314 degrees. At Santa Monica (028) swell was 2.6 ft @ 6.4 secs from 256 degrees. At Oceanside (045) swell was 2.4 ft @ 6.7 secs from 275 degrees. Southward at Point Loma (191) swell was 2.8 ft @ 6.4 secs from 283 degrees.
• Buoy 46012 (Half Moon Bay)/029 (Pt Reyes): Seas were 6.0 ft @ 8.3 secs with swell 4.9 ft @ 7.8 secs from 316 degrees. Wind at the buoy (012) was northwest at 12-16 kts. Water temp 50.0 degs (013), 59.9 degs (SF Bar) and 54.9 degs (042).

See Hi-Res Buoy Dashboards (bottom of the page)

 

Significant: Winter - Swell 8 ft @ 14 secs or greater (11+ ft faces) for 8+ hours (greater than double overhead).
Summer - Head high or better.
Advanced: Winter - Swell and period combination capable of generating faces 1.5 times overhead to double overhead (7-10 ft)
Summer - Chest to head high.
Intermediate/Utility Class: Winter - Swell and period combination generating faces at head high to 1.5 times overhead (4-7 ft).
Summer - Waist to chest high.
Impulse/Windswell: Winter - Swell and period combination generating faces up to head high (1-4 ft) or anything with a period less than 11 secs.
Summer - up to waist high swell. Also called 'Background' swell.

Surf Heights for Hawaii should be consider 'Hawaiian Scale' if period exceeds 14 secs.

PACIFIC OVERVIEW
Current Conditions
On Wednesday (8/5) in North and Central CA local northwest windswell was producing waves at waist high or so and and mushed and warbled and pretty much totally blown out from northwest winds early. Protected breaks were waist high on the sets and and mushed and cleaner but still warbled and weak. At Santa Cruz surf was flat to maybe knee high and clean inside the kelp but warbled outside and very weak. In Southern California/Ventura waves were knee high or so and cleanish with intermixed warble coming from the northwest but with minimal to no local wind. Central Orange County had some set waves in the waist high range and clean but very soft and weak. South Orange County's best summertime breaks had set waves at waist high on the peaks and mushed with a fair amount of small warbled in the water. North San Diego had sets at thigh high and weak and mushed with cleanish conditions. Hawaii's North Shore was flat and clean. The South Shore had occasional waist high sets and clean and soft and weak. The East Shore was getting east windswell with waves waist high and chopped from east trades.

See QuikCASTs for the 5 day surf overview or read below for the detailed view.

Meteorological Overview
On Wednesday (8/5) locally generated windswell was providing something barely rideable in North and Central CA and into exposed breaks in Southern CA. The South Shore of the Islands were getting tiny rideable background swell too. Looking forward a small gale developed in the Southeast Pacific on Sun (8/2) producing a broad area of 29-30 ft seas aimed northeast. Swell is pushing north towards South and Central America and then into California. The models continue to suggest a gale is to develop south of the Tasman Sea tracking northeast Sat (8/8) producing up to 41 ft seas. And maybe it's remnants to redevelop under New Zealand on Mon (8/10) producing 32 ft seas aimed almost due north. So there's some hope.

See all the details below...

 

SHORT- TERM FORECAST
Current marine weather and wave analysis plus forecast conditions for the next 72 hours

North Pacific

Overview
Surface Analysis
On Wednesday (8/5) no swell of interest was in the water.

Over the next 72 hours no swell producing fetch of interest is forecast.

But a low pressure system developed in the Northwestern Gulf of Alaska on Mon (8/3) producing 14 ft seas aimed east. And a stronger one is to develop on Thurs (8/6) producing up to 19 ft seas aimed east. No swell to result but this activity suggests the early signs of Fall trying to organize.

 

North Pacific Animations: Jetstream - Surface Pressure/Wind - Sea Height - Surf Height

 

Tropical Update
No tropical systems of interest were being monitored.

California Nearshore Forecast
On Wednesday (8/5) a modest pressure gradient is to be holding driven by high pressure north of Hawaii ridging into the US West Coast producing northwest winds at 15-20 kts over North and Central CA offering raw windswell generation potential fading some in the afternoon and the fetch gets shallower. Thurs (8/6) the gradient is to be less coherent and fading in coverage but still producing 15-20 kts northwest winds focused more over North CA with 15 kts northwest winds mainly off the coast of Central CA continuing some windswell generation potential. Fri (8/7) the gradient is to rebuild decently over North CA early with northwest winds 20-25 kts and 15 kts northwest winds sweeping south over Central CA offering some improved windswell production potential. Sat (8/8) the gradient is to build some with northwest winds 20-25 kts over North CA waters with northwest winds light at 5-10 kts for Central CA offering windswell production potential for both North and Central CA. Sun (8/9) the gradient is to be localized to Cape Mendocino with north winds 30-35 kts with light winds if not a light eddy flow (south winds) for Central CA offering windswell production potential for exposed breaks. Monday (8/10) the gradient is to be fading with north winds 25-30 kts limited to off the coast of Cape Mendocino early and fading in velocity and coverage in the afternoon with windswell production potential fading. On Tues (8/11) a broad fetch of north winds is to be in-place along Oregon down to Cape Mendocino producing north winds at 20-25 kts with light winds if not a light eddy flow from Pt Arena southward producing modest sized windswell pushing south. More of the same is expected on Wed (8/12).

Total snow accumulation for the week for Squaw Valley, Sugar Bowl, Kirkwood and Mammoth at 0, 0, 0 and 0 inches respectively. Freezing level 14,000 ft or higher for the week.

Snow Models: http://www.stormsurf.com/mdls/menu_snow.html (Scroll down for resort specific forecasts). Updated!

 

South Pacific

Overview
Jetstream
On Wednesday (8/5) the jetstream was well split over the width of the South Pacific with the southern branch running flat west to east in a zonal flow down at 60S at 110 kts over most of the South Pacific with no troughs evident offering no support for gale development. Over the next 72 hours no change is forecast with the zonal flow continuing offering no direct support for gale development. Beyond 72 hours starting Sat (8/8) a trough is forecast developing under New Zealand being fed by 140 kt winds pushing to the northeast offering decent support for gale development and being reinforced on Sun (8/9) by more wind energy pushing harder to the north-northeast further improving odds for gale development while sliding east digging out a well defined trough just southeast of New Zealand on Mon (8/10) offering good support for gale development. That trough is to start collapsing on Tues (8/11) no longer offering support for gale development. But there's hints of possibly a new trough developing in the same area on Wed (8/12).

Surface Analysis
On Wednesday (8/5) small swell from a gale that built in the far Southeast Pacific was radiating north towards California, Central and South America (see Southeast Pacific Gale below).

Over the next 72 hours a gale is forecast building in the far Southwest Pacific south of Tasmania on Fri PM (8/7) pushing east with 55 kt southwest winds over a small area and seas to 41 over a small area at 59S 143E just north of the Ross Ice Shelf. On Sat AM (8/8) southwest winds to be 45 kts over a building area with seas 38ft over a moderate area at 57S 159E aimed east-northeast. In the evening fetch is to fade with southwest winds 35-40 kts over a decent sized area aimed northeast with seas 35 ft at 55S 170E aimed northeast. On Sun AM (8/9) fetch is to be fading from 35 kts with seas fading from 31 ft at 53.5S 175E aimed northeast. Something to monitor.

 

Southeast Pacific Gale
A gale developed in the far Southeast Pacific on Sat PM (8/1) producing a broad fetch of 35-40 kt southwest winds with seas building. On Sun AM (8/2) the fetch was lifting northeast at 35-40 kts producing 30 ft seas at 53.5S 130.5W aimed northeast. In the evening fetch was fading from 30-35 kts from the southwest while starting to move east and out of the California swell window with seas holding at 29 ft at 49S 127W aimed northeast and fading. Fetch was gone after that. Decent odds of some 15-16 secs period swell resulting radiating north towards California.

Southern CA: Expect swell arrival on Sun (8/9) building to 2.0 ft @ 18-19 secs later (3.5 ft). Swell building on Mon (8/10) and peaking late afternoon at 2.7 ft @ 16-17 secs (4.5 ft). Swell Direction: 184 degrees

North CA: Expect swell arrival on Sun (8/9) building to 1.0 ft @ 20 secs late (2.0 ft). Swell building on Mon (8/10) and peaking late afternoon at 2.6 ft @ 17-18 secs (4.5 ft). Swell Direction: 183 degrees

 

South Pacific Animations: Jetstream - Surface Pressure/Wind - Sea Height - Surf Height

 

QuikCAST's

 

LONG-TERM FORECAST
Marine weather and forecast conditions 3-10 days into the future

North Pacific

Beyond 72 hours no swell producing fetch of interest is forecast.

 

South Pacific

Beyond 72 hours starting Sun PM (8/9) another fetch is to be building at 40 kts south of New Zealand aimed northeast with seas building to 29 ft at 58.5S 170E aimed northeast. On Mon AM (8/10) fetch is to be lifting north-northeast at 40-45 kts south-southeast of New Zealand producing 33 ft seas at 54S 172E. In the evening a broad fetch of 30-35 kt south winds are to be pushing north just east of New Zealand producing 31 ft seas over a solid area at 51S 176E pushing north-northeast possibly targeting Tahiti, Hawaii and the US West Coast with luck. ON Tues AM (8/11) the gale is to be fading with 30-35 kts south winds over a large area with 29 ft seas pushing north from 48S 175W aimed north to northeast. The gale is to fade out after that. Something to monitor.

 

MJO/ENSO Forecast

 

La Nina Signal Continues Slowly Building in Central Equatorial Pacific

MJO/ENSO Discussion
The Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) is a periodic weather cycle that tracks east along the equator circumnavigating the globe. It is characterized in it's Inactive Phase by enhanced trade winds and dry weather over the part of the equator it is in control of, and in it's Active Phase by slackening if not an outright reversing trade winds while enhancing precipitation. The oscillation occurs in roughly 20-30 day cycles (Inactive for 20-30 days, then Active for 20-30 days) over any single location on the planet, though most noticeable in the Pacific. During the Active Phase in the Pacific the MJO tends to support the formation of stronger and longer lasting gales resulting in enhanced potential for the formation of swell producing storms. Prolonged and consecutive Active MJO Phases in the Pacific help support the formation of El Nino. During the Inactive Phase the jet stream tends to split resulting in high pressure and less potential for swell producing storm development. Wind anomalies in the Kelvin Wave Generation Area (KWGA) are key for understanding what Phase the MJO is in over the Pacific. The KWGA is located on the equator from 135E-170W and 5 degs north and south (or on the equator from New Guinea east to the dateline). West wind anomalies in the KWGA suggest the Active Phase of the MJO in the Pacific, and east anomalies suggests the Inactive Phase. In turn the Active Phase strengthens and the Inactive Phase weakens the jetstream, which in turn enhances or dampens storm production respectively in the Pacific.

And the El Nino/La Nino cycle (collectively know as ENSO - El Nino Southern Oscillation) is a less frequent (about once every 7 years) but more impactful cycle that affects world wide weather. Specifically, strong El Nino events promote storm production in the Pacific while La Nina events suppress storm production. These therefore have a significant impact on the production of swell and surf. The paragraphs below analyze the state of the MJO and ENSO in the Pacific and provide forecasts for upcoming activity (or inactivity depending on the state and interaction of these two oscillations).

Overview: A double dip La Nina was in control through the Winter of 2017-2018. But warming started building along the South and Central American coast in early March 2018 associated with two upwelling Kelvin Waves, and continued trying to build over equatorial waters over the Summer and Fall, but not enough to declare El Nino and not coupled with the atmosphere. In January 2019, those warm waters were fading, but then rebuilt late in Feb associated with Kelvin Wave (#3). But as of early June 2019 warm water was fading and by August a tongue of cool water was tracking west on the equator from Ecuador over the Galapagos reaching to a point nearly south of Hawaii. El Nino was dead. A bit of a recovery occurred during Fall of 2019, with weak warm water building in the Nino 1.2 region, but cool water held in a pool off Peru and had not changed until March 2020. By April the cool pool pushed east and by May subsurface cool waters erupted off Ecuador, forming a well defined cool tongue that looked like the start of La Nina, holding into July 2020.

LONG-RANGE PACIFIC STORM AND SWELL GENERATION POTENTIAL FORECAST

Fall/Winter 2020/2021 = 3.0/3.5 (California & Hawaii) Rating based on a 1-10 scale: 1 being the lowest (small and infrequent surf conditions), 5 being normal/average, and 10 being extraordinary (frequent events of large, long period swells)

Rationale: It is assumed the PDO has moved to the warm phase in 2014 and that a weak borderline El Nino from 2018 faded out in the Fall of 2019. A La Nina like ocean temperature pattern developed in the equatorial East Pacific in the summer of 2019, then faded and returned to a neutral if not weak warm status during the Winter of 2019-2020 only to return stronger in the Summer of 2020. We have been suspecting a turn towards a La Nina like atmospheric pattern to develop in the late Winter/early Spring of 2020. Our best hope is that moderation from the warm phase of the PDO might tamp down development of a full blown La Nina as we move into 2020. But at this time that does not appear likely. Given all that, for the 2020 there is decent probability for development of La Nina meaning a reduced number of storm days and storm intensity during the summer season, resulting in a below normal level of swell, with swell being below normal duration and period. And by the Fall and early Winter of 2020/21, the number of storm days, intensity and duration of those storms should fade even more, resulting in depressed swell production. This pattern is expected to hold through the Spring of 2021.

KWGA/Equatorial Surface Wind Analysis & Short-term Forecast (KWGA - Kelvin Wave Generation Area - The area 5 degrees north and south of the equator from 170W to 135E)
Analysis (TAO Buoys): As of (8/4) 5 day average winds were solid from the east over the Eastern equatorial Pacific continuing over the Central Pacific and strong over the KWGA. Anomalies were moderately easterly over the East equatorial holding modest easterly over the Central Pacific and also modest but steady east over the KWGA.
1 Week Forecast (GFS Model): On (8/5) strong east anomalies were in control of the KWGA today with east anomalies also filling all the equatorial Pacific to Ecuador. The forecast calls for east anomalies holding strong and filling the KWGA through 8/9 while slowly giving up ground in the East Pacific and by the end of the model run on 8/12 east anomalies are to be all but gone in the KWGA and almost gone in the Central Pacific with weak west anomalies on the equator from 150W into Ecuador. Support for energy transfer into the jet is to improve some possibly a week out.

Kelvin Wave Generation Area wind monitoring model: West and East

Longer Range MJO/WWB Projections:  
OLR Models: (8/4) A building Active Phase of the MJO was developing over the West KWGA today. The statistic model indicates this Active Pattern is to build in the KWGA on day 5 of the model nearly filling it and then filling it on day 10 and holding solid on day 15 of the model run. The dynamic model suggests the same thing initially and is corrupt after that.
Phase Diagrams 2 week forecast (ECMF and GEFS): (8/5) The statistical model depicts the Active Phase was moderate over the Central Maritime Continent today and is to slowly ease east while steadily weakening to modest strength over the West Pacific 15 days out. The GEFS model suggests the same thing but pushing into the East Pacific by day 15 of the model run.
40 day Upper Level Model (assumed to be a statistical mode and 1 week ahead of what is occurring at the surface): (8/4) This model depicts a moderate Inactive MJO exiting east out of the far East Pacific. A modest and coherent Active MJO is forecast developing over the KWGA on 8/8 pushing over the Central Pacific and into the East Pacific at the end of the model run on 9/13. At that time a developing weak Inactive MJO is forecast moving east into the far West Pacific.
4 Week CFS Model (850 mb wind): (8/4) This model depicts no MJO signal over the KWGA today with east anomalies filling the KWGA at moderate to strong strength and those anomalies extending east to Ecuador. The forecast indicates a continuation of no MJO signal but with strong east anomalies filling the KWGA and the entirety of the Pacific through 8/10. A coherent Active Phase of the MJO is forecast moving into the KWGA on 8/10 tracking east through 8/19 but but with east anomalies holding though weakening to modest strength in the KWGA then turning to west anomalies over the Central and East Pacific. Beyond east anomalies to hold at modest to moderate strength in the KWGA through the end of the model run on 9/1 but with westerly anomalies forecast holding over the Central and East Pacific mainly associated with the Active MJO pushing east over that area through 8/28 then fading out. Overall a long run of easterly anomalies are setting up in the KWGA. August will be a tough month for swell production theoretically.
3 Month CFS Model (850 mb wind): (8/5 - using the 4th/latest ensemble member): This model depicts a weak Inactive MJO exiting east out of the KWGA today with moderate east anomalies filling the KWGA and reaching east to Ecuador on the equator. The forecast depicts a modest Active MJO forecast moving over the KWGA 8/6 and then filling it by 8/16 and holding through 9/1 producing weak west anomalies at times in pockets in the KWGA but mostly east anomalies to hold in the KWGA. A weak Inactive Phase is forecast traversing the Pacific 8/23-9/20 with another bout of east anomalies firmly controlling the KWGA and filling the whole equatorial Pacific and strong over the East Pacific. A strong Active Phase of the MJO is forecast 9/10 through the end of the model run on 11/2 with west anomalies strong in the far West KWGA, but with east anomalies filling the eastern half of the KWGA extending east into Ecuador. The low pass filter indicates a high pressure bias is in control over the dateline today and is to steadily build in coverage through the end of the model run with a second contour setting up on 8/21 and a third one starting 9/14 and with the high pressure bias filling the bulk of the equatorial Pacific on 8/11 and not giving up any ground over the length of the model run. A single contour low pressure bias is to appear over the Indian Ocean starting 8/10 with now a second contour line appearing on 10/3 building in coverage through the end of the model run. East anomalies that have been previously solid in the Indian Ocean are almost complete migrating east into the West Pacific today and are to set up on the dateline and points east of there by 8/18 and then building and filling in over that entire area for the foreseeable future. Based on this model it appears a transition towards La Nina is occurring.

CFSv2 3 month forecast for 850 mb winds, MJO, Rossby etc - Alternate link

Subsurface Waters Temps
TAO Array: (8/5) Today in the far West Pacific the 30 deg isotherm was gone. The 29 deg isotherm has retrograded at 168E today. The 28 deg isotherm line was tracking east to 168W today. The 24 deg isotherm was retrograding west to 120W. Anomaly wise, warm anomalies 0-1 deg C were in one pocket in the far West Pacific reaching east to 169W with another pocket at +1 deg between 100W to 133W. A river of generally cooler temps were tracking west to east down at 150m traversing the width of the equatorial Pacific. Embedded in that was a pocket of cooler anomalies at -2 degs located between 125W-170W today and bubbling up to the surface there. It appears a conveyor belt of cool water (Cold water Kelvin Waves) was in effect. The hi-res GODAS animation posted 8/1 indicates the same thing with a cool water bubble at depth in the far east erupting to the surface between 100W to 80W at -3 degs C. Another larger subsurface cool bubble was in-flight to the east at 145W stretch from 180W to 125W and reaching the surface there. A thin wall of warm water was between the 2 cool bubbles. Yet a third cool bubble was building in the far west at 140E. In effect a river of cool water was at depth under the entirety of the equatorial Pacific 150m tracking east. The GODAS animation appears to be 1 week behind the TAO data but also is more detailed and accurately modeled.
Sea Level Anomalies: (8/1) Negative anomalies at -5 to -10 cms were showing signs of rebuilding over the bulk of the equatorial Pacific from the dateline eastward. Neutral anomalies were west of there to 160E. Negative anomalies were along and down the coast of Peru and up the coast of Central America to mainland Mexico but weaker than days and week past at only -5 cms. But, no positive anomalies were over the equatorial Pacific either, except west of 160E.

Surface Water Temps
The more warm water in the equatorial East Pacific means more storm production in the North Pacific during winter months (roughly speaking). Cold water in that area has a dampening effect. Regardless of what the atmospheric models and surface winds suggest, actual water temperatures are a ground-truth indicator of what is occurring in the ocean. All data is from blended infrared and microwave sensors.
Satellite Imagery
Hi-res Nino1.2 & 3.4: (8/4) The latest images indicate cold water was holding along Peru tracking northwest while building over and off Ecuador tracking west on the equator weakening some west of the Galapagos then rebuilding at 130W and solid out to the dateline looking like the standard La Nina signature. The stream was steady today. Cool anomalies were along the coast of Chile up into Peru turning decidedly cooler and appearing to be feeding the cool stream. Warm water was off Central America reaching west to the dateline but only north of the equator, remnants of a fading El Nino like pattern. Overall the cool pool on the equator was unmistakable and starting to show signs of weak rebuilding after previously being stalled.
Hi-res 7 day Trend (8/4): Pockets of cooling water were in-place from the Galapagos extending west on the equator out to 160W. A cooling trend appears to be building in the equatorial Central Pacific. There were some small pockets of warming interspersed. The short term trend is looking like development of a large scale cooling trend.
Hi-res Overview: (8/4) A stream of cool water is entrenched along the coast of Peru lifting northwest to the equator from Ecuador west to the dateline and building over the entire region. Warmer than normal temps were stable north of the equator with cooler than normal water building on and south of the equator out to the dateline. Overall the data suggests a building La Nina like pattern.
Nino1.2 Daily CDAS Index Temps: (8/5) Today's temps were steady at -1.647, after being previously down to -1.970 on 7/17. Temps have been dropping steadily since March 26. Overall the trend is towards cooling after having previously been in a warmer range at +0.6 degs between 2/25-3/26.
Nino 3.4 Daily CDAS Index Temps: (8/5) Temps were falling today down to -0.380 after being neutral the past 4 weeks 6/27-7/25. Previously temps were rising the last previous 3 weeks after bottoming out down at -0.595 on 5/27. Overall the trend was warming but now appears to be in a decline.

CFSV2 Forecast for Nino3.4 Sea Surface Temp (SST) Anomalies & Current SST Anomalies

SST Anomaly Projections
CFSv2 Uncorrected Data (8/5) Actual temperatures were in the +0.65 deg range early this years through March, then started falling down to -0.20 in late-May before stabilized there through late June. The forecast depicts temps starting a precipitous fall on July 1, down to -0.50 in late July, continuing down reaching -1.00 on Oct 1 and dropping to -1.05 through mid Dec, then starting to rebound reaching at neutral on April 1. According to this model sea surface temps should have been falling strongly starting July 1 moving towards La Nina as Summer progressed. But in reality temps didn't start falling in Nino 3.4 until 8/1. For the model to verify, in October some dramatic cooling is going to have to happen soon. Given this situation, we think the dynamic models might be overstating the magnitude of the coming cooling trend for the equatorial Pacific.
IRI Consensus Plume: The July 19, 2020 Plume depicts temps are at -0.42 degs, and are to fall into Oct to -0.55 degs then moderating and starting to rise some to -0.35 by Jan 2021 and then neutral by March. The low outlier is a dynamic models (NASA GMAO). But a good plethora of models are now suggesting a developing solid La Nina. See chart here - link.

Atmospheric Coupling (Indicating the presence of El Nino in the atmosphere driven by the ocean):
Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) (negative is good, positive bad) (8/5): The daily index was rising today at 13.84. The 30 day average was rising at +3.38. The 90 day average was rising to -0.57, suggesting a neutral ENSO pattern was in control.
ESPI Index (like SOI but based on satellite confirmed precipitation. Positive and/or rising is good, negative and/or falling is bad): June -0.67, May -0.46, April 2020 -0.69, March -0.09, Feb +0.65, Jan +0.42, This index was steady positive Aug 2018 through Feb 2020, and now is steady negative, but only weakly so.

Pacific Decadal Oscillation
Per NOAAs index recent values: Jan 2018 +0.29, Feb -0.19, Mar -0.61, April -0.89, May -0.69, June -0.85, July -0.09, Aug -0.43, Sept -0.46, Oct -0.75, Nov -0.78, Dec -0.12, Jan 2019 -0.18, Feb -0.50 Mar -0.23, April +0.10, May +0.14, June -0.11, July +0.44, Aug -0.14, Sept +0.05, Oct -0.96, Nov -0.28, Dec +0.01, Jan 2020 -1.17, This continues to look like the warm phase of the PDO. No consistently solid negative readings have occurred since Feb 2014
The Washington/JISAO index (Jan-Dec): Jan 2018 +0.70. Feb +0.37, Mar -0.05, April +0.11, May +0.11, June -0.04, July +0.11, Aug +0.18, Sept +0.09. No real negative readings have occurred since Dec 2013
The PDO turned from a 16 year negative run (Jan 98-Feb 2014) in early 2014 and has been positive ever since (other than a few months of negative readings in Fall 2016, the result of a turn towards La Nina). Looking at the long term record, it is premature to conclude that we have in-fact turned from the negative phase (La Nina 'like') to the positive phase (El Nino 'like'), but the data strongly suggests that could be a possibility. By the time it is confirmed (4-5 years out), we will be well into it.

See imagery in the ENSO Powertool 

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External Reference Material: El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), Kelvin Wave

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Powerlinessurf

Jeff Clark

Inside Mavericks

Local Interest

Stormsurf Video Surf Forecast for the week starting Sunday (8/2):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4t59esqDc0&feature=youtu.be&hd=1
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NBC News - Climate Change and Surfing: https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/climate-change-good-surfing-other-sports-not-so-much-ncna1017131

Stormsurf and Mavericks on HBO Sports with Bryant Gumbel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luQSYf5sKjQ

Mavericks Invitational Pieces Featuring Stormsurf:
http://www.bloomberg.com/video/how-to-predict-the-best-surfing-waves-EsNiR~0xR5yXGOlOq2MqfA.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/surfs-up-for-mavericks-invitational-in-calif/

Time Zone Converter By popular demand we've built and easy to use time convert that transposes GMT time to whatever time zone you are located. It's ion left hand column on every page on the site near the link to the swell calculator.

Surf Height-Swell Height Correlation Table