7:15 am:  Slightly smaller but still plenty of swell early on this Wednesday morning.   Waver size 2-3 feet with some occasional larger set waves. The wind is very light E onshore early and expected to be E at 5-10 knots today according to the  marine forecast .   Our local buoy is currently reading 4.3 feet at 10 seconds down in size from yesterdays 5.9 feet at 11 second.  The water temperature is measured offshore at 66.9 degrees early this morning.  It’s likly cooler along the breach, estimated at 64 degrees this morning.  You can see the ocean live by viewing The Surf Station Cam Page here.

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7:40 am:  Early morning photos are up box #1 and on second look it appears as though the wind has picked up some so it’s choppier than at the crack of dawn.   Waves look in the waist to rib high range, with likely some bigger peaks.   Looks like waves all day again today, and the big question is if the wind will pick up, or lay down.   What it does will determine how good, or bad, the surf is today…

The strong/prolonged onshore flow last week, combined with an open Atlantic Ocean low east of the Bahamas, built a significant combo swell that will linger the first half of the work week. Warmer weather with more sun and light local wind bodes well for cleaner conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday. Looking way ahead, Dean extended the Surf Station Surf Forecast through Christmas Day, making a long shot gander at the possibility of a hyper-long period ground swell (with offshore wind) at the start of the New Year.

Here is a good link to accurately track real-time, near-shore wave height/period/direction and water temperature just off the NE Florida coast: the Fernandina Beach buoy. Located upstream (to the north) and closer to the coast than the St. Augustine buoy, it’s a good indicator of fluctuations in NE Florida surf conditions influenced by winter cold fronts. Here is an overview of a large-scale, real-time wind map to track the shifting winds associated with the fronts and lows that produce our waves.