.

7:15 am: Still cool early this morning, but not feeling quite as bone-chilling as yesterday early. The waves are looking to have better form and are in the 1 to 2 foot range. Our local winds are currently blowing out of the WNW @ just 5 knots. Those light side shore winds are allowing for some cleaner conditions but our marine forecast is calling for those winds to switch more out of the SE and increase to 10 to 15 knots. Our local buoy is currently reading 3.3 feet @ 9 seconds, down from yesterday’s early wave height readings of 5.9 feet @ 6 seconds. Overall, there may be a slight decrease in size compared to yesterday, but the conditions look to have improved. You can see the ocean live by viewing The Surf Station Cam Page here.

.

.

.

12:15 pm: It looks like there may have been a little increase in the waves midday, or at least some more consistent waves than we were seeing this morning. The waves are looking to be in the 1 to 2 foot range with occasionally larger sets. Our local buoy has held at 3.3 feet and our local winds are still fairly light blowing out of the NNE @ about 10 knots. It’s looking fairly organized with just a bit of surface texture, but it’s definitely rideable if you don’t mind the cold. We just had a low tide pass just after 11 this morning, so there may be a bit of a push as our next high tide approaches.

.

.

Since it’s dang cold outside and more cold fronts are on the way, how about the winter jackets NOW on sale?!  Check it out as we have you covered!  Buy in store or online.  You can even buy online and pick up in store.

.

.

Dean’s Surf Station Surf Forecast calls for surf to remain rideable (best size south areas) based on the progression of cold fronts. Friday will see a milder day with the residual mixed direction/period swell cleaning up some with lighter wind, eventually beaten down by the wind clocking hard offshore and increasing from the west on Saturday ahead of a yet another strong cold front.

Here is a good link to track 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.