Glassy conditions, small or weak swell (1m @ 10s), tide is on.
Swell
Wind
Wind 4 km/h NW Swell SE— Spot faces S
Wind makes or breaks it, bru. Offshore (blowing land to sea) grooms the faces clean and glassy — lukka. Onshore chops it all into mush. Under about 10 km/h it hardly matters — basically glass.Wind↓4 km/h NWGlassy
Size @ period, plus where it's from. Period is the secret, boet: 12s+ is proper groundswell — organised lines with real punch. Under 10s is local windswell that folds quick. Same size, longer period = way more klap.Swell↓1m @ 10s SE≈ 2ft face
Size and period smashed into one number — the real 'is it worth it?' gauge, ekse.< 40 kJ basically flat40–100 small100–180 fun180–450 solid — punchy450+ heavy — vy with respectLong period klaps way harder than the same size at short period. See 'Swell shadow'? A headland or bay is blocking part of the swell — the number here is what actually reaches the spot, the offshore one is what's out at sea.Energy42 kJ
Swell shadow · 53 kJ offshore
Small
2nd Swell↓0.6m @ 12s S
Pushing in or draining out, and when it turns. Most banks have a favourite tide — right tide and the spot comes alive, wrong tide and it goes fat or dumpy. Time your session, china.TideMid / Falling — Low in 1h 30m
Water15°C · 4/3 + boots
UV IndexLow — just a touch of sunscreen.
Cold water (15°C) — 4/3 + boots
Don't overreach your paddle stroke — you're not grabbing for the Holy Grail. Short, deep, close to the rail.
