Surf Prescriptions: How are Swells Generated?

Aloha, as I return from a lengthy trip to parts unknown to the average surfer I realize that it is time for the big change. Not a big change in me but a big change in the surf conditions here in Hawaii. Every year, around the end of April, the direction from which the waves come to our shores changes from the north to the south. As I fly in on my early morning arrival to Honolulu I can see waves breaking out off of the south shore and I can see surfers out there doing exactly what I would rather be doing…….summer time is finally here.

As the globe rotates more on its axis and approach warmer weather, as if it is really ever cold here in Hawaii, the storm systems in the northern hemisphere subside while the storm activity begins raging at a fevered pitch in the far southern hemisphere. Storms in the north Pacific become virtually nonexistent while storms far south in places near New Zealand and Antarctica rage out of control. These storm systems are what create the true "wave producing" swells that make our surf worth the time. Waves are produced from the storms and there is nothing more than open ocean, along with a few island groups, between the far south and the south shore of Hawaii. The waves gain size and momentum while approaching and once they arrive, we are truly blessed with solid "South Pacific" juice.

Once a storm is generated in the far southern extremes and the waves are sent out, it usually takes about four to seven days for the swells to arrive here. You will notice that when a swell comes alone, with no additional swell following, it will usually last about 3 days. The first day the swell seems to be a bit less organized, day two the swell generally cleans up and actually shows larger and cleaner conditions, then on day three the swell begins to subside. When several storms occur back to back, we receive days and days of swell activity.

Some surfers, obviously those with a little extra cash and time on their hands, can track these storm swells and actually follow the waves from location to location. A good friend of mine, a few years ago, saw that there was a huge Antarctic storm brewing and wanted to do exactly that. He jumped a plane to Tahiti and waited only to be rewarded with excellent waves for two days. He then flew back to Honolulu and caught the same swell as it approached the islands. Two days later, he flew to the west coast of California and surfed there for two days un in the central coast area. Now, most of us would think it would be over by then but…..not true. This dude then winged on up to Alaska and chartered a boat to take him out to remote locations for two days of frigid but uncrowded surf in the far north. So, for over a week, this guy surfed the same waves all over the Pacific…….must be nice to be able to do that.

The average military surfer will never be able to pursue this type of surf session, but it is good to know where the waves come from. Any disturbance out in the ocean can generate a swell. My advice, pay close attention to the weather. Don't watch just the local weather, pay attention to storms in far off places and look at a map. Imagine how the waves gain energy as they travel thousands of miles across the ocean undisturbed and you will begin to understand more about why we have some of the best waves in the world…..right here in our own back yard…….Aloha, I'm going surfing.