Dolly Surf Synopsis
So what have I learned from Hurricane Dolly? A lot! First and foremost is not to focus so much on the wave models as a storm enters the southern Gulf of Mexico. The swell started on Tuesday afternoon. That was quite a bit earlier than anyone forecasted but the swell was expected. The window of good surf didn’t last very long up north around say Upham Beach and Treasure Island but it did stay pretty good and consistent down south around Sarasota and Venice. The storm was at around 60mph maximum sustained winds (msw) when it made landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula on Monday and as it exited it grew to 70mph. That 70mph wind is what I am basing our swell upon. Approximate stats:
Surf Report 7/12/08
Upham Beach 9:35am: Flat still today, something on the horizion on the Gulf but it may be too late for the weekend. I am thinking a shot at surf Monday through Wednesday. Will update later.
East Coast: Big, clean swell from Bertha, forecast looks good for surf over the next couple of weeks. Another major tropical system expected in the Atlantic next week. Keep an eye on the wave models.