HALEIWA, Oahu/Hawaii (Thursday, November 21, 2013) - The waiting period for the Reef Hawaiian Pro has officially been extended one extra day to accommodate the current flat spell and capitalize on optimal conditions to crown the winner of the first jewel of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. While a new swell is expected to fill in throughout the afternoon on Saturday, the final day of the waiting period, the optimal surf conditions projected for Sunday, November 24, have driven event organizers to request an extended window for Haleiwa.
Surfline, official forecasters for the Vans Triple Crown, have given an updated forecast for this year’s Reef Hawaiian Pro and the opening window of the Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach.
BRIEF OVERVIEW: Basically flat with traces for Haleiwa through Saturday morning. New NW shifting NNW swell is expected to slowly build over Saturday (mainly over the afternoon), topping out late at night and into Sunday. Watching for waist high+ sets to show for Haleiwa before dark on Saturday, then waist-shoulder high+ on Sunday with ENE Trades.
THURSDAY 21st
SWELL/SURF: Flat with NW traces. WIND: Calm to very light/variable wind (possible light seabreeze developing in the afternoon). Mostly cloudy skies with good chance for passing rain showers.
FRIDAY 22nd
SWELL/SURF: Flat with NW traces. WIND: Calm to very light/variable wind early, before a light becoming moderate northerly breeze gradually rises up through the day. Partly to mostly cloudy skies.
SATURDAY 23rd: Minimal most of the day – BIGGEST LATE SWELL/SURF: Flat with NW traces through the morning. New NW shifting NNW swell slowly builds in over the afternoon and into the night. Sets gradually pick up to waist high to possibly inconsistent belly-chest high waves/peaks before dark at Haleiwa. WIND: Moderate to breezy NE’erly trade wind. Partly cloudy skies.
SUNDAY 24th: BEST DAY SWELL/SURF: NW shifting NNW swell holds through most of the day, offering waist-chest occasional shoulder high+ sets at Haleiwa. Swell starts to ease late. WIND: Moderate to breezy ENE trade wind. Partly cloudy skies.
MONDAY 25th: SUNSET WAITING PERIOD SWELL/SURF: Easing NNW swell. Biggest early with chest-head high occasional overhead sets at Sunset. Possible new NW swell starts to build in over the afternoon and into Tuesday. WIND: Moderate easterly Trades. Partly cloudy skies.
SWELL/SURF OUTLOOK
Thanks to a modest storm that recently developed over the central North Pacific, a better pulse of mid period NW shifting NNW swell (325-350°) will build in over Saturday (mainly over the PM), topping out late at night and into Sunday. Good to have the extension, as Saturday will remain minimal through much of the day, with only waist high+ sets picking up before dark. On Sunday, surf will hang mainly around the waist-chest high zone for Haleiwa, with occasional sets/peaks hitting shoulder high+. Conditions on Sunday will be fairly clean with ENE Trades.
Looking further out for Sunset: We’ll be watching for another storm to develop off Japan and track across the Northwest Pacific over the next couple days. This one is not looking all that strong either, but it may be good enough to deliver a similar size pulse of NW swell (300-330 deg) that will build in over Monday the 25th and into Tuesday the 26th. Again, stay tuned, still pending development.
Beyond that; long charts indicate that more sporadic lows may develop throughout the western half of the NPAC through the next several days. Again, none of these are looking stellar, but things can certainly change for the better (hopefully), as they are still many days out from even developing.
WIND/WEATHER
The front currently hanging over the central NPAC will pull out over Friday, while high pressure builds in behind it for the weekend. Look for moderate to breezy NE Trades on Saturday, veering ENE for Sunday. Then moderate easterly trade winds continue through Mon/Tues, before possibly another front approaches the region around mid week, leading to slack Trades at that time.
