How much attention do you pay to the LJ webcam?
 

Right now the LJ buoy (Scripps Pier) is reporting 4 ft swells, (well above my tolerance for a beach launch), but on the LJ webcam it looks like ankle slappers. Which do you pay more attention to?

The LJ camera really shows a filter version of what's out there due to the cliff and shore break, wind direction blocking by these cliff and mountain. Once you get out there pass these cliff and protecting barriers your open to mother nature fury and you'll see those 4 feet swells, high winds. I witness the high winds and swells picking up while fishing out there. Once you get inside and close to the launch, the swells and winds dies down. Feel free to correct me experts.

I pick my days .....

Swell chart first, then beach cam, wind, moon phase, ...........

The Shores launch is always smaller by far than most anywhere else. Its a fact. The only time its big is if theres local windswell and in that case you probably wont want to be out in it anyway and youll know it beforehand. So the lj cam is not used as a basis to judge go/no go ever.

I've never even looked at the launch web. The buoy is out off the canyon and will show bigger waves than will typically break at the pier. And the shores is almost all ways smaller than at the pier. Wind is a bigger deal for me. Swells are only stressful at the launch n land but wind can make your day miserable. Mike

LJ Cove?
 

Are you permitted to launch out of LJ Cove? It looks to be the most sheltered spot, as long as you don't mind the stairs and parking.

I don't think you can launch from the Cove.

On Monday Scripps was 6-7 feet. White water everywhere by the Cove but the launch area was 2 feet. Very protected area most days. I have seen this happen many times now.

Cam doesnt convince me of going one way or the other. And most surf forecasts are a joke too. Surfline is the least inaccurate from what I have noticed. Ill give you an example: Magic Sea Weed is garbage for our launch. The wave height is for the pier. Said 5-8ft for last sunday when I went out, high surf advisories all over the place, and the waves at the launch were less than 2. I would say on any given day, launching la jolla shores is pretty cake. Once in a blue moon we get a certain direction swell that hits la jolla shores, but ive gone through 4-5 on my outback and as long as you time it, leash everything down just in case, you will be ok. Wouldnt ever stop me from fishing a hot bite. Ive never been to the launch and turned around to fish elsewhere or go home.


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You must be a young guy. I am spoiled and old so only pick primo days to go. Ha!

With a bit of experience, you can guess the immediate conditions by checking the webcam. The launch area has the smallest surf around, if the waves there are one foot, the pier is about three feet and anyplace else is probably about five feet. Big surf days at the Shores are rare. Kayakers can describe the waves there as "huge", most surfers would say 2-3'. You can tell if it's high or low tide, check the wind conditions and tell by the crowd if it's a weekend or not.

A tide book and basic marine forecast are as good as any surf forecasting websites when you learn how the ocean works.

Since I don't live in SD any longer, I check the webcam from time to time because I don't want to look out my window and see if my truck is buried in snow.

I've heard that swell direction and interval are important. What are those?

Someone told me the best conditions to launch from the Shores are when there is a really short interval swell from the NW.... does that sound right? :grouphug:

Someone is pulling your leg.

Coming from someone who has surfed since age 5-6, I would recommend some reading on interval, bathymetry and wave height. La Jolla is unique in that it is sheltered from a lot of swell when the immediate area is relatively not. The bathymetry is pretty nil proven by the difference between a 0' tide and a 6' tide is like a 100 yard walk, not much going on there (usuallly equates to rolling crumbly waves). Growing up surfing, this is something I can asses in a matter of walking out once or watching the cam a few times from high to low tide.

In any activity, I am always blown away by how the google age has people wanting all the knowledge in the form a one liner (not insinuating you expected that). The best thing to do is to get out and get out often. You can't catch fish from your keyboard.

Good luck

Boom x2 ... Don't over think it. Light winds? Go fishing. Just time your launches.

Ha! Coming from a guy who has a BIG ASS telescope that looks down on the shores and can see a bite from his office!!!! Jim

There was a time I would just go, didn't know about the camera, didn't know about the on-line surf forecasts - now I have all this data and suffer the paralysis by analysis.

True that. I remember I used to check the surf report in the morning paper and I am only 33 or wait, 34??? Hmmm........

There was no information technology.