Early Forecast: WSL Finals
WSL Finals
Trestles, California
September 6th - 14th (one day)
Trestles has an immense swell window swell. At its furthest extent it reaches below New Zealand, and it often receives swells with a ten-day travel time. The better swells originate deep in the South Pacific, which means that even though the start date for the WSL Finals is ten days away, we can get a pretty good idea of what surfers can expect.
The initial outlook is quite slow, with no major storm activity due to develop in the South Pacific over the coming week and a half.
The best swell producer is already starting to take shape, with a small low positioned east of New Zealand and south of Tahiti forecast to generate a small fetch of gales, followed by a secondary re-intensification, projecting favourably northwards towards California though with a bit less strength - see image below.
This should create a pulse of mid-period south-southwest swell that’s due to arrive on the first day of the waiting period, providing inconsistent head-high sets. The swell will ease into day two.
Following this, there's one further storm to keep an eye on, that being a strong polar low forming late and in the eastern periphery of Trestles' swell window. If it develops as per current forecast it'll provide a long-period and acutely south swell through the middle of the waiting period, peaking on the 9th.
At present this swell appears very slow - the swell hitting on Day One will be more favourable - but as always we'll keep an eye on it.
Current rankings leaders, John John, at left, and Caity Simmers
Trestles can also get close range swells from the hurricane belt that extends west of Mexico and Central America, however it's currently idle and is poised to remain so during the waiting period.
With a meagre outlook, organisers will be inclined to get things under way on the opening day of the waiting period, unless there’s a further upgrade in size of the swell due around the 9th.
Comments
Given its trestles does it ever get 6 - 8 ft overhead barrels and grinding walls. I have never surfer or seen it anywhere near full double overhead and firing.
Not sure if it really tubes,
Fun waves , very organized, super crowded, held down by a majority of the 70000 San Clemente residents.
First day of the waiting period... last year they didn't even have all the signs and banners fully up.
Some one bogged the grade all. Sand past the axels.
Probably best to run it on the first day, get it over and done with as quickly as possible, then maybe we can move back to a better format that the surfers and fans can actually appreciate ???
i wish there was a way to go back to the old format but still keep the current finals day format for something else it makes for good viewing. maybe they could make a new triple crown where the top 5 battle it out over at the northshore
so the world champ will be decided in slow but fun head high walls. what a joke
Spot on.
Little Flippy will be seeeeeeething!!!
If he is, then I'm sure moving the finals away from Trestles would be a big part of it.
He only had to make the top 5 this year and he still would've been a short priced favourite.
Filipe to get the wildcard!!!
lol yes true. imagine
Yikes.
Sept 6 in Cali is Sat morning in Oz? Poifek.
get this dirty Trestles finals business out of the way pronto and we can start looking forward to Hawaii and discussing Kelly's wildcards and parental responsibilities.
But with only five months till Pipeline how will we fit it all in?
ha! yeah, that's too long.
What responsibilities? Coaching?
Shit Craig - hope there not listening to Surflines official forecast - They got it horribly wrong in the olympics remember (luckily for them for the better I might add) as it fully pumped and they didn't see that coming at all!
This forey doesn't bode well.. Are you forecasting for the WSL for finals Craigos..??
Inconsistent and small favours Griff.
Italo
Yeah, maybe, depends on if judges pay the lefts.
You can't feel too sorry for the Woz. By choosing Trestles they are on a hiding to nothing when it comes to the fans. Final day Cloudy might look pretty good compared with head high trestles.
Wild call but pondi would be better place to hold it than trestles, world class wave it's not and is a yesteryear fat hander at best. Oath gabby shits on griff btw lol, no YouTube linked added sorry
Shame it's not at Cloudbreak this year....looks like a decent large swell inbound there next week while Trestles dribbles on.
Jjf $1.75
Griff $3.60
Jack Robo $9.50
Ethan Ewing $11
Italo $14
some interesting odds.
I like the Ethan and Griff odds especially.
Caity looks better than jff in those two photos
Diff wave obvio, but she's a stylish surfer for sure
Such a mental turn I agree. can’t wait to see how she goes with a few more years under her belt.
It will be an asterix no world title year for John, if he doesn't win. Asterix due to trestles location...
Completely shit format and totally shit way to finish...
Isn't this meant to be a surfing world title situation?
Hey Craig, have you got any recommendations for reliable forecasters for California central coast? I’ll be living in SLO for a few months and don’t think I can bring myself to start using s***line
Hmm, tricky one. Not sure unfortunately.
Any updates Craig?
No changes to the outlook. Slow 2-3ft sets both opening and second day of the waiting period with nothing to follow up. They'll run one of these days.
Thx mate
Geez that's a grim forey, Craigos.
saw a few waves of JJF surfing at trestles this week in what i would imagine similar conditions, he didn't look great and never has in small weak waves. Italo for the win
Surely you'd just call it what it is and say that the waves look crap, we're going to move the waiting period back 2 weeks hoping for something better.
Right, so looks like it could be east coast Oz 1am Sat morning kick off, if they run day 1?
Quick scan at the the Cloudbreak forecast for Sep 6th-14th and they would run finals day on day one, Sep 6th looks 6-8ft and SE trades. Same swell that is hitting Victoria at the moment #youcantscriptthis.