Surfing Waves

Okay, now how do you all know which days to go surfing? I wake up at 7:00 AM and go straight to the beach, but I am mostly dissapointed by seeing the ocean to be as flat as a swimming pool. On days like these I will see no other surfers. On days where the waves are great, there will be at least 15 other surfers. How do they all know when the waves will be big? Do they wake up every single morning at the crack of dawn, and go to the beach to check out the waves? They just seem to know some how. Anyways I check out a local surf report constantly, but it is never accurate. Any suggestions?

i feel special - the first one to vote

i check the reports from work usually - to see the surf that i am missing i suppose. i have a 1 hr drive to the beach though - so the reports are helpful/unreliable.

usually rather than a report i will call local friends who let me know if the drive is worth it. in summer days i will go anyways - if there is no surf there is always beach vollyball or something to do there.

I check the surfcams, surf reports, swell prediction charts, wind prediction charts, pressure prediction charts, wave buoys for real time data on swell and wind strength and direction - and then just cross reference the lot - usually only to find nothing surfable !

Unfortunately the beach is so far away that I have to take my board & gear whenever I go.

I check the swell forecast pages, wind and wave charts, the web cams, the weather forecasts for weeks before I go, then end up thrashing about in 1/2 - 1ft of surf just because I haven't been in ages!!

I make my own...

The last time I checked the report and changed my plans due to the information in the report I was in CR on the pacific side catchin head high surf. The report said it was 8' to 12' on the Carib side took a five hour drive and it was flat. Then took a $250.00 boat ride with a local guide that said he knows where it's breaking on an Island off Panama-flat! I am done with reports and guides.

I get up in the morning and head to the beach -- 15 minutes. The board and gear are in the truck.

If the surf is no good I watch waves, people, walk on the beach. If it's good, I surf. Either way, I'm on the beach. No surf report is going to change that.