Surfline.com issue

[Zooport]

While the surf forecasts are good, I have noticed that the SoCal surf spot coverage at Surfline is not as good as it was in years past.  I think they no longer have someone driving to the spots and reporting from what they see at each break, because their spot reports are very general and are often wrong!

Case in point, I was surfing straight out from my house this morning in west Newport, and we had a moderate south wind slopping up the conditions.   It was really bumpy, ridable but kind of lame.  Got home and checked the report for that area and they said the conditions were clean and fair.  Not exactly accurate.

Anyone else have the same experience in your area?

[Caribsurf]

agree with you 100%.  whenever cameras are down in Florida or Maine, they fail to post a specific report for that location which tells me they aren't checking it in person.  I am sure most of these surf reporters are lazy and just look at the cameras and use buoy readings etc...

[madmax]

I'm inland north central FL.  Ponce Inlet or Flagler Beach are our breaks.  My buddy has subscribed for years.  I do better forecasting on my own and using the small independent shops for getting the good days. By the time the report comes out we're either in the water or not going.

[Old School 213]

Zoo,

I think part of that was Sean Collins. If I am correct he lived in Seal and drove to the Surfline office in HB every day. I would not have been surprised to see him ducking in and checking Anderson Street, Bolsa, etc. on the way down.

West Newport is an odd area to get a great report since you really can see the surf from the bridges but as you get closer to Brookhurst you can't even see the surf from PCH and not really even the parking lot. It really stays like that until you're at the south side of the pier.

Plus, it's Surflie. If it was accurate what would we have to bitch about?!??  (For those that take my posts too seriously - this is a joke.)

[Zooport]

Zoo,

I think part of that was Sean Collins. If I am correct he lived in Seal and drove to the Surfline office in HB every day. I would not have been surprised to see him ducking in and checking Anderson Street, Bolsa, etc. on the way down.

West Newport is an odd area to get a great report since you really can see the surf from the bridges but as you get closer to Brookhurst you can't even see the surf from PCH and not really even the parking lot. It really stays like that until you're at the south side of the pier.

Plus, it's Surflie. If it was accurate what would we have to bitch about?!??  (For those that take my posts too seriously - this is a joke.)

That makes sense because the HB spot reports are usually right on. 

[supdiscobay]

Same with Santa Cruz. You could tell by the description that someone actually looked at the break.  No personal touch anymore.

[Sup-position]

Got to the Spot and it was still dark.
Felt some mild wind..
Couldn't really see if it was working..
Just some crumbles in the dark.

We Hit it and the wind died almost right away and the tide bottomed.
There was about 40 minutes of really consistent head high peaks that were throwing..
We all got a bunch..

Then the tide started to rise and things got wonky and eventually shut down..

Out of the water before 8..

So as far as reports go.. if you didn't see it then it didn't happen...

[RATbeachrider]

Don't trust SurfLIES other than for the camera.  I do my own forecast based on the data readily available on line.

[JayInSoCal]

I noticed last week that the tides were way off on Surfline.  They also had DoHo listed as "Fair to Good" on a WNW swell.  DoHo does not pick up anything other than a SSE-SSW swell, so needless to say the spot report says "fair to good" and the cameras showed an empty lake.

[hbsteve]

This is a repeat topic worth repeating.
Look at the time of the reports.  Surfline covered HB to Doheny in 10 minutes, today.  And the same person did all the reports.  The entire process is done from a computer.   So, it is really a guess looking at a lot of video views for just a few seconds.

[Zooport]

Got to the Spot and it was still dark.
Felt some mild wind..
Couldn't really see if it was working..
Just some crumbles in the dark.

We Hit it and the wind died almost right away and the tide bottomed.
There was about 40 minutes of really consistent head high peaks that were throwing..
We all got a bunch..

Then the tide started to rise and things got wonky and eventually shut down..

Out of the water before 8..

So as far as reports go.. if you didn't see it then it didn't happen...

Arggg! Why didn't I go to Huntington?  Too lazy to drive I guess.

[SlatchJim]

[OUTSIDEWAVE]

yes all the time. I usually check it for tides  and  to get an idea of the wind . I know the kid that used to  check it here in san diego north county.  and he was always outhere early early.

[Zooport]

Surfline was right on in their report today.  Fun, clean waist/shoulder high surf in Newport this morning.  Paid me back for the garbage yesterday! 

[Old School 213]

Just stirring the pot a little. Have any of you ever submitted a report? Looking at the user reports for Golden West and the last user report submitted on 2/19/14. Yes, I know... Why would we want to tell the mongrel hordes how good our special, personal and much loved local spot is?

Would it might look like: 

Epic - Chest high sets, peeling rights/lefts and clean surface conditions and consistent sets every 3-4 minutes. Just beware of the skullett rocking long boarder that'll tell you you're number one. He loves party waves so go ahead and hop right in on that shoulder and share the love!"

-or-

Fair - Inconsistent sets to waist high with lots of warble/chop. Really crowded so if you do get a wave you wont be alone and will have to bail as not to run over grumpy short boarders shortly after your bottom turn.

- or -

Dennis Miller-esque: "Abominal! I've seen bigger bumps at Bobby & Whitney's on a Tuesday night and surface texture like Edward James Olmos face.