Swells are likely to linger this summer

“Surf’s up!” has been the cry since a series of swells began pounding Southland beaches in early April, and wave riders can expect more of the same through June.

A smaller ice pack off Antarctica means winds blow over more ocean. Meanwhile, tropical air from the north mixing into the developing storm cycle is creating stronger winds, which generate bigger waves.

“When it’s winter Down Under, the ice pack [builds] off Antarctica and the wind blowing over the ice will not generate waves. It’s like blowing over concrete,” explained Sean Collins, the forecasting guru for Surfline.com.

The phenomenon is not that unusual, Collins said. What is unusual is a relative lack of strong westerly winds recently in the Eastern Pacific, enabling a rapid warming of sea surface temperatures. This is expected to result in less coastal fog locally and more hurricanes off Mexico, which should produce more big waves this summer.

“We could have one of those really good years we get every now and then,” Collins said.

-- Pete Thomas