I'm trying to learn about waves. Just when I think I have it figured out though, I look at swellinfo.com and I'm completely wrong. Or, worse yet, I go to the g-townsurf webcam and I see the exact opposite of what I think I will see. Sometimes, I listen to the weather forecast and based on the wind direction and speeds they give, I predict what the waves will be. Occasionally I'm right, but many times I'm wrong. Of course, I shouldn't feel too bad since most weathermen/weatherwomen can't always predict the weather and they've gone to school for years. My surf buddy/guru Brian has the best record for waves so far. Sometimes, when I look at swellinfo or g-townsurf, Brian will call and say to come down even though I don't think things look good. He's often right. Of course, that's when he is standing and looking at the beach. So, I guess that doesn't take much prediction. However, there are times when he'll say something like, "I think the high pressure is going to move west Saturday, and that'll make the waves nice Sunday." He says this after the others predict lousy waves. I trust him though, and he's right 90 percent of the time. After all, he's been surfing Galveston for a very long time.
I've started watching the weather forecasts differently. For instance, I know that southwest winds are messy for the waves usually depending on how hard they are blowing. If they're over 15 mph, it will definitely be a mess. A north wind (like one that most times comes in the winter) that comes in gently can bring some of the most beautiful waves. If they're too strong, it'll flatten the waves. The same with a straight south wind. Southeast winds can bring waves that aren't completely consistent, but are at least surfable. But, like I said, all of this can be wrong on any given day for no reason. Go figure.
I think I'll just wait until I get a call from Brian, or any of my other surfing friends, who happen to be looking at the waves.
