La Jolla conditions
La Jolla visibility today, Oct 26: a C and a lot of tide
Ten to fourteen feet. Same as yesterday, same as next week. The tide is the story.
The Dive Pro beta model has La Jolla at a C today, Monday, Oct 26. That's 10 to 14 feet of visibility. Not a hero day. Not a skip either.
Here's what's in the water. Two swells. The main one is small and short, about 2 feet from the west at around 8 seconds. Short period means it's closer to chop than to a groundswell. It rolls the sand around instead of passing under you. Below that, a south-southwest pulse, about 1.5 feet at 12 seconds. Longer period, more push on the reef, but at that size it's background noise. Surf tops out around 3.4 feet.
Wind is the afternoon tax. The model has it building to about 13 mph, with gusts near 18. Its best window is early to late morning, before that shows up. Get in early and you're diving the good half of the day.
Now the tide, which is the real story this week. The model sees about 7 feet of range today. That's a lot of water moving in and out of the Cove in one day. The National Weather Service in San Diego has a Coastal Flood Warning running through 1 PM Thursday, Oct 29. Big highs. Low lows.
A big tide swing cuts both ways. The flood can pull cleaner water in from outside. The drain can drag sand and beach murk back across the shallows. Put those together and you get a C. Watch your entry and exit around the high, because the beach gets small fast.
The water is warm. The model's estimate is about 76 degrees, and the buoy it uses reads around 74. For the back half of October, that's a gift.
Rain check. The County put a General Rain Advisory on the La Jolla stations on Oct 23 after last week's rain. Look at the County beach water quality map before you put your face in.
Looking ahead, the model has a C every single day through Nov 3. Flat line. The one thing to circle is Sunday, Nov 1, when it shows a little over an inch of rain. Rain means runoff, and runoff is the opposite of visibility. Plan around it.
This is a beta model. It hasn't been validated yet, so treat the grade as odds, not a promise. If you get in, tell us what you actually saw.