Catalina Conditions "Perma-thread"

So I wanted to contribute something to this board, since the "other" one just gets way too many views by non-members. This is a "permanent" thread meant to help those who want the heads up on the conditions here on Catalina before they head out to sea. Please feel free to update this thread as needed, and while you don't need to give any specific spots out, just give a general area (i.e. Frontside, Backside etc.). I figure there are plenty of people who have the means to get out here on a good day, but if not so good, it may save them some fuel or help to avoid some potentially dangerous conditions.

So, as of today, 10-26-11, on the frontside, water seems very calm, with a slight1-3' swell, headed downhill (East towards Avalon). Not sure of temps, but vis seems to be a solid 20', with a possibility of clearer water on the outside. Big tide changes are making for murky conditions near sandy areas, but not so much near the rocky shoreline.

Hope this helps.

Oh, I just wanted to give you the obligatory first pic from Cat, although it's not too recent

Another beautiful, calm morning here on Catalina. Almost zero wind to speak of as I type this. Hopefully it holds up. Flat seas, and kelp is up. If I get a chance, I'll head down to the water and give it a look.

Sorry for the lapse in updates, it's been a long couple of days here on the isthmus. We had a good Halloween, and we're still in the process of cleaning up.

Water has been calm lately, but I think it may be changing rather quickly here. Some serious gale-force winds have been predicted, but have yet to show up here on Cat. The water still looks good, with 20-30' vis, but if the water gets churned up, you can say bye bye to that. Today was one of those morning where on my drive to work, I could see the mainland quite clearly. That usually means there's some serious weather coming. I'll try to keep this updated throughout the next few days, but it's probably a good idea to think twice about making the crossing out here. When the fan turns on, you don't want to be out there.

Stay safe guys/girls.

And now for another oldie but goodie for the masses:

So after the last storm, things seemed to hold up. Conditions are still good, not sure about temps, but I can only assume that they are dropping along with the air temps around here. There's another big storm on the horizon, so hopefully, the same thing happens again. Vis looks good out there right now, between 20-30', and not much swell action. There is a slight downhill bump, but nothing unmanageable. Hope this helps guys

Forgot the obligatory Cat pic...

So it turns out the storm really beat up the frontside. Normally the wind comes from the south, but not last night. It was howling, and raining sideways for a while. If you're planning on coming out, it's probably a good idea to think twice about it. Some serious lumps out there on the water, and the runoff near shore is pretty brown. It won't get you sick, but you won't see much. Might be a good day to work on your gear!

What a difference 24 hours will make. Seas are flat near shore, but the vis is probably going to be crap for a while. Hopefully, it stays calm, and clears up for us. Not sure what the forecast is, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Old Cat pic... (gotta love college girls!)