Ready to embark on the Oosterdam tomorrow to the Meixcan Riviera - Weather concerns

[iamwiz82]

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN DIEGO HAS ISSUED A HIGH SURF ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM SATURDAY TO 12 PM PST TUESDAY.

A LARGE WEST TO NORTHWEST SWELL WILL MOVE INTO THE COASTAL WATERS OFF ORANGE AND SAN DIEGO COUNTIES BEGINNING EARLY SATURDAY. THE SWELL WILL INCREASE THOUGH THE WEEKEND. THE SWELL WILL INCREASE SATURDAY TO 5 TO 7 FEET WITH PERIODS OF ABOUT 12 SECONDS. SWELLS WILL THEN CONTINUE TO INCREASE TO 6 TO 8 FEET WITH MAX SETS TO 10 FEET SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. SWELL WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING TO 5 TO 7 FEET.

HIGH TIDES WILL BE AROUND 6 TO 6.5 FEET INTO TUESDAY MORNING. THIS WILL CAUSE BEACH EROSION AND MAY CAUSE SOME LOCAL OVERFLOW INTO LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DEL MAR...CARDIFF...HUNTINGTON BEACH...SEAL BEACH...AND SUNSET BEACH.

SATURDAY......6.0 FEET AT 641 AM. SUNDAY........6.2 FEET AT 716 AM. MONDAY........6.4 FEET AT 751 AM. TUESDAY.......6.5 FEET AT 825 AM.

IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO FISH OR OBSERVE WAVES FROM EXPOSED COASTAL STRUCTURES OR ROCKS DURING HIGH SURF CONDITIONS. VERY LARGE WAVES CAN SUDDENLY SWEEP ACROSS PREVIOUSLY DRY AREAS. SWIMMING OR SURFING IN THESE WAVES MAY BE DANGEROUS FOR ANYONE DUE TO POWERFUL WAVES AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY MEANS THAT HIGH SURF WILL AFFECT BEACHES IN THE ADVISORY AREA...PRODUCING RIP CURRENTS AND LOCALIZED BEACH EROSION.

 

Should we be concerned? Between this and the late embarkation due to code red this is turning into a real adventure :D

 

BTW, the Omni Gas Lamp is an AMAZING hotel!

[Copper10-8]

Just FYI - it's 5:01 PM on Oosterdam and we're heading north along Baja Mexico Norte's coast at about 19 knotts (still south of Ensenada). We are having some increased clouds, a pretty sunset and a very mild "swaying" swell. Capt. van der Waard expects to be alongside San Diego's Cruise Terminal by 0615 tomorrow morning. Hope you will have an excellent cruise as we did!

[sungoddess]

I just got an email from my friend who is the Chief Officer on the Zaandam; they are just leaving San Diego and he said that the weather is supposed to get pretty nasty tonight. However, he didn't seem too worried about it.

[iamwiz82]

I just got an email from my friend who is the Chief Officer on the Zaandam; they are just leaving San Diego and he said that the weather is supposed to get pretty nasty tonight. However, he didn't seem too worried about it.

 

We just heard the Zaandam life boat drill walking back to the hotel. We also got a great look at it from the USS Midway (Highly recommended!)

[duck tune]

DH and I are in San Diego staying in Hotel Circle and going on the cruise tomorrow. My guess is that the seas may be a bit rougher than usual once we clear Point Loma and get into the open seas but it is hard to predict right now. Yesterday it was supposed to rain and never did. Yes, the storm is moving this way but I guess we need to just wait and see. I do not particularly want to be out in the rain during the day as proposed by HAL providing shuttles since we can't embark until 3 p.m. We have no control over what has happened so just relax and look forward to what will be a good cruise.

[Golfette]

Sailed on Oosterdam this past 12/8 just after a storm. There were high surf warnings then too similar to yours. That evening heading out of SD, it was swaying quite a bit, but nothing terrible. We both took Bonine and were fine. Be sure you take your seasick med an hour before the boat sets sail. It was not, ever a "dangerous" situation.

 

Hope you have the best of times:)

[LolaWiz]

Thank you all for the kind words and very helpful advise!

 

It has been cool here in SD today but nice now. Hopefully it won't be too bad weather wise as we are embarking.

 

I cannot wait to meet everyone here!

[RuthC]

Should we be concerned?

Concerned about what? This degree of swell is merely little bumps on the water.

Try 45' seas for some real fun! :eek:

[iamwiz82]

Concerned about what? This degree of swell is merely little bumps on the water.

Try 45' seas for some real fun! :eek:

 

The swells are not a big deal to me. Our record has been 25 foot waves, but my concern is that the coastal flooding will cause us some issues.

[billroddy]

Here is the NOAA satellite weather for the West Coast. The band of stormy weather extends across Southern California as of 0300 GMT, Jan 5. Suggest you bookmark this url and check back when it is updated

Bill

 

http://www.goes.noaa.gov/browsw.html

[Pam in CA]

The rain, wind and high seas are moving southward. Northern CA has been very hard-hit and we're expecting a LOT of rain tomorrow -- in the inches -- and high winds. Wind predictions for SD are 35 mph. The people who were so hard hit by the wildfires last October are now under a mandatory emergency evacuation as it's expected that there will be flooding and mudslides tomorrow. Here's a link to a really good weather source. I've found them pretty accurate: http://www.wunderground.com/US/CA/San_Diego.html

[ltsally]

Ruth - Did you really experience 45 foot seas and live to tell about it! Yikes!:eek: I'd love to hear some details. On our transatlantics, (aboard smaller size SS or SB), we've had what felt like pretty rough weather and that was only 12-15 foot stuff.

[RuthC]

Ruth - Did you really experience 45 foot seas and live to tell about it! Yikes!:eek: I'd love to hear some details.

Oh, yeah. And it lasted for 38 consecutive hours! It was back in '03 on the Rotterdam, coming out of Nuuk, Greenland heading to Prins Cristian Sound.

I could hear the Lido dishes topple over and crash. People were also toppled over (right in their chairs) in the dining room. Water breeched the upper decks, entered the upper level of the show lounge, and cascaded down the staircase to the stage.

BINGO was canceled. :eek:

That's why I call 12' seas "bumps in the water".

[cruznon]

We once had 20-25 ft seas off the coast of Mexico heading back to Los Angeles--that's the highest seas I ever experienced. I can't even imagine 45' seas!

I like it when the ship "moves", but 45' is a bit more than I'd like.