Will waves return along with the start of fall?

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The fall season officially begins with the autumnal equinox at 8:43 am Sunday. It is during the fall season that the east coast comes alive with surf as tropical systems become more numerous. However, as we head through the first few days of the fall season surfers in our area will have continue to be patient as swell will be hard to come by.

SURF-CAST

After a week of small windswell, high pressure settles in and will provide for sunny and calm conditions. This means waves will be running small so make sure you have those longboards ready.

How waves form

Waves in the ocean are created by the wind. When the wind blows across the surface of the water, the force of friction transfers its energy to the water, causing the water to move in a circular motion. This movement creates ripples, which can grow into larger waves as long as the wind continues to blow. The size and strength of the waves depend on factors like wind speed, the duration, and the distance over which the wind blows which is also known as fetch.

Over the next few days surf heights will be in the 1-2 foot range along with an onshore wind during the afternoon hours. The optimal time to target a surf session would be during the incoming high tide throughout the late morning and early afternoon. A few set waves could reach the 2-3 foot range but these will be few and far between.

The potential is there for better surf as we head into the late work week and next weekend as we are tracking some activity in the northwest Caribbean Sea and into the Gulf of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center is looking at an area with a high chance of having an area of low-pressure form over the coming days. With how warm water temperatures are in that part of the world it would certainly aid in strengthening any tropical system.

As for the exact timing and impacts those are still yet to be determined but we will know more as the week progresses.