Crap weather conditions going to be the norm! Get used to it....

You're not going to like this peeps, but all indications are that beasterly easterlies and colder waters are here to stay. Chatted to a mate this morning who's a professor in Ichthyology at Rhodes (that's the science of fish), who also does research on the ocean currents around SA and Africa.

Turns out that the Aghulus current, which runs down eastern Africa and past us here in PE, has warmed up considerably over the past decade. This has resulted in the current picking up speed. The faster flow has created greater friction as it brushes past the continental shelf, and this is causing an upwelling of cold water which is flowing inshore. The researchers reckon that the waters between Port Alfred and Plett will become permanently colder as a result of the current flow changes. So off to buy those 4/3's and booties. Seeing as I already surf in those, I might have to invest in one of those heated vest things that Mush swears by!

Okay, now onto the bad news about the winds. Appears as if the easterlies are going to become an even more frequent occurrence. Due to climate change, things are hotting up - which sees the interior of the country becoming warmer than normal. This heating causes a stronger high pressure over the Free State, which tends to push the cold fronts further offshore - keeping the wests and the waves away from PE. 

So there you have the "good" news - our water's getting colder, and the easts are going to become the norm not the exception. How's THAT for sucking coconuts....

The challenge is on to find a decent wave along our coastline that's offshore in an east!