CatchWindow fishing intelligence

North Spit, CA Daily Water Report — August 27, 2026

Good morning, and right out of the gate: this is a surfing morning, with an honorable mention for wildlife watchers and a solid nod to boaters later on. That 7.9 score for surfing reflects a clean, workable 1.14m groundswell carrying a 9.1-second period, arriving from 292 degrees with a light north wind under 7 knots. The wind waves are nearly a nonfactor at 0.12m, so the face is mostly organized swell. The calmest wave height you’ll see comes just after midnight at 0.86m, but for a dawn or midmorning session, the combination of modest 1m swell and offshore-friendly north wind makes the lineup look cleaner than it did yesterday, when the swell had more juice and the score ran an 8.6. That was a better-size day, but today trades a bit of height for better shape and less chop through the window. Boating lands at 7.2, down from yesterday’s 8.6 and the 8.1 from two days back. The shift isn’t dramatic, but the representative wind has picked up from the near-calm 1.4 knots you had Tuesday to a steady 6 today, with gusts sneaking up past 16 knots by 3 p.m. That afternoon bump will turn a smooth morning run into a lumpy return for small craft, so plan to be off the water before lunch. The ocean current is pushing west at 0.4 m/s, which is modest but worth noting if you’re heading out against it. Fishing sits at a middling 6.6, and the solunar major period from 11:41 to 1:41 p.m. aligns with the slack before that afternoon wind picks up. Pressure is stable at 1017 hPa, not falling or rising fast enough to trigger a decisive bite window. Wildlife scores an 8.4, the best of the bunch, and the minor solunar period around 6:11 a.m. coincides with dawn—a reliable time to scan the shoreline for seabirds or marine mammals working the edge of the swell. Diving data is unavailable today, so we’ll skip that. The water temperature holds at 13.9°C, same as yesterday, with visibility of 12.5 km above the surface—not a proxy for underwater clarity. Looking ahead, Friday holds similar wave heights in the 1.1–1.3m range and a slightly lighter wind peak near 10 knots, keeping the boating window respectable. By Saturday the swell builds to 1.7–1.8m with a slight uptick in period, which could revive the surfing scores, but the wind stays manageable through the weekend. The real watch comes early next week: precipitation chances creep into the 20% range by Tuesday, and the swell pulse begins to ease again by Monday. Best bet: Hit the water early, watch the afternoon gust line, and if you’re not riding waves, the wildlife show along the dawn boundary is the truest draw today.