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(Previous) 02/22/2005 (Next)
Why Catalina is bad.
Ever wonder why the surf can be pumping a couple of miles up or down the coast, while your local break is flat? Using, LOLA's animated nearshore model you can see why...
Continued below...
Southern California gets shadowed from any number of different swell angles thanks to both Point Conception and the landmine of offshore Islands, often making it a tough decision whether to stay put at your local break on the next big, clean groundswell or to seek an alternate spot. LOLA's animated nearshore model offers a detailed 72-hour forecast of breaking wave heights you can find up and down the coast in your 'hood. While SoCal is shown here, we also offer nearhsore animations for NorCal, much of the East Coast, Florida and Hawaii with more in store for the future!

Like what you see here? Want to get this type of detailed forecast information on a daily basis, for every major surf region on earth? Then SIGN UP NOW for a Surfline Premium Membership. (First month's free.)

WHAT IS LOLA?

LOLA is the world's only automated global surf forecasting tool. LOLA can forecast waves right down the street, or it can predict surf conditions at the top spots around the globe - breaks like Tavarua, Tahiti and Jeffrey's Bay.

LOLA uses the NOAA Wavewatch III engine (running on our own computers) with Surfline-modified data from various wind models (AVN, GFS, MRF). Then LOLA combines this information with empirical data we've programmed into her gained from over 30 years of surf and weather analysis here at Surfline.

LOLA also gathers real-time data from offshore buoys to measure wave pulses from storms around the world every hour. She taps into orbiting satellites to measure hurricane-force winds and tremendous wave heights in the heart of raging storms when huge ships are running for cover. She computes near-shore wave animations measuring detailed wave heights along the coast, taking into account how swells are distorted by offshore islands and the continental shelf.

When you add it all up, LOLA is the ultimate forecasting tool for surfers looking for timely, accurate and comprehensive information about waves.

Initially, we created LOLA as a proprietary tool for Surfline forecasters. But we decided to share the knowledge and give Surfline's Premium Members the chance to use LOLA themselves, to give them the best chance to score more good surf more often.

Not a Premium Member? Then CLICK HERE for a free LOLA demo.

If you are already a Premium Member, please proceed straight to the LOLA home page.