Should I boat at Channel Islands Harbor / Oxnard, CA today?

Conditions right now

CAUTION as of Oct 23, 11:22 AM ET: wind NNW 7 kt, gusts 8 kt; waves about 4 ft every 6 s. Boatable with care: expect chop or building wind. Small boats should think twice.

From the NWS gridded forecast for this launch. The live page adds buoy observations, marine warnings and an hour-by-hour timeline.

About Channel Islands Harbor / Oxnard, CA

• Water: Southern California Coast
• Location: 34.160, -119.230
• NWS marine forecast zone: PZZ650
• Live observations: NDBC 46025

How the wind direction plays here

• Onshore (waves pile up at the launch, often rougher than the open-water number): S, SSW, SW, WSW, W
• Offshore (deceptively calm at the ramp, rougher farther out, and it pushes you away from shore): N, NNE, NE, ENE, E
• Cross-shore (moderate; watch which way it trends): ESE, SE, SSE, WNW, NW, NNW

Why direction matters: wind direction and fetch.

Nearby launches on Southern California Coast

• Santa Barbara, CA (31 mi): GO, wind WNW 10 kt, gusts 13 kt; waves about 3 ft every 7 s
• Marina del Rey, CA (47 mi): GO, wind N 4 kt, gusts 5 kt; waves about 2 ft every 6 s
• Long Beach, CA (66 mi): GO, wind NW 4 kt, gusts 5 kt; waves about 2 ft every 6 s
• Newport Beach, CA (87 mi): CAUTION, wind S 4 kt, gusts 5 kt; waves about 3 ft every 6 s
• Dana Point, CA (100 mi): CAUTION, wind SE 5 kt, gusts 6 kt; waves about 3 ft every 6 s
• Oceanside Harbor, CA (124 mi): GO, wind E 7 kt, gusts 8 kt; waves about 3 ft every 11 s