000 AGXX40 KNHC 120537 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 137 AM EDT THU JUL 12 2007 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. SW N ATLC... STILL VERY FEW CHANGES OBSERVED IN THE OVERALL PATTERN WITH SURFACE OBSERVATIONS AND THE EVENING QUIKSCAT PASSES SHOWING THE LOW-LEVEL RIDGE EXTENDING FROM 31N60W TO SE FLORIDA. ELY WINDS ARE BARELY TO 20 KT JUST N OF HISPANIOLA...AND WINDS ARE LIGHTER THAN THAT ACROSS THE REST OF THE ZONE. THE ONLY EXPECTED CHANGE IN THE COMING DAY WILL BE THE PSN OF THE RIDGE AXIS...WHICH SHOULD SHIFT N TO 31N SAT THROUGH MON. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... STRONG TRADES CONTINUE ACROSS THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE AREA FELL BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE QUIKSCAT PASSES THIS EVENING AND PREVENTED AN ASSESSMENT OF THE MAXIMUM WINDS. THE HIGHEST WINDS HAVE LIKELY FALLEN BELOW 30 KT BUT A SIGNIFICANT SWATH OF 20-25 KT ELYS CONTINUES TO EXTEND FROM 11N TO 18N E OF 82W WITH SEAS UP TO 12-13 FT IN E SWELL OVER THE SW CARIBBEAN. WITH THE ATLC RIDGE MOVING LITTLE...THESE WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AT LEAST THROUGH SUN...POSSIBLY DIMINISHING A BIT ON MON WITH THE RIDGE LIFTING N. WINDS WILL REMAIN IN THE 15-20 KT RANGE E OF THE LESSER ANTILLES WITH SEAS UP TO 8 FT IN E SWELL. A TROPICAL WAVE NEAR 35W IS CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS LATE SAT AND WILL LIKELY INCREASE WINDS SUN AND MON AS THE RIDGE BUILDS IN ITS WAKE. GULF OF MEXICO... 1021 MB HIGH PRES IS CENTERED OVER THE N/CENTRAL GULF NEAR 27N90W WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS OVER MUCH OF THE AREA EXCEPT THE FAR SW GULF WHERE THEY ARE AS HIGH AS 15 KT. ALTHOUGH SEAS ARE GENERALLY LOW...W GULF BUOYS 42002...42020...AND 42055 HAVE ALL BEEN REPORTING SEAS TO 4 FT DUE TO 6-7 SEC SWELLS COMING FROM THE SE...PROBABLY FROM CARIBBEAN SWELLS MAKING IT THROUGH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. THESE SWELLS WILL THROUGH THE DAY AND THEN THE PATTERN WILL REMAIN TRANQUIL THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH HIGH PRES IN PLACE. THE RIDGE RETREATS A BIT TO THE E SUN AND MON...WHICH COULD INCREASE WINDS A BIT OVER THE W GULF. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER BERG