My question is about wave height if the buoy say it is a 4.3 wh is that from the bottom of the wave to the top of the wave or sea level up and whatever it may be under sea level for instance could that wave be 8.6 wh never really known the best way to check wave conditions it has never seamed to be what we expected according to the noah report.
"Swell height is the vertical distance (meters) between any swell crest and the succeeding swell wave trough." "Wind Wave Height is the vertical distance (meters) between any wind wave crest and the succeeding wind wave trough (independent of swell waves)."
I find the best way to determine the sea conditions is wave height and period...the period is very important. 3-4' at 4 seconds is much worse than 3-4' at 9 or 10 seconds. Longer period waves allow you to run without pounding. Shorter period waves are being generated locally and are steeper and closer together. Unfortunately we usually have short period waves in the Chs area.
Look at wind wave height as well. I think alot of people just look at the swell and period and think that its nice out there then find out that it isn't.
Don't forget that most people have never taken a yardstick to a wave before. I've seen a lot of newbies get their ass handed to them in a steep 3-4' and talk about the "6 to 8's" when they got back to the dock... I would bet that 50% or more of the people on this website would really suck at estimating true wave height and wave intervals...
Also, people don't understand that they buoy is not some magical measurement of the entire Atlantic Seaboard. It's 41nm east of Charleston kind of out towards the SW banks. Ocean condtions can vary quite a bit even just 5-10 miles away. Also, in the summer, it's not uncommon to be in the neighborhood of small pockets of storms and such that can really steepen up the seas in their area where it could be flat calm just a few miles away... Also don't forget the impact of the actual gulfstream. It can get pretty hairy out there when the wind opposes the current, but be perfectly nice at the bouy...
? About buoy info
Posted - 03/23/2012 : 08:51:36 AM
