How is swell direction reported?
Swell direction is the direction from which the swell is coming. It is measured in degrees (as on a compass), and often referred to in general directions, such as a north-northwest or southwest swell. Swell direction is an important factor to consider because it can determine the quality of waves.
Can you surf a swell?
Both types can create great waves to surf, but, ground swell is usually best. The swell size and direction need to be looked at together with geography of the coastline you are surfing. If a surf spot faces directly into, say a 3m swell, you can probably expect waves around the 3m mark.
What is a swell report?
Swell Height and Period The surf report will tell you the wave height, swell period, wind direction and tide. Swell period is the amount of time is takes a wave to pass a certain point. The longer the swell period, the faster and more powerful waves will be.
How are swells measured?
Swell speed is measured at nautical miles per hour or knots. (1 knot is 1.2 miles on land.) In order to work out the speed that a swell is travelling multiply the wave period by 1.5. The result is the speed the swell is travelling in knots.
How is swell period measured?
By definition, swell period is the time required for one complete wave length to pass a fixed point, and it is given in seconds. Usually the time is measured between two successive wave crests, but measuring from trough to trough would yield the same result.
What’s a swell in surfing?
Swell is energy that has been transferred into the sea by wind. The longer and stronger the wind blows (like a hurricane) the more energy that is transferred and so larger the swell. This energy then propagates from where it is created out into the ocean, much like ripples in a pond.
How do you read a surf swell chart?
The swell direction is usually expressed in cardinal points (N, E, S, W). As a general rule of thumb, a beach facing directly west will get bigger and better waves if the swell comes from the west. The swell direction is important — if the swell doesn’t hit your region correctly, you will not receive good waves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl14Dggru0o