Nine seconds is the number that matters
Height alone doesn't say much. A short period at the same height is a mess by the second set; nine seconds or longer and it's worth getting up for.
Field notes
Notes from a headland with a clear view west. Kept since the old logbook filled up, mostly for deciding whether it's worth the drive.
Latest entry: swell steady at 1.1 m, period 9 s, wind offshore at 12 km/h. Clean conditions most of the morning.
Recent swell
| Date | Height | Period | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Aug | 1.1 m | 9 s | clean |
| 29 Jul | 1.6 m | 11 s | choppy by noon |
| 22 Jul | 0.7 m | 7 s | flat |
| 15 Jul | 1.3 m | 10 s | — |
| 8 Jul | 1.8 m | 12 s | after the storm |
Watch
Height alone doesn't say much. A short period at the same height is a mess by the second set; nine seconds or longer and it's worth getting up for.
Forecast had it landing Tuesday. Showed up Wednesday afternoon instead, bigger than expected and short-lived — gone by the next morning.
Memory rounds everything to "good" or "not good." The numbers on the page disagree with that more often than not.
Notes
Offshore wind in the early morning is the most reliable window most of the year. Afternoon sea breeze tends to ruin it by midday in summer. Longer-period swell is rarer here than the height alone would suggest.