Wave Period?

[pulltaug]

I am looking at the weather forecasts and wind conditions. I see "wave peroid" of 6 seconds...sometimes more or less.
Question is: what exactly is "wave period"
is that the time between waves? so the less time the more waves?
is it the length of the wave itself? in other words it takes 3 or 4 seconds to go over a wave if you are idle?
silly question - but thought I would ask...

[MrAC1980]

its the time in between each wave. shorter the time more of a chop, longer the time more of a swell.

[NJ Dave]

Check our swellinfo.com that will break down the waves, sets, heights, ect.
It's a surfers sight.
Use a real computer tho, slow loads on phones

[jmurr711]

i think it happens once a month & the waves get real over emotional and yell at ya no matter what ya do

[tautog]

The waves also eat lots of chocolate ice cream and only wear sweatpants.

[pulltaug]

that swellinfo.com website is really great!

thanks so much for posting

[dfish28]

i think it happens once a month & the waves get real over emotional and yell at ya no matter what ya do


Good one... Lmao!

[Capt. Debbie]

It literally means if you were anchored the time between each wave crest. Or the time between each wave bottom.

Its a little more complicated. Depending on boat size, wave height and boat speed you will know comfort or beating. Like head seas vs. following vs. beam seas vs. quartering seas.

A 1 foot chop 5 seconds apart is a lot sweeter than a 5 foot sea 15 seconds apart. One's alittle bounced. The other is a bow yo yo heading into it.




I am looking at the weather forecasts and wind conditions. I see "wave peroid" of 6 seconds...sometimes more or less.
Question is: what exactly is "wave period"
is that the time between waves? so the less time the more waves?
is it the length of the wave itself? in other words it takes 3 or 4 seconds to go over a wave if you are idle?
silly question - but thought I would ask...

[NJ Dave]

that swellinfo.com website is really great!

thanks so much for posting


Any time. Surfers look at it to find the big waves, I as a kayaker use it to look for the small ones and smaller sets in order to launch.
Good luck.

[Kenny V]

I have a quick q for all u salty's* hopefully someone can shed some light. Last Thur* was out* on a priv* 31 footer.. We headed back in early BC the crew wussed out on making a trip to the grounds . I didn't think it was too bad as long as you didn't try to get there moving @ 28 knots . :eek:

anyways* The forecast for that day was nice* but it wasn't so right from the get go. Well* to the north* it* must have stormed. At that time the wind was blowing pretty hard out from East/ S East. There was allot of rollers mixed in w/ choppers.. Got pretty* sloppy esp trying to fish. We were only a few miles South of the hook. So we ended up staying tight and came back in way too early.

Now I suspect it was because the tide was moving out against the east winds is that true??
And my other Question * could we have headed out 5-6 miles east* to avoid the mess and make our way south or it would have been just as bad either way ?

Comments welcomed

[shrimpman steve]

The longer the wave period the less steep the wave is. Also some common sense. If the wind is 5-10 and you see 5-7 footers that is going to be a swell being it is not enough wind to generate those kind of seas. If you check the individual bouys it will tell you wave steepness. It goes from swell to very steep.

[Gerry Zagorski]

I have a quick q for all u salty's* hopefully someone can shed some light. Last Thur* was out* on a priv* 31 footer.. We headed back in early BC the crew wussed out on making a trip to the grounds . I didn't think it was too bad as long as you didn't try to get there moving @ 28 knots . :eek:

anyways* The forecast for that day was nice* but it wasn't so right from the get go. Well* to the north* it* must have stormed. At that time the wind was blowing pretty hard out from East/ S East. There was allot of rollers mixed in w/ choppers.. Got pretty* sloppy esp trying to fish. We were only a few miles South of the hook. So we ended up staying tight and came back in way too early.

Now I suspect it was because the tide was moving out against the east winds is that true??
And my other Question * could we have headed out 5-6 miles east* to avoid the mess and make our way south or it would have been just as bad either way ?

Comments welcomed

Kenny - hard to say what the conditions would have been further south and east but in general out in the ocean, it's the wind not the tide that creates the seas. In a South, North or East wind direction on the ocean, there is practically no place to hide. Tides are more of a factor in areas in and around the bay and inlets where the water moves faster because it's restricted. In those areas wind against the direction of the tide will make the seas stand up.

Having said this, if the person who owns and operates a private boat is not comfortable with the conditions, you need to respect their decision. I've gotten soft over the years.... I don't care to beat up myself, passengers and the boat and will cut trips short when conditions turn bad, it's just not worth it. Some passengers who want to stay out may question my decision and think I "wussed out" but as the person who owns and operates the boat and is responsible for the safety and comfort of my crew and boat, that is my decision. If you want to make those decisions then run your own boat.

[Taxman]

The shorter the period, the messier it is.

It makes the ride unpleasent

Its not good for motorboating

Not sure what it means for the ocean :D

[cukes]

Well said Gerry. When you start pounding a boat you are asking for trouble. If you have to hang on and fish, no fun and you probably won't catch anyway. If something lets go you have an unsafe problem.

[Kenny V]

Kenny - hard to say what the conditions would have been further south and east but in general out in the ocean, it's the wind not the tide that creates the seas. In a South, North or East wind direction on the ocean, there is practically no place to hide. Tides are more of a factor in areas in and around the bay and inlets where the water moves faster because it's restricted. In those areas wind against the direction of the tide will make the seas stand up.

Having said this, if the person who owns and operates a private boat is not comfortable with the conditions, you need to respect their decision. I've gotten soft over the years.... I don't care to beat up myself, passengers and the boat and will cut trips short when conditions turn bad, it's just not worth it. Some passengers who want to stay out may question my decision and think I "wussed out" but as the person who owns and operates the boat and is responsible for the safety and comfort of my crew and boat, that is my decision. If you want to make those decisions then run your own boat.
Yure right I hear ya ,totally agree, respect the water and the Capt. When I was younger I sailed allot with my brother on a 27 footer... rem lots of days like that rescuing small boats that didn't belong out there . O boy also rem the bad times too, holding on for dear life in smaller boats BC of the stubborness of my crazy brother . :eek: There were many outings I didn't think we make it back in... Believe me I respect the seas more than u can imagine.


Here is my issue I just wanted to know if what I was told is true?? I cant let it go... yet cuz I spoke to a few guys and they said you can move out further to avoid the sloppyness ..( we were 1-2 miles out) besides I read a report from a head boats that day and the capt said he went further out to find conditions changed and the caught the hell out of em..
My bad we saw the fleet and never ended up getting there..i only have a few vac days left and long to be out there . Now today I should took off an kicken my self for not going .Im trying to spread out my days off to enjoy the rest of the season ... only 5 days left w/ 19 in the season :(

[Gerry Zagorski]

Kenny - We were out Monday in S winds. Conditions were real nice tight into the beach from the false hook down to the Nude Beach. The nude beach does jut out some and affords you some protection from the s winds. Don't think that would be the case in SE winds though. South and east of there conditions were very sloppy. We fished down by the reef and rocks and it was pretty sporty. Tight 3 and 4 foot chop and an occational 5 or 6 footer.

[Kenny V]

Kenny - We were out Monday in S winds. Conditions were real nice tight into the beach from the false hook down to the Nude Beach. The nude beach does jut out some and affords you some protection from the s winds. Don't think that would be the case in SE winds though. South and east of there conditions were very sloppy. We fished down by the reef and rocks and it was pretty sporty. Tight 3 and 4 foot chop and an occational 5 or 6 footer.
yea was supposed to go Mon too but canceled thats why im so grumpy today . My Buddy from up north came to visit on Sun.Since it didn't rain Sat / Sun we fig Monday would been a wash with the 50% forecast . Neither felt like having a rainy clammy all day trip at the rail so we had a lazy nothing day

any ways How were the bites on Mon ? put any in da box?
thanks

[Gerry Zagorski]

3 barely legal keepers for 3 of us and that was it.