Blog

I know I haven't posted an update lately, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been work going on.

 

I'm pushing out a new surf quality model this evening, which is a little more empirical than the old one. While the old one has served well, trying to better caputure some of the edge cases (i.e. light sideshore, light onshore etc) was difficult without nailing down the math behind the conditions. This is all to say, I've made changes to something that is highly subjective to begin with.  Here is a summary of what the different quality ratings try to capture.

 

• -Clean: Wind is dead offshore, moderate quarter-offshore, light sideshore, or very light alltogether.  Go surf!
• -Fair: Wind is light sideshore, or very very light onshore. Still good, especially if the surf is a decent size.
• -Poor: Wind is hard sideshore, or moderate onshore. Expect drift and bumpy faces.
• -Choppy: Wind is hard onshore or very hard sideshore. Disorganized and/or lots of drift.

 

The new model better accounts for the amount of energy imparted to the ocean surface via local winds. I've been comparing the two models side-by-side for a couple months now, and the new one I think is a little more accurate. 

 

Old Quality Model

 

 

New Quality Model

 

 

If you compare the chart colors between the two models, there are only a few minor differences. However, with the recent SW winds we've had here in the Wilmington area a few wind degrees or a few wind mph can make a difference.

 

Thanks for using the site. As always, feedback is welcome.

 

-Eric