Joe theres many variable such as primary swell size, secondary swell size, sometimes tertiary swell, swell period, swell direction, tide and obviously wind.Blueyed1 wrote:Re-tyred, I note the wave period jumped up on the graph you posted. Always thought the longer the wave period on the ocean the gentler the ride. As a rule of thumb at a bar - is it right to say the longer the wave period the larger the swell and the bigger the breakers because those waves hold more water per cycle?? If wave period was say 15 seconds and the swell 1.5 metres max, I would think it reasonable to cross but I guess you would have to suss out the breakers visually? Shorter wave periods to me indicate chopy seas and a rougher ride, but I guess the breakers would not be as intense cause the volume in each cycle is less. Again you would have to assess maximum wave height?
Joe
Greater swell periods generally are associated with long traveling ground swells generated from a storm system a long way offshore smaller periods are associated with storms closer to shore normally creating bumpy conditions. A 12 sec swell at 1m will be more powerful than a 6 sec swell at 2m but the 6 sec swell will be lumpier. Hope that makes sense.