How did you learn?

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blueBottleSting
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How did you learn?

Post by blueBottleSting » Sun Jun 24, 2012 6:35 pm

A call out to some of the experienced surf/weather forecasters, how did you learn your trade.

I have read Surf Science by Tony Butt and The WetSand WaveCast Guide to Surf Forecasting by Nathan Todd Cool, both pretty good books, particularly liked Surf Science.

I have a technical / engineering background, so any books with some depth are fine.

I probably more interested in the bigger picture stuff, like:
what does the Madden–Julian oscillation mean for weather/surf?
why does a east coast low form off NSW but not nothern queensland .... if thats the case?
What affect will El Nino/La Nina have on the surf?

So where to start? How did some of the experienced forecasters like Steve Shearer, Donweather and others learn their trade?

Donweather
Harry the Hat
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Re: How did you learn?

Post by Donweather » Sun Jun 24, 2012 7:49 pm

For me I learnt a lot of my surf forecasting from reading the detailed forecasts that SN used to produce (when Ben and Alex used to do them). Steve's forecast were also very knowledgeable more so on the large scale factors like El Nino etc.

TO be honest I'm not that knowledgeable on the large scale factors like MJO, El Nino, LWT etc. Steve and Craig from SN are much much more knowledgeable in these aspects. I do find you can pick up a lot of knowledge on these factors from reading weather forums such as Weatherzone etc however.

Good luck and its a great thing to learn more about the things that create good surf as it pays off in the long run with some great waves!!

Nick Carroll
Huey's Right Hand
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Location: Newport Beach

Re: How did you learn?

Post by Nick Carroll » Mon Jun 25, 2012 3:48 pm

Oceanography and Seamanship - Willem Van Dorn
Waves and Beaches - Willard Bascom
Much other incidental reading
About a thousands emails with Sean Collins
The Bureau of Meteorology
most important: 40 years of watching and surfing round the world.
It doesn't make much sense till you're ridden the waves and felt what's been made by what.

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steve shearer
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Re: How did you learn?

Post by steve shearer » Mon Jun 25, 2012 6:23 pm

Forecasting+observation+hindcasting=understanding.

Low hanging fruit has never been easier to pick.

A detailed and nuanced understanding which enables harvesting of smaller and more tasty fruits takes years of the above.

If you want to learn get yourself access to all the weather/buoy/climatic/oceanic data you can and just start observing it. You'll start to recognise patterns on the small and large scale.
I cycle through all my weather data around a dozen times a day, and try and match that with real world observations.
I want Nightclub Dwight dead in his grave I want the nice-nice up in blazes

Beanpole
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Re: How did you learn?

Post by Beanpole » Wed Aug 22, 2012 6:46 pm

As a rank novice I learnt to sus out the surf from the simple fact that if you were on the Queensland Border the ability to read a synoptic chart when it popped on the news often meant scoring big time in the cyclone season. Plus my dad taught me about clouds: cyrus, stratos, cumulo nimbus, etc.
Put your big boy pants on
I mean, tastebuds? WGAF?

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