RealSurf Surfers' Forum

Quick question,

when talking/reading about wave height is it the same as the Hawaiian size? i.e. height from the back of the wave, or is it from the wave trough to lip as you're looking at it.

cheers

wjp wrote:when talking/reading about wave height is it the same as the Hawaiian size? i.e. height from the back of the wave, or is it from the wave trough to lip as you're looking at it.

Yep, that's normally right.

Of course, an Australian foot is smaller than a Hawaiian foot.
And it's far more common to measure wave height in terms of standard animal measures, e.g. one foot would be 'gecko', two foot would be 'cocky', short for cockatoo, 3 foot would be 'brush turkey'

Only the hellmen ride cassowary sized surf. You need a proper gun for that, especially if you live at Noosa or Angourie.

Check the Iggy wave scale, which is pretty right.

Basically, measure the height of the wave face from top to bottom, divide by two.

Either state that as the wave height or reduce a little further depending on just how insecure you are and how much you are trying to big note yourself in front of others.

Waves that are big on the peak but get smaller quickly give you the opportunity to really impress everyone what a hellman you are, so a peak that is 12 foot on the face that quickly becomes 6 foot on the face (head high) can be called a 2 foot wave (iggy). Be sure to puff out your chest while saying this.

Once the wave heights get above double and a half overhead (circa 6 - 8 foot)') there is a sliding scale whereby the actual wave face height is called rather than half the wave face height. e.g. a 30 foot wave face is usually called 30 foot.

Why? I don't effin know.

There is no such thing as a 5 foot wave, a 7 foot wave, a 9 foot wave, an 11 foot wave or a 13 foot wave, but there are 1 foot and 3 foot waves.

At 15 feet and above, waves are called in increments of 5 foot. i.e. 15 foot, 20 foot, 25 foot.

Why? I don't effin know.

Having said that, waves can be called at 18-20 foot without revealing your total kookdom.

Why? I don't effin know.

Above all else, resist all desires for rational meanings and deliberations as to why and how wave heights are called. It is a pointless exercise.

Open ocean bouys measure the actual height of swells from trough to peak, so they are measuring something completely different, but as they are open ocean swells they don't bear a very close relationship with what is showing up on the beach, and can only be interpreted correctly with a knowledge of direction, period, local bathymetry and local knowledge.

And you pronounce bouys as 'boys'. If you pronounce it 'booies', you are fucktard moron yank.

From the archives

Iggy's scale


½ foot = knee high
1 foot = waist high
2 foot = shoulder high
3 foot = just overhead (or 6 foot face)
4 foot = head and a half high
5 foot = just under double overhead
6 foot = double overhead
7 foot = nonexistent (it's either 6 or it's 8.)
8 foot = double and a half overhead
9 foot = nonexistent (it's either 8 or it's 10)
10 foot = a touch over triple overhead
11 foot = nonexistent (it's either 10 or it's 12)
12 foot = almost quadruple overhead
13 foot = nonexistent (there's a big void between 12 & 15 foot)
14 foot = nonexistent (there's a big void between 12 & 15 foot)
15 foot = is the bucket measurement for anything between quadruple and quintuple overhead for the entire length of the wave, and not just the take off)
...anything over 15 foot?
only very few people have the authority to even pass comment on this, and it’s likely that either you nor I are one of them, so shut up and don’t call that size unless you’ve surfed it, because you’d be too busy standing there slack-jawed to comprehend what the f*ck’s happening...


While I use it, I don't get it. It's just what it is.

who thought it could be so complicated eh?!

thanks guys!

so does Iggy's scale apply to swellnet - or is that just open buoy height?
thanks

all surf reports are based off the "Iggy Scale"
then there's the "TrevG Scale" which says that if it's head height it's a 6 foot wave.
but that's just lame

Iggy was wrong though. As mentioned, there are no 5 foot waves.

It's either a solid 4', or it's 4 - 6.

Iggs would agree.

oldman wrote:Iggy was wrong though. As mentioned, there are no 5 foot waves.

It's either a solid 4', or it's 4 - 6.

Iggs would agree.

Bit like the swell on the weekend. Solid 4ft where I was on sunday, double overhead solid 4ft (but you couldn't call it 6ft)

I have not conducted any empirical testing, but will concede that Hawaiians have considerably larger feet than the general surfing populous.

However, i would also contend those in the West of Oz have slightly more well endowed, in the podiatric sense, than us on the east coast (as my hellman mates are known to preface commentary on exceptional wave height with the words 'thats genuine WA....').

I would also add in relation to those surfing north of the tweed, although better at footy, they are also slightly podiatrically challenged, as compared to those living south of it.

i agree with Iggs scale, however it doesnt account for differences in body height, ie Tommie Carrols 'overhead' might well be equivalent to Laird Hamiltons 'waist height'.

I think we were all agreed about what was and wasnt the standard measure of a large wave - ie 6ft, until the numb-nut seppo newsreaders started calling waves by their face height, and being fairly careless in discriminating between say 40 ft or 70 ft. This gave a lot of sufers 'small man syndrome' and gave voice to the nonsense 'calling a wave by its face height' movement.

The last weeks swell has been beefy. But all the young kids around here keep calling it a "solid 4foot plus".

Ya don't have a small penis if ya call an 8foot wave an 8ft wave.

Fcuk me.

Here's a test:

http://www.mooseontheloose.com.au/dirty ... th-872011/

watch the video and tell us how big you reckon it is.

Im at work so I can't get the vid on the phone tonight. But holy fcuk, I've worked up a sweat just reading Marti's blogs!
Cool site. Thanks for the link.

Nick Carroll wrote:Fcuk me.

Here's a test:

http://www.mooseontheloose.com.au/dirty ... th-872011/

watch the video and tell us how big you reckon it is.

Too farken big!

3.00 minute mark with the guy getting sucked backwards over the falls looks painful.

Nick Carroll wrote:Fcuk me.

Here's a test:

http://www.mooseontheloose.com.au/dirty ... th-872011/

watch the video and tell us how big you reckon it is.

So are you officially back Nick or just here to boost the numbers...which seemed to have dropped off a bit lately.

wjp wrote:Quick question,

when talking/reading about wave height is it the same as the Hawaiian size? i.e. height from the back of the wave, or is it from the wave trough to lip as you're looking at it.

cheers

You're f*cking kidding right?

Asking that kind of question here without at least informing the moderators and possibly the local fire and police department of you're intentions is just plain irresponsible.

bohdidontsurf wrote:

Nick Carroll wrote:Fcuk me.

Here's a test:

http://www.mooseontheloose.com.au/dirty ... th-872011/

watch the video and tell us how big you reckon it is.

So are you officially back Nick or just here to boost the numbers...which seemed to have dropped off a bit lately.

Ah jeez I'm back....just not all that much.

shearer baited me once too often.