How is wave height measured in Australia?

[Beanpole]

No,no not again please no, ahhhhhhhhhgggg. Its obvious most people on here grew up measuring metres so a foot is a random measurement for them unless its surfboard lengths. Just to check-What is the difference between a metre and a foot and could all the gurus convert their estimates into metres?

A couple of mid nth coast points have been cracking this week

[chrisb]

Bloody hell, let's put this stupid question to rest shall we

Let's just describe wave face height as relates to the (adult size) body, namely:-
1. Knee-height (small)
2. Chest height (medium)
3. Head height (big)
4. Over head (very big) then in multiples of OH

It's easily understood by all with no confusion. You know it makes sense.

[PeepeelaPew]

...

[Beanpole]

Bloody hell, let's put this stupid question to rest shall we

Let's just describe wave face height as relates to the (adult size) body, namely:-
1. Knee-height (small)
2. Chest height (medium)
3. Head height (big)
4. Over head (very big) then in multiples of OH

It's easily understood by all with no confusion. You know it makes sense.

The only way I reckon.
This topic has been covered that many times its unbelievable. I will just repeat that it hasn't always been measured Ig style. It started in the eighties and it is not logical. You could apply the same type of measurement to your donger i.e. approx half a foot long if your average or 2 inches on the ig scale. Try measuring waves in dongers.

[Grooter]

Fcuk wave measurements I'm over it.

I just look at the swell size and direction on the buoys. Based on that I know how big it is going to be at a number of different places - if you were there or you know the place, you'll know how big it was.

[Beerfan]

Nah you guys know f.Uck all.

Knee to head high = 1.76 imperial cubic feet

Head high to double overhead = 5.43 chinese left handed metres

Triple overhead = 13 3/4 egyptian forearm lengths

4xOH = 32 3/8 african zulu yards.

E.O.S.

[wjp]

Bloody hell, let's put this stupid question to rest shall we

Let's just describe wave face height as relates to the (adult size) body, namely:-
1. Knee-height (small)
2. Chest height (medium)
3. Head height (big)
4. Over head (very big) then in multiples of OH

It's easily understood by all with no confusion. You know it makes sense.

The only way I reckon.
This topic has been covered that many times its unbelievable. I will just repeat that it hasn't always been measured Ig style. It started in the eighties and it is not logical. You could apply the same type of measurement to your donger i.e. approx half a foot long if your average or 2 inches on the ig scale. Try measuring waves in dongers.

Yeah - the Ig scale seems crazy. I'll defo stick with knee high , etc. But its good to understand the Ig scale when reading an article or something to get an idea. Wish people would stop using though..

[Kunji]

The Ig scale has been used widely for at least the last 20 years that i have been surfing. Its just how people who surf measure waves. *shrugs*

[buzzy]

Bloody hell, let's put this stupid question to rest shall we

Let's just describe wave face height as relates to the (adult size) body, namely:-
1. Knee-height (small)
2. Chest height (medium)
3. Head height (big)
4. Over head (very big) then in multiples of OH

It's easily understood by all with no confusion. You know it makes sense.

The only way I reckon.
This topic has been covered that many times its unbelievable. I will just repeat that it hasn't always been measured Ig style. It started in the eighties and it is not logical. You could apply the same type of measurement to your donger i.e. approx half a foot long if your average or 2 inches on the ig scale. Try measuring waves in dongers.

Yeah - the Ig scale seems crazy. I'll defo stick with knee high , etc. But its good to understand the Ig scale when reading an article or something to get an idea. Wish people would stop using though..

This is how I now describe wave heights. I'm absolutely sure that today's 3 feet is bigger than the 3 feet when I started surfing in the late 70's, and even then it was discounted. So yeah, I always describe with reference to a surfer (knee high, waist high, chest high, head high etc).

[Skipper]

So, in other words, Iggy scale is correlative to Deesee's fcuking dwarves on the beach.

[Spoon]

Someone needs to tell coastalwatch there is no 5ft

[Cpt.Caveman]

This is how it is done, ready?

You look at the height of the rider compared to the wave. Assuming most riders crouch a little, a good average rider height is 5ft. You then look at the proportion of that 5ft crouched rider against the wave (eyeball it). If it looks like hes 5/7ths of the waves height, we're now talking a 7ft high face of the wave.

Next...

If you're talking to one of your non-surfing mates down at the pub you tell them the surf was 7ft. If you're talking to someone else who surfs you generally halve that number (3.5ft), somehow pay attention to the height of the back of the wave (does anyone talk to the back of anyones head, normal people?), lets say the back of this wave is 2-3ft, you then make some arbitrary average between the two using your own secret formula devised from years of bullshiiiiiiiteee and progressive wave height calculation, and come up with "3ft".

Now, if someone pulls up in the carpark next to you while you're getting out of your suit and asks hows it looking, you say "ooooooorrrr 'bout 2-3ft, get a few eeyyyy...". To which he nodds and thinks "what a tough man and I'm an awe of his awesome bravado of making a 7ft face actually 3ft, as if he is a giant in his minds eye...wow.....". To which the guy finishing his session struts back into his car and drives off to keep ANALysing his secret unique wave height formula.

And thats how it goes....


I much prefer people who talk sense, like it was about "head height with the occasional slightly bigger one..." etc, I which I reply "was it a midget, a 5ft crouched rider or jordy smith standing tall against the wave?", and we work it out from there after some stern conversation...

[Trev]

^^^^^^

Cap'n, that's a much more entertaining assessment.

Well done.

[Beanpole]

I find it pretty funny that some people reckon everyone halves wave size cause I've talked to average joe blows at beaches for 40 years and rarely, as in three or four times have I bumped into someone who drastically undercalls the surf. Probably only slightly less often than people who overcall it. I mustn't talk to the core hot shots I guess.

The most extreme was in Bali a couple of years ago when I was goofing at Playgrounds and I said to this guy it had been 3' at Ulu earlier that week. He went, "Wow, double overhead."

Must have been Hawaiian. No way anywhere on Bali would have been double overhead that week.

[SAsurfa]

Gotta agree mainly with the Iggy scale and that's what I use to forecast.

Anyone who mentions 5-7ft, 7ft, 7-9ft, 9ft, 11ft etc automatically sets off alarm bells in my head.

Oh and there is a 5ft. 3-5ft, 4-5ft and 5-6ft are all used frequently and it's between 1.5x-2x overhead.

Can see how complicated it must be for a new surfer, but you pick it up real quick if you're always surfing and keep an ear out for other surfers talking.

I find that some boogers on heavier waves over call it sometimes but. I.e. it will be a solid 6ft, but they call it 8ft etc.

[Quangers]

Gotta agree mainly with the Iggy scale and that's what I use to forecast.

Anyone who mentions 5-7ft, 7ft, 7-9ft, 9ft, 11ft etc automatically sets off alarm bells in my head.

Oh and there is a 5ft. 3-5ft, 4-5ft and 5-6ft are all used frequently and it's between 1.5x-2x overhead.

Can see how complicated it must be for a new surfer, but you pick it up real quick if you're always surfing and keep an ear out for other surfers talking.

I find that some boogers on heavier waves over call it sometimes but. I.e. it will be a solid 6ft, but they call it 8ft etc.

^^ They are lying down, it must look a lot bigger

[chrisb]

Gotta agree mainly with the Iggy scale and that's what I use to forecast.

Anyone who mentions 5-7ft, 7ft, 7-9ft, 9ft, 11ft etc automatically sets off alarm bells in my head.

Oh and there is a 5ft. 3-5ft, 4-5ft and 5-6ft are all used frequently and it's between 1.5x-2x overhead.

Can see how complicated it must be for a new surfer, but you pick it up real quick if you're always surfing and keep an ear out for other surfers talking.

I find that some boogers on heavier waves over call it sometimes but. I.e. it will be a solid 6ft, but they call it 8ft etc.

^^ They are lying down, it must look a lot bigger

That's the problem with boogers, to them it's always overhead.

[offshore1]

^^^ iggy jr. must be teething. dad's cranky.