Re: [Paddlewise] wave height

> >Wave height is the vertical distance from the trough to the crest.
> >
> >Cheers,
> >John Winters
> >Redwing Designs
> >Specialists in Human Powered Watercraft
> >http://home.ican.net/~735769/.
> 
> 
> Our weather man says the true wave height is from sea level to the top of
> the wave and the vertical distance from the trough to the crest is twice
> the height. But when are weather men or women right more than 50% of the
> time or less?????
> 
> Dana


How about sea _surface_ to the top of the wave?  :-)

This is the height that Hawaiian surfers give.  A Hawaiian surfer
told me that Hawaiians scoff at the heights given by mainlanders and
consider them great exaggerations because they measure the wave height
from sea surface, not from the trough.  So I guess it depends on your
culture.  But it can get confusing.  I always have to clarify when
discussing wave height occurring in Hawaii as to whether the height 
being referred to is Hawaiian height or Howlie :-)  When a Hawaiian 
says the waves are at 10 to 15 foot... us mainlanders can anticipate 
about 15 to 25 foot (from the trough).

I would like to know if NOAA gives wave height from trough to crest
or sea surface to crest in readings from the buoys.  I'll see what
I can find out. 

Cheers,

Jackie

       awww, whaddya worried 'bout,
      it's only two feet tall...
      /
     /
                             crest ->      _at_ _at__at__at__at__at__at__at__at__at_
   y'",o                                 _at_ _at__at__at_ _at__at__at_ _at__at__at_ _at_ _at__at_```
   (_at___C                              _at__at_ _at__at__at_ _at__at__at__at__at__at_          ```~.     
  [x|||x]           ____             _at__at__at_ _at__at_ _at__at__at_                    `~.
_at_V[__x__}V_at_========<____)          _at_ _at__at__at_ _at__at__at__at__at__at__at_                     ``
 (   ^   )                        _at__at_ _at__at__at_    _at__at_       
 ~~~ `~     <- sea surface      _at__at_ _at__at__at_ _at__at_ _at_            
         \                        _at__at__at__at_ _at__at_ _at_ _at_       _at__at_     
          \                         _at__at__at__at__at_ _at__at__at__at_ _at_       _at__at__at_
           \                        _at__at__at__at__at_ _at__at__at__at__at__at_ _at_ _at_     _at__at__at_
            \                           _at__at__at_ _at_ _at__at_ _at__at_        _at__at_
             \                             _at__at__at__at__at__at_          )
              \                                            / 
               \                                          /
                \                                        /
                 \                                      /
                  \                                    /
                   \             uhhh ohhhhh....      /           
                    \                                /             
                     \                              /               
                      \            ,.o.,           /
                       \          d  O  b         / 
                        \          _\ /_         /
                    ___  \        {x|||x}       /  ____
                   (____>=======_at_V{ _x_ }V_at_=======<____)       
                           \     (   ^   )    /             
                            `~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'  <- trough
              /\
             /  \    /\
  ,,___,~~~~'    `~~'  `~~~.__         /}
 <, ~_at_                        ```~~.__/ }
  `vvvvvvvv,  ))))               o  __  (
     ^^^^^^"                 ___.~~'  \ }
      `~~~~~~~~\   )~~~~~~'''       o  \}
                \_/            o   o
                                               o               
jf
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