When Do Ocean Waves Become 'Significant'?

A Closer Look at Wave Forecasts

Anyone who has spent time on a vessel, large or small, can probably recall an encounter with significant waves. Of course, the size of wave that someone considers to be 'significant' is very subjective and dependent on the size of the vessel on which that person's encounter took place.

Ocean Waves

Rules of Thumb
(Meteorological-N Hemisphere)

Looking at the wind, the low is on your right (Buys Ballot’s Law).
If the wind direction doesn’t change as the pressure drops, the storm is coming straight at you.
If the wind veers (CW variation) the storm is passing west of you.
If the wind backs (CCW variation) the storm is passing east of you.
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Posted by Fred Dobson

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When Do Ocean Waves Become 'Significant'?

A Closer Look at Wave Forecasts

Ocean Waves

Tides, Weather, Webcams

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