Reported Nov 12, 11:56 PM PSTBuoy 46215

Diablo Canyon, CA

Name: Diablo Canyon, CA buoy 46215 wave observations
Creator: NOAA National Data Buoy Center (NDBC); station operated by SCRIPPS
License: https://www.usa.gov/government-works

California, United States

Last wave reading: Nov 12, 11:56 PM PST

Now at the buoy

Significant wave height at the buoy

7.9 ft

2.4 m

Dominant period: 15 s
Direction: from W 269°

Swell

6.2 ft1.9 m

15 sfrom W 270°

Wind waves

4.6 ft1.4 m

5 sfrom SSW 203°

Long-period groundswell leads: 6.2 ft at 15 s from the W, with 4.6 ft of wind waves at 5 s from the SSW on top. Holding steady over the last 6 hours.

Significant wave height is the average of the biggest third of waves at the buoy. It is not surf height at a beach.

Trend at the buoy

Height at the buoy

Total (significant height)
Swell
Wind waves

Period

Swell period
Wind-wave period

Hourly means of the buoy's readings. Arrows point the way the waves travel.

Model vs the buoy

Buoy, hourly
Model, past days
Model forecast

Over the last 5 days, the model ran 46% high against the buoy.

Model peak each day at the buoy
Day	Height	Peak period	From
Fri, Nov 13	12.1 ft	15 s	WNW
Sat, Nov 14	19.9 ft	18 s	WNW
Sun, Nov 15	14.4 ft	17 s	WNW
Mon, Nov 16	14.6 ft	16 s	WNW
Tue, Nov 17	13.1 ft	15 s	WNW
Wed, Nov 18	9.5 ft	13 s	WNW
Thu, Nov 19	8.7 ft	12 s	WNW

ECMWF WAM wave model via Open-Meteo, nearest model cell (35.250°N, 121.000°W). Both lines are significant wave height at sea, the same measure the buoy reports. Model output, not a Quiver beach forecast.

Beaches whose Quiver forecast uses this buoy

Morro Rock / Sandspit (inside bend)19 km
Quiver forecast now: 7-8ft

Beach numbers are each beach's own Quiver forecast, not a conversion of this buoy reading.

Nearby buoys

Avila Beach Nearshore, CA4.6 ft · 13 sLive · 12 km
Santa Maria - 21NM NW of Point Arguello, CA9.2 ft · 15 sLive · 32 km
Santa Lucia Escarpment, CA13.1 ft · 17 sStale · 75 km
Harvest, CA13.8 ft · 14 sLive · 84 km
West Santa Barbara 38 NM West of Santa Barbara, CA12.1 ft · 16 sLive · 109 km
Cape San Martin - 55NM West NW of Morro Bay, CA10.8 ftLive · 113 km

Nearest tide station: Port San Luis 10 km for today’s highs and lows.

How to read this buoy

Diablo Canyon, CA sits 19 km from the closest beach listed here: near enough to show what is arriving, far enough that islands, points and the seabed still change it before it breaks.

Over the readings shown here, most wave energy reached this buoy from the W and SW.

Biggest hourly reading in that record: 8.4 ft at 14 s on Nov 9.

Station id: 46215
CDIP id: 076
Operator: SCRIPPS
Program: IOOS Partners
Position: 35.204°N, 120.859°W
Type: Moored buoy
Local time zone: America/Los_Angeles
Swell split: Yes, swell and wind waves reported

Source: NOAA National Data Buoy Center (NDBC); station operated by SCRIPPS. Licence: Public domain (US government work). Station page at the source.

Not for navigation. Readings can be late, missing or wrong; check official marine forecasts before going to sea.

Buoy terms

Significant height: The average of the biggest third of waves the buoy measured. Sets in the surf zone can be bigger or smaller.
Dominant period: Seconds between the waves carrying the most energy. Longer period means more power and more bend around points.
Swell vs wind waves: Swell was made by distant wind; wind waves were made nearby. The buoy splits its spectrum at a cutoff period to report each.
Direction: Where waves come from, in degrees true. 270° is from the west.