Pensacola - 115NM SSE of Pensacola, FL
Florida, United States
Last wave reading:
Now at the buoy
Significant wave height at the buoy
4.3 ft
1.3 m
- Dominant period
- —
- Direction
- from NW 311°
Swell
0.0 ft0.0 m
no periodno direction
Wind waves
4.3 ft1.3 m
5.3 sfrom NW 315°
Wind waves lead: 4.3 ft at 5.3 s from the NW, over 0.0 ft of swell. 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 tracked the buoy within 10%.
| Day | Height | Peak period | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 13 | 4.8 ft | 5.5 s | NNW |
| Sat, Nov 14 | 4.9 ft | 5.6 s | NNW |
| Sun, Nov 15 | 4.1 ft | 5.1 s | ENE |
| Mon, Nov 16 | 8.4 ft | 6.7 s | E |
| Tue, Nov 17 | 8.9 ft | 6.8 s | E |
| Wed, Nov 18 | 8.3 ft | 6.9 s | E |
| Thu, Nov 19 | 7.5 ft | 6.6 s | E |
ECMWF WAM wave model via Open-Meteo, nearest model cell (28.750°N, 86.000°W). Both lines are significant wave height at sea, the same measure the buoy reports. Model output, not a Quiver beach forecast.
Nearby buoys
- West Tampa - 112 NM WNW of Tampa, FL4.6 ftLive · 151 km
- Orange Beach - 44 NM SE of Mobile, AL2.3 ftLive · 206 km
- Offshore St. Petersburg, FL4.6 ft · 6 sLive · 233 km
- DISL Sofar Spotter1.6 ft · 3 sLive · 258 km
- Chandeleur Island SE, LA3.0 ft · 4 sLive · 270 km
Other readings
- Wind
- 12 kt from the N, gusts 16 kt
- Air temperature
- 72°F (22.3°C)
- Pressure
- 1010.6 hPa
Reported Nov 13, 3:10 AM GMT-6.
How to read this buoy
Over the readings shown here, most wave energy reached this buoy from the SE and E.
Biggest hourly reading in that record: 10.8 ft at 8 s on Oct 17.
- Station id
- 42039
- Operator
- NDBC
- Program
- NDBC Meteorological/Ocean
- Position
- 28.768°N, 86.024°W
- Type
- Moored buoy
- Local time zone
- GMT-6 (open ocean)
- Swell split
- Yes, swell and wind waves reported
Source: NOAA National Data Buoy Center (NDBC). 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.
