StaleBuoy 46006

Southeast Papa - 600NM West of Eureka, CA

California, United States

Last wave reading:

Last reading

This reading is more than 3 hours old. The buoy may have stopped sending waves for now.

Significant wave height at the buoy

26.9 ft

8.2 m

Dominant period
—
Direction
from W 271°

Swell

0.0 ft0.0 m

no periodno direction

Wind waves

26.9 ft8.2 m

12 sfrom W 270°

Wind waves lead: 26.9 ft at 12 s from the W, over 0.0 ft of swell.

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

2 ft4 ft6 ft8 ft10 ft12 ft14 ft16 ft18 ft20 ft22 ft24 ft26 ft28 ft8 Sun9 Mon10 Tue11 Wed12 Thu
  • Total (significant height)
  • Swell
  • Wind waves

Period

5 s10 s15 s20 s8 Sun9 Mon10 Tue11 Wed12 Thu
  • Swell period
  • Wind-wave period
dir

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

Model vs the buoy

2 ft4 ft6 ft8 ft10 ft12 ft14 ft16 ft18 ft20 ft22 ft24 ft26 ft28 ft30 ft32 ft34 ft36 ft38 ft40 ft42 ftforecast
  • Buoy, hourly
  • Model, past days
  • Model forecast

Over the last 5 days, the model tracked the buoy within 10%.

Model peak each day at the buoy
DayHeightPeak periodFrom
Thu, Nov 1239.2 ft17 sWNW
Fri, Nov 1341.6 ft18 sWNW
Sat, Nov 1430.8 ft15 sWNW
Sun, Nov 1529.4 ft15 sWNW
Mon, Nov 1621.0 ft14 sNW
Tue, Nov 1713.9 ft11 sWNW
Wed, Nov 1813.2 ft12 sNW
Thu, Nov 198.6 ft11 sWNW

ECMWF WAM wave model via Open-Meteo, nearest model cell (40.750°N, 137.500°W). Both lines are significant wave height at sea, the same measure the buoy reports. Model output, not a Quiver beach forecast.

Other readings

Water temperature
62°F (16.9°C)
Wind
35 kt from the W, gusts 43 kt
Air temperature
59°F (15.1°C)
Pressure
989.5 hPa

Reported Nov 12, 3:20 PM GMT-9.

How to read this buoy

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

Biggest hourly reading in that record: 27.9 ft at 14 s on Nov 7.

Station id
46006
Operator
NDBC
Program
NDBC Meteorological/Ocean
Position
40.730°N, 137.420°W
Type
Moored buoy
Local time zone
GMT-9 (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.