Western Gulf of Alaska - 175NM SE of Kodiak, AK
Alaska, United States
Last wave reading:
Now at the buoy
Significant wave height at the buoy
10.2 ft
3.1 m
- Dominant period
- —
- Direction
- from SSE 150°
Swell
9.8 ft3.0 m
10 sfrom SSE 158°
Wind waves
1.6 ft0.5 m
3.6 sfrom ESE 113°
Mid-period swell leads: 9.8 ft at 10 s from the SSE, with 1.6 ft of wind waves at 3.6 s from the ESE on top. Building over the last 6 hours, up 2.9 ft.
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 | 11.0 ft | 12 s | S |
| Sat, Nov 14 | 15.7 ft | 9.5 s | NW |
| Sun, Nov 15 | 16.1 ft | 9.5 s | NW |
| Mon, Nov 16 | 12.1 ft | 13 s | SW |
| Tue, Nov 17 | 12.3 ft | 13 s | WSW |
| Wed, Nov 18 | 9.6 ft | 11 s | SSW |
| Thu, Nov 19 | 18.3 ft | 12 s | SW |
ECMWF WAM wave model via Open-Meteo, nearest model cell (56.250°N, 148.000°W). Both lines are significant wave height at sea, the same measure the buoy reports. Model output, not a Quiver beach forecast.
Nearby buoys
- Portlock Bank - 76 NM ENE of Kodiak, AK5.9 ftLive · 220 km
- Albatross Bank - 104NM South of Kodiak Is., AK9.2 ft · 12 sLive · 296 km
Other readings
- Water temperature
- 47°F (8.2°C)
- Wind
- 10 kt from the NE, gusts 16 kt
- Air temperature
- 45°F (7.2°C)
- Pressure
- 994.2 hPa
Reported Nov 13, 12:40 AM GMT-10.
How to read this buoy
Over the readings shown here, most wave energy reached this buoy from the SW, S and W.
Biggest hourly reading in that record: 24.6 ft at 13 s on Nov 9.
- Station id
- 46001
- Operator
- NDBC
- Program
- NDBC Meteorological/Ocean
- Position
- 56.296°N, 148.027°W
- Type
- Moored buoy
- Local time zone
- GMT-10 (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.
