Wave height vs. wave period: what a buoy is really telling you
Why a 6-foot sea at 8 seconds is not the same signal as 6 feet at 18 seconds, and how CoastEventRadar uses both without making surf-safety claims.
Significant wave height is a summary
NDBC significant wave height is approximately the average height of the highest one-third of measured waves. It is useful context, not the maximum individual wave you may encounter.
Period changes the character
Dominant period is the period associated with the strongest part of the measured wave spectrum. Longer-period swell can carry more energy and transform differently as it reaches shallow water.
A buoy is not your beach
Buoys are offshore observations. Local orientation, bathymetry, reefs, headlands and wind can make shoreline conditions very different from the nearest buoy.
Current is not forecast
The live wave-watch view labels NDBC observations as current. Future marine guidance is shown separately when NWS publishes wave-height grid data for the selected point.
Keep official warnings on top
High Surf, Rip Current, Coastal Flood and other NWS products remain separate from the interest score and take priority over trip-planning convenience.