How often do they update the photos? Looks like they have pics of my local area from the fall. There are surfers at the home break in the photos!!! What are ways you can observe/study bathymetry of coastline area?
This fall one of my local breaks had dredging going on so I used Google earth to check out some local spots. I didn't really know what I was looking for. I understand the basics of the effects wind, tides, and bathymetry have on the waves. What I was looking at was basically just the direction the beach faced in nearby areas. Us long islanders like a NW wind. I was looking for a spot that maybe faces more east than south, hoping it would work on a WNW or W wind better. I didn't have much luck and didn't spend much time looking since I didn't know what exactly I was looking for in a spot to check out. I did end up finding a nice little spot but that was luck. I'm intrested in what others say, if I can learn something from this thread I might just give Google earth another look. Good post man
GIS or geographic information systems. I'm sure there are some files you can download online somewhere. There is probably shipping maps that could be used. Im sure they have to know the bathymetry of the area so they don't run a ground.
The Corps of Engineers conduct coastal bathymetry mapping. G.E. uploads new sat images pretty much at random--it all depends on when they have access to certain satellites at certain points in time. IIRC, if you pay for the advanced version you can request updated images of areas and they will prioritize your request. That said, large metro areas get updated pretty regularly--as in over once a year...
. I did end up finding a nice little spot but that was luck. I'm intrested in what others say, if I can learn something from this thread I might just give Google earth another look. Good post man[/QUOTE] i think google earth is agood way to start, but when looking for new spots in central Long Island its a crap shoot, besides out east where its all rock and where there is an inlet. the only real way to find something new is to go out and look, and get in the water a bunch of times. Most of central LI is sand without structure and it shifts so much that the bottom can be different everyday. I think we surf the same spots. a swell can hit the bar just right and make a few days of magic but the rip it created might tear the bar apart. it might also create a new bar 200 yards away that is waiting for the next swell.
I'm pretty sure they update the photos every 2 years, but sometimes they update more popular places like cities more often than places like my house.
