Question about wave heights

I've never understood this debate, 6ft. is 6ft. no matter where you go in the world, it's still 6ft., I always laugh when I hear, 2ft Hawaiian. For now on i'm going to report wave heights as 6ft Florida, or whatever it happens to be at the time... but when I say Florida, you'll know exactly the size of the wave, cause 6ft Florida is different, it just is.

Saying 2ft Hawaiian is just so hardcore man, I mean it's like "aaaah it's no big deal out here, just 2ft Hawaiian, nothing you'd be interested in, it's practically flat by our standards, I mean, I was barreled and all, but you wouldn't be interested in that, it's just another day of small weak waves as far as we're concerned."

It's that "we're so cool that everything seems so lame" thing they got going on. Gimme a break

 

To some its the size of the wave wall. Others its measured by the back of the wave. Knee to waist is knee to waist

 

Well if you remeber physical science class then you would know waves (no matter what type) are measured off the back. Yes it is an odd way to measure surf and that is why many years ago most people switched to saying knee, waist, chest, etc as it gave a better view of the true height of the wave. The actuall data from buoys however still measures waves the way all scientist do, off the back. As for Chopes, well it's a slab wave and they defy all rules. Google a Surfline article from a couple years back about it and it will make more sense. Most waves break in water that is roughly half as deep as the wave is tall, well we all know Chopes and other slabs do not work like this and that is why they have no back to them. And as Lee said period of the swell makes a big difference too.

 

I always thought scientific wave height measurement was from trough to crest on the face of the wave. But I mean why even bother calling wave size until it hits 23 ft?

 

I was always taught from the trough (on the backside) to the top of the crest. But yes I agree unless we top 23 ft who cares!

 

Anything under 23 doesn't even count anyway

 

I don't think it matters which side of a wave you would measure in deep water. The wave should be symmetrical as long as it isn't touching the ocean floor.

 

Yeah...buoys measure wave height from trough to crest. The trough behind one wave is in front of the next wave. Buoys aren't measuring backs or fronts of waves.

 

I think here on the east coast we measure the front of the wave . But Hawaii and others places around the world measure the Back of the wave . That's why Hawaii's 6 foot wave is 2 feet above head height .