Learn to read the forecast
Guides that help you understand what the numbers mean and why they matter.
Understanding swell period
Why the number labeled Tp on a buoy report matters more than wave height — and how to read it like a local.
Read →Why swell direction matters
The reason two spots ten miles apart get completely different waves. Interactive maps show how spot orientation and the swell window decide what your beach receives.
Read →How Wind Makes or Breaks a Surf Session
Why offshore wind makes good waves and onshore ruins them, the daily sea breeze cycle, regional winds like Santa Anas and trades, and how to read a wind forecast.
Read →Tides and Surfing: Why Depth Changes Everything
How tide moves the depth at your break — and why a foot of swing reshapes the wave. Why reefs like mid tide, points are forgiving, beach breaks want incoming mid, and shorebreaks need low.
Read →How to Read a Buoy Report
What WVHT, DPD, APD, and MWD actually mean, why the gap between DPD and APD is the most useful single diagnostic, why you should read two buoys, and how to calculate lead time from a deep-water station.
Read →How a Surf Forecast Actually Works
A surf forecast is a stack of nested models: weather → global wave → nearshore transformation → wind and tide blend → human overlay → star rating. How each layer works and why accuracy drops off after three days.
Read →