by jaffa1949 » Sun Sep 01, 2013 1:29 am
I think you are unnecessarily complicating your wave power assessment.
Tere is so much more to it than just Kjs.
here is a guide as i see it for beginners and covers most circumstance as a broad assessment.
First take swell size, (easy reading that) look at the period which represents the wave length of the swell these two things give you a general estimate of the power of the wave that will generated.
Short period means less power and most likely the swell has been created fairly close by.
Longer period means the swell is more organised more powerful and probably traveled further to get to your beach.
So a two metre swell on a 15 second period will be substantial in power, a one metre by 7second will be nowhere near as powerful.
Now comes the important bit, the bottom of the beach on which you wish to surf, starting at the Continental Shelf and offshore sandbank the swell begins to react an change itself accordingly.
At the point where the swell turns to waves is the most critical and gives the variance in wave types
Holland most often lacks wave power because the long gradually sloping offshore delta sandbank add frictions drag to slow and de-power the wave before it hits the shore line.
A deep water coast with an abrupt rise to the shore will generate a more powerful shore wave. Add further a choice of sand rocks or man made break creators.
Then throw in local and prevailing wind conditions and that is really the way to give yourself a chance of forecasting!
Get to know the beaches where you want to surf then apply the information above, the Kjs, newtons, foot pounds, any other power measurements are really only needed for a scientific assessment.
If you want to go the scientific way read Tony Butt's writings in the Stormrider guides or especially in in The Surfers Path Magazine, he is the best studied writer on this!.
Oostend and near Zeebrugen are some places to consider in Belgium or head south to the warmer climate of France Spain and Portugal.
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