Swell & Surfing Terms - Endless Summer Surf & Skate - Mission Beach

Swell
The term swell refers to open ocean energy that travels far distances, usually caused by large storms out to sea. Storm winds blow their energy down onto the ocean and create traveling waves that eventually make their way to the beach. The harder the wind blows, the deeper the energy is forced. Over time, the energy organizes into swell lines that eventually turn to waves when they hit the coast.

Swell Direction: This term refers to the general movement of swell energy. There are different angles and patterns depending on the type of swell in the water. For example, if you are on the West coast, Northwest and Southwest swells are the most common type of wave generators. These swells are generated from storms out to sea in the Pacific Ocean in places like Alaska or Mexico. In the summer time, San Diego receives the majority of its swell from the Southern Hemisphere. These swell events are known as South swells, or more specifically 'Southern Hemi' swells. However, in the winter months, the North Pacific comes to life and generates powerful Northwest swells for the entire California coast.

Swell Period: The amount of time that elapses between two consecutive waves as they pass a stationary point or object (such as a buoy). The period of a swell can reveal a lot about the nature of the waves that may result as the swell reaches the coast. A shorter period swell (7-12 seconds) is often known as a wind swell, whereas a longer (14-22 seconds) is known as a groundswell. Wind swells are typically more disorganized, don't last very long, and produce waves that are more peaky. Groundswells generally travel farther distances, are more powerful, and will have longer periods between the larger set waves.

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