Birdsnest
Well-Known Member
imagine pouring them in as you get pounded by 2.5m swells.
2.5 meters can be immaculate conditions if:
1. The period is above 14 seconds.
2. The wind is not greater than 6 kn.
3. There is not a underlying/less dominant swell running that is less than 13 seconds.
A ground swell of 2 meters at 18 seconds is hardly noticeable off shore in 1000 feet of water BUT can be absolutely deadly on the rocks or beach due to the tendency to have much longer periods of time between sets and the potential to break 8 to 12 feet in height. Off shore you can put 25 kn of wind on a 2 m @ 18 second swell and the swell will not add to the seastate whatsoever.
I am more than happy to fish out there on any large period swell. where the problem arrises is fishing in say 2 meters at 10 to 12 seconds. Put a sudden 15 to 20 kn of wind on that and it can get up to 3 times as bad as if there was no swell.
Guess its a good time to start the " Tuna fishing Weather and Sea State/ Forecasting" Thread.
Often buoy measurements use the dominant swell so often you will have a report of 1.5 meters at 12 or 13 seconds which can be real nice out there but it is not unusual to get out there to discover its rough as hell. Why? Usually its because there is a factor missing in the report. The secondary swell. If this secondary swell is 1 meter at 6 seconds its not smooth out there. Its choppy even if it is glassy.
There are often multiple swells running at any given time on our west coast.
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