About The Surf Report

This surf report for the coast of California is a Java applet that monitors and displays the largest wave at any given time. Coastal buoy locations from Eureka on down to Santa Monica are represented by animated graphics (blue pulsing circles) that change according to a waves size, speed and distance. When a specific location is selected, Half Moon Bay shown above, the wave for that location rolls across the screen in an animated line according to the wave data.

Context

I am the eternal beginner when it comes to surfing, never getting enough days in to be any better, regardless, I always like to know the conditions. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) maintains a site with wave data from a series of buoys in the Pacific updated on the hour. I wanted a better visual of the data, something closer to the feeling of watching a wave. By parsing NOAA data into a simple Java animation, I hope to provide an interesting and more informative report.

Status

The prototype is complete. Next step is to fine tune for performance and make it available to anyone else obsessed with wave conditions.