Swell science

The Sportbay Team was anxious for any news from the opening event of the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour.
However, when we awoke this morning we found that the pros down at the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast are enjoying the day off, according to the ASP.
Due to some onshore wind action and a low swell, the pros are going to rest up until at least tomorrow. So we decided to find out what the term “swell” actually means.
Surfertoday.com helped us understand the difference between ground swells and wind swells.
Ground swells are the result of pressure. A ground swell is actually wind pressing on the ocean surface thousands of miles away from where the effects become apparent.
Typically the best swells for surfing, ground swells are long distance waves which are the result of intense storms out at sea. After the long distance, the swells reach the shores with less energy than started, which typically create choppy conditions out at sea but then turn into the long, clean waves we like to sea on the beach.
Swell forecasters use the area the winds apply force to predict swell conditions along surf spots.
Wind swells are local winds which hit the surface of the water. As the wave brushes the surface, it creates waves which are choppy in nature.
Wind swells typically destroy pristine surfing conditions, as most know.
In addition, Surfertoday.com also has an interesting diagram which illustrates the concepts of swell vs. wind vs. tide.
Surfertoday.com also hosts a World Wave Height Forecast page where surfers can find expert predictions on swells from Hawaii to Australia to Portugal to India.
Here at Sportbay, we love to know what swells are going to hit the beaches. Particularly tomorrow, on the Gold Coast, when our favorite pros will be competing on the perfect ground swells which started way out in the Pacific.