Page 6 - MidWeek West - August 3, 2022

6
AUGUST 3, 2022
Aloha surfers and beachgoers,
We loved those summery south swells that took place last week. Aver- ages of 3-4 feet are nothing to brag about, but that’s OK. This size is relatively safe, as apposed to the extra-large event of July 16-18.
BY GARY KEWLEY
It’s Time To Explore The Science Behind Big Surf
Ultimately, gravity takes over and wins the battle be- tween heavy water and ocean bathymetry. The swell gets pushed up and up as it moves closer to land. Eventually, there’s nowhere else to go. What goes up must come down. The swell becomes a steep cresting wave and tosses its final gasps of energy to- ward shore and onto the reef. It ends its 4,000-mile journey as whitewater on the beach. The cycle is endless. Surfers live for this cycle.
GQ, droppin’ in 4 U!
gary@surfnewsnetwork.com
Plus, we can’t complain when waves travel 4,000 miles to get here and are still overhead. Open ocean ground swells created by low pres- sures lose as much as 50% of their size every 1,000 miles.
These significant swells, versus the waves we surf, jack up when they reach the shallow reefs. It sometimes magnifies surf heights to three times the swell, especially
Period is a measure of ac- quired swell momentum. The stronger and longer the winds blow in the storm of origin, the longer the period, time between crests, and the bigger the surf. The kinetic energy of a long swell period of, say 20 seconds, can be felt by the ocean floor 1,000 feet below. Some reefs are super swell magnifiers based on their ocean bottom bathymetry, meaning submarine topogra- phy or the depths and shapes of underwater terrain.
I heard on the coconut ex- press that big wave and world paddling champion Jamie Mitchell and others towed
Why so big? It is because long periods and higher open- ocean swells push up all that energy much faster and harder off the ocean floor. It’s similar to why the northwest shores get so big during winter. The bathymetry goes from real deep to real shallow real fast. There are other factors that add to this amplification phe- nomenon.
So, for example, our histor- ic episode in mid-July started
out with some near 50-foot seas south of Tahiti. These seas ended up ramping our local southern buoys at Bar- bers Point and Lāna‘i up to a peak of 7 feet. I don’t recall a time prior when the buoys registered deep water swell this high. Even the compar- ative mid-90s event couldn’t match. An average healthy swell is 3 feet, which typically translates into 4 or 5 feet.
longer period swells, which can go even higher than mul- tiples of three.
So, for example, Waikīkī Bay has a more gradual de- crease in depth, so it peak- ed or closed out at 8 feet or maybe 10 feet on the big one. Contrast this to isolated reefs, which have a more abrupt change in depth like the shal- low channel reefs — Ala Moana, Kewalos or special outer reefs we do not mention. These spots can produce and hold bigger swells. Yet, this huge July swell even closed out these channels.
into a secret spot way outside normal line ups — but still in town — that had near 15-foot sets. That’s Hawai‘i scale or 25-foot faces. This is almost double the high-surf warning threshold of 15-foot faces.
All Sandwiches
Buy 1, Get 1 50% OFF
Expires 8/31/22
Kapolei
711 Kamokila Blvd #105 Kapolei, HI 96707
Kailua Beach
306 S. Kalaheo Ave. Kailua, HI 96734
Kailua Town
750 Kailua Road Kailua, HI 96734
Waimanalo
41-865 Kalaniana‘ole Hwy. Waimanalo, HI 96795
MUST HAVE COUPON TO REDEEM
www.kalapawaimarket.com
Summer Savings!
In-store
SPECIALS! While Supplies Last
$3 OFF FELINE COMPLETE DIETS! 1LB, 3LB & 14 OZ FELINE BASES
07/01/2022 - 08/31/2022, WHILE SUPPLIES LAST
Some restrictions apply. Limited to stock on hand. See store for details. Not to be combined with any other offer. Exp. 8/31/22.
we are open to serve you! In-store OR curbside PICK-UP
GROOMING SERVICES
NOW AVAILABLE!
CALL 808-689-7387 TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT!
Mahalo!
Thank you for supporting your independent pet stores and small businesses.
Ewa Beach Shopping Center, 91-919 Fort Weaver Rd
Like Us On
www.thepetdepothawaii.com Sat-Sun 10am-5pm 808-689-PETS(7387)
Store Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-7pm
same day delivery, if applicable
WE DELIVER TO: Ewa • Kapolei • Waipahu
WE OFFER online ordering! thepetdepothawaii.com