Southern swell observed at Oceanside, California

Abstract

A wave recorder has been in operation at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California, since May 4, 1949. Owing to its fortunate location in relation to the Western Hemisphere's hydrography, it has recorded southerly swell almost continuously throughout the summer, the origins of which appear to lie in the area between 40° and 65°S and 120° and 160°W.Swell from the south through southwest was found to run almost continuously from May through September, and to dominate the surf zone for that period. Twenty‐ to thirty‐minute averages (taken three times daily) of the “significant” breaker heights ranged from two to six feet, with most breakers.being between two and four feet. The “maximum” breakers occurring during the 20‐ to 30‐min periods were usually between four and eight feet, with heights of 10 to 12 ft observed on occasions. The average wave period of the southern swell ranged from 12 to 18 sec, with short‐time averages of predominant groups as great as 22 sec.