How is wave size measured in surfing?

It's difficult to describe the feeling you get when surfing or just watching a big wave; many people have countless things going through their heads, while others don't think about anything and simply enjoy the moment.

But have you ever wondered how they determine the size of these waves? In this article, we'll show you some of the most common methods used to measure this variable.

These measurements require great care, study and knowledge, since to determine the correct data the constant variations in the ocean must be considered.

In recent years, there have been numerous opinions and viewpoints regarding the determination of the world's largest surfed waves, with the aim of establishing a Guinness World Record. However, these measurements have always strived to be as accurate as possible, but this requires several necessary methods, which we explain below:

- Oceanographic buoys: These are floating buoys in the sea equipped with an accelerometer to measure ocean activity. This electromechanical device measures acceleration and movement in three directions: when the buoy rises, falls, or moves sideways.

- Marine sensors: These sensors are installed on the seabed. This mechanism records the pressure produced in the water. If there is more water due to a higher wave height, there will be greater pressure. The only drawback of these devices is their retrieval, as the sensors must be recovered intact.

- Satellites: Another measurement method would be to use data generated by satellites, since they generate an initial signal that is then reflected back and retransmitted. Their view is more global.

- Bascom Method: This procedure was developed by Willard Newell Bascom, an oceanographer and engineer, and is based on physics and mathematics. Its measurement method is scientifically determined from the wave crest to sea level as seen from the shore. This is possibly the most widely used and accepted system today for measuring waves in surfing.

- Hawaiian method: This method is quite unique, because unlike the Bascom method, where we measure the wave from the front, the Hawaiian method measures it from behind. The measurement obtained with this technique could be lower, since observing the waves from behind would mean ignoring the wave's base. This can lead to inaccurate measurements in some seabeds.

- The "surfable wave face" method: This method is increasingly used in surfing competitions worldwide; however, its measurements can sometimes be 60% lower than those of the Bascom method. Many consider this method the fairest, since the measurement is taken from the part of the wave used for surfing.

Many surfers have had the opportunity to ride a wave that, for them, might be the biggest they've ever surfed. However, unless they're aiming for a Guinness World Record, which in most cases wouldn't be the case, the true perception of the size of that wave isn't measured in feet, meters, or centimeters; it's measured in an indescribable feeling when riding the wave that will always remain in our memories.

Written by: Enrique Hernández

General Management: Marco Montero