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It doesn’t necessarily get any easier to tell the height of a wave from the water. Photo: Brent Storm//Unsplash
Editor’s Note:
Welcome to Surf History 101, where we look at innovations in the world of surfing and beyond that changed the pursuit forever. In this edition, Sam George examines the history of measuring waves and how it’s shaped the pursuit.
What Is It
The decades-long custom of ignoring actual wave height, choosing instead to declaratively assert an estimate – the assigned figure having been reached in a completely arbitrary manner.
Who Developed It
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During the recent Margaret River Pro, held at that venerable Western Australian reef break, a classic example of estimating wave height was on display, the result, no doubt, very confusing to those surf fans new to the game. Early rounds were held in heavy, blustery, Indian Ocean swells that two-time world champion Gabriel Medina from Brazil called the biggest he’d ever