Magic Seaweed is a popular online platform that provides surf forecasting information and reports from beaches around the world. It offers detailed data on swell, wind, tides, and surf conditions, making it a valuable resource for surfers and water sports enthusiasts. The website was founded in 2002 by two surfers, Jon Wyatt and Ben Freeston, who wanted to create a reliable source of surf information for themselves and others. Since its inception, Magic Seaweed has grown immensely and now attracts millions of users every month. One of the key features of Magic Seaweed is its surf forecasting algorithm. This algorithm takes into account a wide range of factors, such as wave height, wave direction, period, wind speed, and tide levels, to provide accurate and up-to-date surf forecasts.

The UK Rivers Guidebook

This algorithm takes into account a wide range of factors, such as wave height, wave direction, period, wind speed, and tide levels, to provide accurate and up-to-date surf forecasts. Users can search for specific beaches or explore various surfing spots on interactive maps. In addition to surf forecasts, Magic Seaweed also offers a wealth of other information to help surfers plan their sessions effectively.

Explain 'Magic Seaweed' swell forecast to me please

Simon Willis Posts: 682 Joined: Sun Jun 13, 2004 1:27 am Location: Ardnamurchan Been thanked: 5 times Contact:

Explain 'Magic Seaweed' swell forecast to me please

Post by Simon Willis » Thu Jun 10, 2010 5:00 pm

I usually pay most attention to the wind forecast on websites like XC Weather. Now I'd like to understand the swell forecast a little more.

Magic Seaweed has been recommended (along with others in the Almanac). I get the idea - the height in ft is the height of the swell prediction, based on ocean bouys. A few questions:

* Is the height measured from the top to bottom of the wave pattern?
* What counts as a 'big' swell for sea kayaking along an exposed coast? OK, that's subjective, but I haven't spent the time relating what I've read online to my experience on the sea. So
* Is there a beaufort-type scale for swell. 2ft - hardly notice 4ft - lumpy 9ft - crikes

Frankly, I'm not sure if I'm asking the right question, so all responses appreciated.
S

Jim Posts: 14316 Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 2:14 pm Location: Dumbarton Has thanked: 42 times Been thanked: 122 times

Re: Explain 'Magic Seaweed' swell forecast to me please

Post by Jim » Thu Jun 10, 2010 6:10 pm

You have to read the notes for each venue on Magic Seaweed, some are based on wave buoys, others incorporate local surfers experienced conversions from wave buoy height to surf on beach height. I think at all venues you can click a linki to the actual buoy the data is based on if it's sea swell you are interested rather than the break? To be honest I haven't checked the surf forecast for some time.

* I think the height measurement is explained on the site - surfers usually talk about the height of the back of the wave before it breaks, in breaking it gets steeper and higher
* pass
* There are a couple of scales of sea state, there is in fact a Beaufort one, which is a little different to the others, the ones used more professionally are the Douglas Sea Scale or I think the International Sea Scale, which as far as I can remember are identical. Sea state is related in terms of significant wave height (h subscript 1/3) with descriptions like slight, moderate or rough. Significant wave height is a good one, it is based on the idea that an observer will only notice the top 1/3 biggest waves in a spectrum so it is an average of the top 1/3 wave heights in the spectrum. You will get bigger waves on occasion, and a lot of smaller waves, but the ones you will find yourself using to gauge the sea state, are the top 1/3.

I hate waves!
In theory I can work out the accelerations on a vessel in a significant wave height of x metres, in reality I rarely have enough data and spend hours trolling through technical literature trying to find a shortcut that is going to work acceptably for the item I need to sea fasten based on the information I have been able to put together or can conservatively assume. What a stupid medium to try and operate in!

Owen Posts: 2393 Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2005 4:42 pm Location: Nr Stirling Has thanked: 32 times Been thanked: 89 times Contact:

Re: Explain 'Magic Seaweed' swell forecast to me please

Post by Owen » Thu Jun 10, 2010 10:19 pm

There's some general weather forcast term explaned here. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/mar . ssary.html
Sea states are at the bottom.

Re: Explain 'Magic Seaweed' swell forecast to me please

Post by Ran » Thu Jun 10, 2010 10:38 pm

Hi,
Interetsing thread, Ive always thought wave height was the face of the wave?
Thanks Owen for the link, Ive been looking for that for ages. I would go out in a moderate. didnt realise it could mean 2m waves though! I love the Phenomenal term for a huge wave. I can see the paddler there between rock and mounring monster and last words being 'Phenomenal!'
cheers
Ran

Chas C Posts: 1863 Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2002 9:12 pm Location: New Forest Has thanked: 37 times Been thanked: 8 times Contact:

Re: Explain 'Magic Seaweed' swell forecast to me please

Post by Chas C » Fri Jun 11, 2010 8:16 am

Its not known - at least in my area - as being very accurate, so much so that it has the nickname of lying seaweed.

Often it shows a forecast of a few or more feet in the Bournemouth area when its flat.

Much better are the local reports (mostly surf shops) and local camera's.

Re: Explain 'Magic Seaweed' swell forecast to me please

Post by jcox » Fri Jun 11, 2010 11:36 am

You need to understand how their forecast relates to where you're going, which isnt always that easy, given you've probably never been there.

My rule of thumb for North Devon is that I'll see about 1/3rd of the charted wave height at the beach. I dont venture far enough offshore to know what its like out in the Bristol Channel.

If you're after surfing, it gets worse because wind against waves will eventually kill them, but while that's happening they'll get bigger, steeper and generally perfect at the beach, whereas wind with waves is what makes them in the first place, but it will also mess them up, blow foamy tops off them, and often pile them onto the beach unsurfably.

Re: Explain 'Magic Seaweed' swell forecast to me please

Post by Jonny-the-ski » Sun Jun 13, 2010 8:58 am

Actually - Magicseaweed is pretty much pin-point accurate. It gives you all the data, you just need to know what that date Is and MEANS. Swell is not just swell, and wind effects everything, from a 'waves' point of view.

Swell speed, angle and period make an effect, as to what swell is dominant. Again, Use the wave buoy's for live data. Now, the model of the wave/swell is also generated by the wave buoys - but these lie, as wind can, and often does give a false larger swell'. If you find your local surf spot on MSW - look at the 'guestimate' main data. Then, look to the right, near the bottom of the page for 'local wave buoys':
http://magicseaweed.com/Wave-Buoy/62103/
Click on the one nearest to you. see the data it reads, lets say 6ft. at 6 seconds, north. Now go back a page, again on the right - click on the live winds. lets say it's giving a 24mph west. Both these data fields are LIVE right now. But to the trained, the wave bouy will be local wind generated data, not quality long range swell. We can tell by the direction of the swell and the local wind data. The turbulant wind will make the wave buoy rise and fall - giving a larger reading. Also - a 6 second swell - that will just creep in slowwww and be gone as it hits the shore.

Think of your coast as a cheesegrater - swell hits it and the bottom of the wave gets shaved off - throwing the top forward. This is a stupid example - but bear with me. You have two sets of cheese - each has 4 blocks stacked. One is processed dairylee - soft and squidgy (the poor quality slow swell) the other mature cheddar - solid.
Now - imagine dragging the dairylee up the grater - it will just disappear and you will loose a finger tip!!
Do the same with the cheddar and the bottom will get shaved, but the top, intact will throw forward, falling infront. The faster you push - the further forward it will get thrown. So, the better, more solid a swell, the bigger it will remain as it hits the coast, and the more hollow/tubing it will be - the faster it is. See - waves are like cheese!

It does'nt end there though.
you have to click on the full swell breakdown tab of your forcast, this tells you what the swell is doing via spectral data. This gives you the dominant swell, a primary, secondary and wind generated swell. From this you can see the direction of the swell. If the directions is wrong - no mater how good, it will suck and waves will be small. Look at me in Bantham, a 10 foot dominant swell but low wind from the north and at 12 second period (so fast/powerful) will be flat at my local. Looking at the UK map, Ireland will block North Devon, Newquay - but, charting the direction Sennen will be going off the chart. It seems odd, but 30 mins up the coast can be 3ft, further down can be 10ft.

Now - spectrals, the three images you see 'swell - period - wind' these are vital. Give these just a cursory glance and you are asking for a bad, waveless trip!
Click on swell. This gives you an animation of the power/size of the swell, the direction and the speed it is heading for you. Again, it is not as simple as it seems. A big, fast Biscay swell can take 12 to 18 hours to hit the coast. So you can look - gain the data, go "Whoaaa its crankin" jump in the car - scream to the beach and it be crap - and it will be epic in a few hours time.
Drag down the tap to period: - this gives you the power of the swell, this with the size will give you all the info as to where is going off and where is just off!
Then, drag down again to wind - check it against the two previous models, work out if it is massive wind generated - if so, go for a sheltered 'close proximity' spot that the waves will wrap around into and clean up or a massive storm swell, generated 100's of miles away, so no wind - just quality, huge waves - head for some place exposed that will catch the swell without worry of wind etc.

THEN. (I know, it's not over yet):
Tab down again for the pressure chart. Here you can see the weather system that is creating the waves - the dartboards. The more lines, and the tighter together, and the lower the number the more raw power. You can also see, via the animation, the speed it is tracking, so can predict the violence of the beast. ALWAYS click - zoom out, you are looking for big storms, but further away. You want to snare the fruit of these systems.

MSW is essential and vary accurate. You just need to know how to get what you need from all the data. a 5ft local swell might not be a wave at all. But, s powerful 2.5ft swell can, on the right day, mean a super clean, super fun - head high wave!

Think about it, MSW is so good, it was used to predict the exact window, but for a few days either side, to film the Weatherly brothers in Norway, for the film Shack Therapy. They predicted, bang on a week. The Weatherlys jumped on a plane from their home in Hawaii to Norway, a place with few surfers, to the most remote set of islands on that coast - so no existing local data, and scored epic big tubes. Norway, know to be pretty much windy as crap and not alligned for many swells - MSW called it. Got it right.
Using the same data as we can. I've had a lifetime chasing swells from here in Devon - to Cornwall, and down through France/Spain - it works!

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Giant seaweed

Giant seaweed are giant versions of seaweed. They can be used on a fire or range, which gives 6 soda ash.

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This includes live webcams from beaches, historical data on past swells and conditions, and user-submitted photos and reports. The website also has a community forum where surfers can share tips, advice, and stories. Magic Seaweed has become a go-to resource for surfers around the world due to its accuracy and reliability. It has gained a reputation for providing high-quality surf forecasts, allowing surfers to make informed decisions about when and where to catch the best waves. The platform is continuously updated with new features and improvements to ensure that users have the best possible experience. In conclusion, Magic Seaweed is an invaluable tool for surfers, providing comprehensive surf forecasting information and reports from beaches worldwide. Its accurate forecasts, user-friendly interface, and community-driven features have made it a popular choice among surfers of all levels. Whether you're a beginner looking for the best conditions to learn or an experienced surfer seeking epic waves, Magic Seaweed is sure to enhance your surf experience..

Reviews for "A Taste of Magic: Culinary Uses of Seaweed"

1. John - 2 stars

I was really disappointed with Magic seaweed. The accuracy of the surf forecasts was terrible. On multiple occasions, I planned my surfing trips based on their predictions and ended up either with no waves or with huge waves that were too dangerous to surf. It was a complete waste of my time and ruined several weekends for me. I wouldn't recommend relying on their surf forecasts if you are serious about surfing.

2. Sarah - 1 star

I can't understand why Magic seaweed is so popular. The app is cluttered with ads, making it difficult to navigate and use. The user interface is also outdated and not intuitive at all. I found it hard to customize the settings and often got frustrated with the app. Additionally, the information provided in their surf reports was often inaccurate, leaving me disappointed and distrustful of their service. I would suggest using a different app or website for surf forecasts.

3. Mike - 2 stars

Magic seaweed claims to provide detailed information about tides, swells, and winds, but I found their reports to be overly simplified and lacking in crucial details. For example, their swell predictions were often too general, not specifying the actual size or direction of the waves. This made it difficult for me to plan my surfing sessions effectively, as these details are essential for choosing the right spot and time to surf. I would recommend looking for a more accurate and detailed surf forecast source.

Magical Healing: The Therapeutic Powers of Magic Seaweed