The European Space Agency (ESA) is employing a new technique (based on the same principle as police speed-measuring radar guns) that uses satellite radar data to measure the speed of the moving surface of the ocean. Using this new technique the ESA is able to generate Near Real Time global swell animations.

I’m not an expert on the subject, but it stands to reason that the ESA’s swell animations ought to be more accurate than NOAA’s Wave Watch III (WWIII) animations, which are based on modeled data as opposed to actual wave measurements.  Although the WWIII model still has its merits when it comes to predicting future swell movements, it’ll be interesting to see if and how the ESA’s new method of measuring the ocean’s current surface conditions makes its way into the world of surf forecasting.

Link

NASA’s website has a cool article about how satellites have helped to generate more accurate surf forecasts by providing accurate measurements of wave heights and wind speeds across the entire globe. The data that these satellites collect is freely available in case you’re interested in using it to create your own surf forecast. Here’s a link to the Winds Report from QuikSCAT.

And here’s a satellite image of Point Reyes, California. You can see the swell lines pretty clearly. That’s a lot of waves.

According to Wikipedia

Broceanography is surf jargon for the ability to predict when and where to surf on a given stretch of coast.^[1] It is an interdisciplinary field of study, drawing on meteorological, oceanographic and geographical information, to ensure that ideal surf conditions are never missed. One who practices broceanography is referred to as a "broceanographer". The playful application of the "bro" affix to a word originated in Southern California, where a cliquish group of surfers decided to affirm their membership of the surfing sub-culture by retro-fitting existing language with "bro-fixes". The practice does not appear to have spread beyond the United States.

That’s a pretty fair technical definition of the term.  I’d say if you put any thought into deciding where/when to surf, then you might as well call yourself a broceanographer.

Also, I find it difficult to believe that nobody outside the U.S. is using bro-fixes.  Can I get a brah-men?