WaveWise Academy

A beginner-friendly course on surf forecasting. Each topic covers one concept with its own diagrams. Read them in order or jump to whatever the forecast is throwing at you today.

A distant storm sends swell energy traveling thousands of miles to reach the coast.
Topic 1

Swells

Where surf comes from

A swell is the ocean carrying the energy of a distant storm toward shore. Knowing what the swell is doing tells you whether a spot will even have waves today.

Open topic
Hand-drawn diagram labeling the peak, lip, tube, face, shoulder, curl, impact zone and whitewater.
Topic 2

Waves

How to read the shape

Once swell reaches a sandbar, the question changes from whether there is energy to whether the wave has a makeable shoulder. Reading the peak, shoulder and closeout line helps you choose better waves.

Open topic
Long period waves arrive far apart, with organised power between sets.
Topic 3

Period

The most underrated number

Period is the seconds between one wave crest and the next. It is the single best predictor of how much actual power the surf will have.

Open topic
Offshore wind blows from land toward sea and holds the wave face taller and cleaner.
Topic 4

Wind

Shapes the wave face

Wind blowing against, with, or across the wave makes a huge visual and tactical difference. It is the variable that changes the most through the day.

Open topic
A 24 hour tide cycle showing two highs and two lows.
Topic 5

Tides

The water level under the wave

Tides move the water level up and down through the day. The same spot can be perfect at one tide and unsurfable two hours later.

Open topic
Top-down view of a beach break with multiple sandbar peaks along the shore.
Topic 6

Break types

How the bottom shapes the wave

A wave is the swell colliding with what is under it. Sand, rock, headlands and jetties each shape that collision differently, which is why every spot has its own personality.

Open topic
Progression from bigger floatier boards to smaller boards as ability increases.
Topic 7

Boards

Pick the one that catches waves

The board you ride matters more than almost any other decision when you are learning. Bigger, wider, floatier boards catch more waves and give you a stable platform to stand on.

Open topic
The surfer closest to the breaking peak has priority.
Topic 8

Etiquette

Stay safe, stay welcome

The lineup is everyone sharing one finite resource: the next wave. The unwritten rules exist to keep people safe and to keep the wave-sharing fair. Following them is non-negotiable.

Open topic
Top-down view of a rip current channel flowing back out to sea between sandbars.
Topic 9

Safety

Rips, exits and gear

The ocean is patient with prepared surfers and unforgiving with unprepared ones. A few simple habits keep you out of the worst trouble.

Open topic
Surf glossary diagram labeling the peak, lip, face, shoulder, trough and whitewater.
Topic 10

Glossary

Surf terms in plain English

A plain-language reference for the words you will see in WaveWise, surf forecasts, spot notes and lineup conversations.

Open topic

Further reading

Academy combines WaveWise spot and forecast terminology with beginner-oriented surf guides.