a high tide, during which the water depth is too great, causing the wave face to break more slowly and with less power. Other surf breaks may experience the opposite effect and have better wave shape during high tide. Bathymetry, coastal geography, and man-made coastal features such as seawalls, harbors, piers, and dredging all impact how a surf break will respond to tides. Gathering information The only way to tell how specific conditions will affect the surf in a specific spot is to spend time observing that spot. One of the attributes of surf is that no two waves are the same, let alone two surfing spots. It requires a great deal of observation time to figure out which conditions make a particular spot good and which conditions do not. Only then can an accurate forecast of the surf for any conditions be made. It is also important to notice the difference between a surf forecast and a surf report. A surf forecast is a prediction of what to expect from waves in the future. A surf report is a report of the conditions on that current day, typically given by someone who has watched the waves first-hand. Surf Forecasting Websites Surfline http://www.surfline.com Magicseaweed https://magicseaweed.com/ Surf-Forecast.com http://www.surf-forecast.com Swellinfo https://www.swellinfo.com Coastal Watch https://www.coastalwatch.com/ Swell Net https://www.swellnet.com/ DeepSwell https://deepswell.com/ Surf-Scout https://surf-scout.com/ Governmental agencies The National Weather Service in Honolulu, Hawai'i, publishes surf forecasts for O'ahu. References