sˌʌm dʒˈɜːnəlˌɪsts ænd mˈiːdiːə ˈaʊtlɛts ðæt pɹəvˈaɪd ˌɪnfɚmˈeɪʃən tə sˈɜːfɚz bˌʌt ɑːɹ nˌɑːt stˈæft baɪ ɪnsˈaɪdɚz tə ðə spˈoːɹt ɛkspɹˈɛs wˈeɪv sˈaɪz ɪn mˈɛtɹɪk jˈuːnɪts jˈuːzɪŋ dᵻɹˈɛkt kənvˈɜːʒən fɹʌm ɐ lˈɪɾɚɹəl ɪntˌɜːpɹɪtˈeɪʃən ʌvðə skˈeɪlz ˈaʊtpʊt, ˈiː.dʒˈiː., lˈeɪbəlɪŋ æz "wˈʌnmˈiːɾɚ" ɐ wˈeɪv ðæt ɪnsˈaɪdɚz wʊd dᵻskɹˈaɪb æz "θɹˈiːfˈʊt" ɔːɹ slˈaɪtli lˈɑːɹdʒɚ.
Some journalists and media outlets that provide information to surfers but are not staffed by insiders to the sport express wave size in metric units using direct conversion from a literal interpretation of the scale's output, e.g., labeling as "1-metre" a wave that insiders would describe as "3-foot" or slightly larger.