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(Previous) 01/18/2007 (Next)
Why LOLA buoys kick serious butt.
As forecasters, buoys are one of the most important tools we use when predicting surf in the near term (from a few minutes to more than a day, depending on their location in relation to the beach you want to surf).
Continued below...
If you find yourself in a situation where you're not physically able to check the surf with your own eyes, and don't have access to surf cams or a surf forecast, buoys can give you a great idea of what the surf will be doing in certain locations once you learn their idiosyncrasies. Our LOLA buoys stand out from those you see on the NOAA site or hear on a weather radio because each swell has been broken down into height and period, rather than given in the generic combined height and dominant period. In the case of buoy 01 in Hawaii, LOLA users would know that a fun NW groundswell was still affecting the North Shore, while the other guy might just see or hear only tradeswell and skip and otherwise enjoyable session! LOLA Buoys: Learn them, use them, love them and score with them.

-Kevin Wallis

Like what you see here? Want to get this type of detailed forecast information on a daily basis, for every major surf region on earth? Then SIGN UP NOW for a Surfline Premium Membership. (First month's free.)

WHAT IS LOLA?

LOLA is the world's only automated global surf forecasting tool. LOLA can forecast waves right down the street, or it can predict surf conditions at the top spots around the globe - breaks like Tavarua, Tahiti and Jeffrey's Bay.

LOLA uses the NOAA Wavewatch III engine (running on our own computers) with Surfline-modified data from various wind models (AVN, GFS, MRF). Then LOLA combines this information with empirical data we've programmed into her gained from over 30 years of surf and weather analysis here at Surfline.

LOLA also gathers real-time data from offshore buoys to measure wave pulses from storms around the world every hour. She taps into orbiting satellites to measure hurricane-force winds and tremendous wave heights in the heart of raging storms when huge ships are running for cover. She computes near-shore wave animations measuring detailed wave heights along the coast, taking into account how swells are distorted by offshore islands and the continental shelf.

When you add it all up, LOLA is the ultimate forecasting tool for surfers looking for timely, accurate and comprehensive information about waves.

Initially, we created LOLA as a proprietary tool for Surfline forecasters. But we decided to share the knowledge and give Surfline's Premium Members the chance to use LOLA themselves, to give them the best chance to score more good surf more often.

Not a Premium Member? Then CLICK HERE for a free LOLA demo.

If you are already a Premium Member, please proceed straight to the LOLA home page.