Surfing science: Dependent on weather, defined by the ocean

ICHINOMIYA, Japan (AP) — Olympic surfing’s debut is making clear that these wave riders are unsung masters of science -- in climatology, meteorology and oceanography to be exact.

Serious wave chasers are by default atmospheric science junkies because there are few, if any, sports that are both dependent on an uncontrollable variable — the weather — and defined by a literal uneven playing field — the ocean.

Surfers are known to study both in obsessive detail.

“Any time the wind blows: ‘What direction is the wind?,’” said Owen Wright, 31, who is competing for the Australia team. “We don’t just look at the weather and go ‘Oh, it’s nice and sunny’ when we know (the wind is) probably offshore. It’s never just like ‘Oh, it’s raining.’ It’s always got to do with what the surf is like.”

At the Olympics, organizers are preparing for at least three days of competition over an eight day period, which begins July 25. Surf competitions are determined the day of, and based on the weather forecast, wave height, wind direction, tidal movement, and temperature, among other scientific data points.

“Every person who goes into the ocean, whether you’re a surfer or not, you’re an amateur meteorologist and oceanographer,” said Kurt Korte, lead forecaster at Surfline and the official Olympic surfing forecaster.

But the numbers can only inform so much. The meteorological data is just part of the equation in assessing what the mighty ocean will deliver, which can change from 30-minute heat to 30-minute heat in competition.

Waves are created by the way the swells interact with the bottom contours of the ocean, called the break. Beach breaks — like the Olympic site at Tsurigasaki beach — happen because of sandbars, which can shift over time or...