Coastal Data Information Program - CDIP

06/02/2025

As we approach the official start of summer, wave heights recorded at a few CDIP buoy stations were surprisingly intense in recent days, relative to climatological expectations.
Northerly winds along the West Coast set up waves of Hs = 7 m (23’) at Tp ~ 11 sec, with individual peaks reaching Hmax = 14 m (46’) at CDIP 094 Cape Mendocino, CA. This is the largest station event on record for May-September. Similar conditions were measured at CDIP 168 Humboldt Bay North Spit, CA. Buoy data exceed wave models for the event at both stations.
On May 23, over on the East Coast, CDIP 160 Jeffreys Ledge, NH, reported a similarly localized high wave event, with Hs = 5.6 m (18.4’) and Hmax = 9.7 m (31.8’) exceeding any previous wave data from May - September at that station.

As we approach the official start of summer, wave heights recorded at a few CDIP buoy stations were surprisingly intense in recent days, relative to climatological expectations. Northerly winds along the West Coast set up waves of Hs = 7 m (23’) at Tp ~ 11 sec, with individual peaks reaching Hmax

03/13/2025

CDIP stations in the Gulf were recently highlighted by GCOOS:

The Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego has been focused on providing research-grade coastal wave measurements for decades.

02/28/2025

Earlier this week, an extratropical cyclone generated the largest waves of the winter at CDIP stations along the Pacific Northwest coast, with individual waves reaching 63' (19.25 m) at CDIP 179 Astoria Canyon, OR. This event stands out in the historic record, matching the strongest events of the 2015-16 El Niño season in terms of significant wave height. This bulletin is a summary of the complete data set available at cdip.ucsd.edu. With thanks to our program sponsors at USACE, and station partners in the region, including Columbia River Bar Pilots, NREL, OSU, Pacific Salmon Charters, Oregon DOT, and OIMB.

02/04/2025

CDIP 156 Monterey Canyon Outer, CA was re-established on January 30, 2025, with station funding provided by the NOAA U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System and Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System from the Inflation Reduction Act. CDIP's moored wave buoy array now spans the Monterey Bay region, together with stations sponsored by US Army Corps of Engineers, California State Parks, and the Naval Postgraduate School. CDIP 156, in 133 m water depth near the center of the Bay, was previously instrumented 2007-2016, and these data will be especially beneficial for improving the accuracy of the CDIP California Coastal Wave model.

01/15/2025

CDIP 279 Chandelur Islands SE, LA was established on January 8, 2025, with support from the Louisiana Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority (CPRA), and the US Army Corps of Engineers. Credit to our partners at LUMCON for a safe and successful deployment from the R/V Point Sur, and we are thankful to the EPA for sharing time on their expedition. Data from this station will be applied to coastal management of the Mississippi Delta region. Data are transmitted to the NOAA in real time, and are freely available to the public at cdip.ucsd.edu

01/01/2025

CDIP stations in Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, and California measured historically powerful ultra-long period swell last week. Station records were set across the array for energy in the 25 second period spectral bin, exceeding every prior event in the 30+ year CDIP wave buoy data set for the region by a factor of two or more. The Eddie Invitational was run in Waimea, HI, and lethally hazardous coastal conditions were reported in Santa Cruz, CA. Happy Holidays to all, and thank you to our many station sponsors and partners! Our ability to provide historic context is testament to the value of multiple decades of funding and continuous effort.

12/18/2024

Extratropical storm activity continues to generate energetic wave conditions at CDIP stations in the Pacific Northwest. Combined with king tides, inundation was reported along the Oregon and Washington coasts in recent days. This bulletin is a summary of the data available at cdip.ucsd.edu.

11/26/2024

CDIP stations along the Pacific Northwest coast measured elevated wave conditions during the bomb cyclone/atmospheric river event earlier this week, part of an active start to the winter season in the region. This bulletin is a summary of the complete data set available at cdip.ucsd.edu/. Thanks to all of our many operations and station partners.

11/14/2024

Did you know that one of our buoys managed by the Coastal Data Information Program - CDIP recently measured a 75-foot-tall wave off Northern California? 🌊 CDIP provides near real-time wave and sea-surface temperature observations, models, and forecasts through a network of buoys and other sensors deployed around the world. The San Diego buoy seen here was recently serviced by scientists aboard R/V Bob and Betty Beyster, Scripps Oceanography's new coastal research vessel.

10/14/2024

CDIP stations in Florida measured historic waves last week during Hurricane Milton, similar in intensity to those from Hurricane Helene last month, and Hurricane Ian in 2022. This bulletin is a summary of the complete data set available at cdip.ucsd.edu.

09/30/2024

CDIP stations off Florida measured historically powerful waves during Hurricane Helene. New records were set for height, while peak periods were several seconds longer than normally measured off West FL during tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico. This bulletin summarizes the complete data set available at cdip.ucsd.edu.

09/13/2024

Waves from Hurricane Francine were measured at CDIP 255 Trinity Shoal, LA, which is operated with funding from USACE.