Surfline’s forecasters are some of the most learned people in all of surfing. Surfline’s Chief Meteorologist Mark Willis recently shared some of this wave knowledge and experience on The Weather Channel’s, WX Geeks, providing some valuable intel about the science behind the surf.
Surfline’s Chief Meteorologist Mark Willis appears on The Weather Channel’s “Wx Geeks”.
Years of schooling in the exciting fields of physics, upper air dynamics, and differential equations are all that you must endure and conquer to achieve one of the most unique (and rare) professions on the planet — professional surf forecaster.
But academia is not the only path one must travel, years of acquired knowledge must be gained from studying and observing storms and swells, both from behind a computer and through first-hand water observations. This experience is as equally valuable as the textbook learnings and is vital for forecasting success, as the past likes to repeat itself.
Every surfer is a scientist from their own experiences, even if they don’t realize. We all may not understand each of the technical terms but knowing the basics, like wind creates waves and period impacts wave power, puts you light years ahead of the general public. So our Forecast Chief took the message of surf to the masses, or more precise, to a receptive audience of fellow weather aficionados.
Wx Geeks is a show produced by Meteorologists, for Weather Geeks, airing every Sunday at Noon ET on The Weather Channel. The show is hosted by Dr. Marshall Shepherd, former NASA scientist and current Director of University of Georgia’s Atmospheric Sciences Program, exploring the most important topics in the weather community. And this episode focused on a very important topic, “Science Behind the Surf.”
Watch the replay, you just might learn something — or learn you know more than you realized. And you just might recognize the Geek of the Week, the first-ever in a hooded 5/4.