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F3 wave buoy observations on Fri, Aug 21, 2026

Hourly readings from the F3 wave buoy for Fri, Aug 21, 2026, including available wave height, period, direction, wind and sea temperature data.

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Oldest observation available

Daily means for

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Line chart showing wave height, wave period and sea temperature for F3. Use the detailed observations table below for the same data in text form.

About F3 wave buoy

F3 Light Vessel (WMO 62170) is a UK Met Office station in the southern North Sea, east of the Dover Strait. It provides an offshore reference for forecasts and shipping in the shallow waters between southeast England, Belgium and the Netherlands, beyond the immediate shelter or distortion of the coast.

Its current data source reports wave height, wave period, wave direction, directional spread, wind conditions, sea temperature, separate swell and wind-sea components and wave spectra.

Metrics are rows; hours run left to right. Times use your device time zone.
F3 wave buoy hourly observations Fri, Aug 21, 2026Last observation shown
Metric Latest
Significant wave height (ft)2111212223322222222222--
Maximum wave height (ft)------------------------
Maximum crest height (ft)------------------------
Maximum trough height (ft)------------------------
Peak period (s)------------------------
Average period (s)6666665555555555555666--
Mean period Tm02 (s)------------------------
Zero-crossing period (s)------------------------
Maximum wave period (s)------------------------
Peak wave direction------------------------
Mean wave direction------------------------
Directional spread (°)------------------------
Wind directionNWNWNSNNNNNNNNNNNNNENNENNENNENNENNNE--
Wind speed (mph)151716151216171415141719171716151312131086--
Water temperature(°C)20.520.520.520.420.420.420.420.420.320.320.420.420.520.520.620.720.720.720.720.720.720.6--

Swipe sideways to see more hours.

Wave metric colour key

Colours move through the scale as each number increases. They do not by themselves mean that conditions are good, safe or suitable for you.

Wave & swell height0–40+ ft
Wave & swell period0–22+ s
Wind speed0–75 mph

The displayed numbers remain the source of truth; colour is an additional visual cue.

What does buoy wave power mean?

kW/m means kilowatts of wave power per metre of wave crest. It describes the rate at which the observed sea state carries energy past the buoy.

Unlike the shore-directed forecast value, buoy wave power is the total power at the observation point. It is not projected towards a particular beach and does not predict breaking wave height.

In deep water, wave power can be calculated with:

P is approximately 0.49 times significant wave height squared times wave energy period.

P is power in kW/m, Hs is significant wave height in metres, and Te is wave energy period in seconds.

  • Provider-reported power is used when available.
  • Otherwise, a value is calculated only when both significant height and a genuine energy period are available. The ≈ symbol marks calculated values.
  • A dash is shown instead of substituting peak, Tm02, zero-crossing or other period measurements.
  • Daily and monthly figures use the mean of hourly-normalized observation power values; they are not calculated from mean height and period.

Wave direction, spectrum, water depth and local bathymetry still matter. Wave power is best read alongside height, period and direction rather than as a standalone surf-quality score.

The observation data displayed on this page is from the Met Office Marine observations.

Learn how SurfHog combines, checks and summarizes observations in the data and methodology notes.

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