Beaufort Wind Force and Sea State

1. Sea State and Swell

Sea is a description of the wind waves raised by the wind in the immediate neighborhood
of the place of observation at the time of observation.

Swell is a description of the ocean waves that are not raised by the local wind.

2. Sea State

What we call sea state is the effect that the local winds have on sea conditions – this
is independent of travelling swell waves generated by winds outside of the local area.
Sea state is related to the Beaufort scale which describes the state of the sea.

3. The Beaufort wind force scale is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to
observed conditions at sea. It was originally devised by an Irish Royal Navy officer,
Francis Beaufort, in the early 19th century. In that time, naval officers made regular
weather observations however without a standard scale, they were very subjective. The
Beaufort scale assisted in standardizing these observations. The scale has been adjusted
and added to over the past 200 years, and while some countries use forces up to
seventeen, the World Meteorological Organization recognizes thirteen classes, from zero
to twelve.
Each Beaufort force number has expected wind speeds, wind wave heights and sea
conditions associated with it. The Beaufort scale is extremely popular in the marine
community as the condition of the sea is so important. While wave heights are given,
their impact on various sized vessels depends on many other factors, such as wave
period, additional swells, and the depth of the water. Also, the larger waves need some
distance over which to develop, giving quite different wave heights for onshore or
offshore winds near the coast. Because of this, a description of the sea surface is more
beneficial to the seafarer than just the wind wave heights alone.
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