Waverider buoy for Wide Bay Bar
The Queensland Department of Environment and Science recently commissioned a wave rider buoy for the Wide Bay Bar. After some fine tuning of the signal and aerials by the technicians, live data about wave heights, period between swells and wave direction is now available over the internet.
The Wave Rider Buoy is set just to the east of the bar, and is a roughly spherical device about 1 metre in diameter and is bright yellow. It has a long aerial, and inside contains an accelerometer and some sophisticated equipment to analyse and transmit data. The buoy is located at 25.47.900 South and 153.10.000 East in about 43 metres of water.
To find the website, just search “wave rider buoy wide bay” in your favourite search engine. For an explanation about how to use the graphs, go to the Glossary section to get an explanation of the terms used. Of course, there is no substitute for checking with Coast Guard Tin Can Bay who may also be able to give you reports from other boaties who have just crossed the bar.
Safe Boating – remember that a lifejacket never spoilt a day on the water.
