Every Great Lakes buoy. Pick one and take the helm.
Significant wave height
Warnings: Environment Canada · NWS · Buoys: GLOS Seagull · Weather: Open-Meteo · Not for navigation · About
In The Lakes puts you on the water at any buoy on the Great Lakes. Pick a station on the map and stand at the helm of a sea kayak, a fishing boat, a sailboat or a 1,000-foot lake freighter. You see the waves, wind, sky and light that station is reporting right now, or replay its biggest storm on record or any past day.
It's built for people who live, work and play on the lakes: to get a feel for conditions before heading out, to understand what a forecast number looks like from the water, and to relive the storms the lakes are known for.
Wave height, period and direction are measured where a buoy has a wave sensor. Many stations only report wind; there, and in the 24-hour forecast, waves are estimated from wind speed and how much open water lies upwind, and are marked est. The boat's motion is a physics simulation driven by those numbers.
This is a simulation for learning and curiosity. Before going out, check the official Environment Canada marine forecast (or the NWS forecast in US waters) and conditions where you are.
Questions, ideas or a station that looks wrong: bimandbrain@gmail.com