by daniel dascenzo zach gorecke. * teahupoo is located in tahiti, french polynesia. * sits on the 17...
TRANSCRIPT
By Daniel D’Ascenzo
Zach Gorecke
*Teahupoo Surf Break
*Geography
*Teahupoo is located in Tahiti, French Polynesia.
*Sits on the 17th parallel south
in the Pacific Ocean.
*Island formed by two
dormant volcanoes.
*Surrounded by reefs formed
by nutritious ocean water.
*Swell
*Consistent swell year round comes
primarily from the Roaring Forties.
* Most powerful swell is during the
winter months (May – October).
*Best swell is from S, SE, or SW
because of south facing reefs.
*Wave periods of greater than 16 seconds ideal for big waves.
*Receives some swell from Northern Hemisphere storms.
*Bathymetric Effects*Why aren’t all reef breaks like Teahupoo?
*Unique seamount configuration to the south
*Perfect depth for refracting long period swell(>16 s) so that it focuses on Teahupoo
* Deeper water following seamounts, allowing no energy loss
*Break*Teahupoo is a reef break that primarily breaks left.
*Waves break at the same point at a pass in the reef.
*Water depth changes from 100m to 10m almost instantly.
*Slope from reef to seafloor is about 1/6.
*Roughly equal to slightly less than the maximum slope a wave can endure before breaking.
*Teahupoo translates to “broken skulls”.
*Accessing the Surf Break
*Break is about 1 km offshore
*It is very difficult to paddle out to where the waves are breaking. For an experienced surfer it would take a solid 25 to 30 minutes of constant paddling.
*It is recommended to be taken out by boat or drug out by jet ski.
*The Wave
*Considered the world’s “heaviest” wave.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYQQtxb8wv0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfPYVYc0U3M
*Face often 10 times larger then the back.
*Greater wave heights caused by more powerful swell.
*Under 6 feet 95% of the time.
*Best wind direction is from the NNE(offshore)
*occurs 36% of the time.
*Weather Patterns
*Summer months: November thru April
*Increased: Temperatures, precipitation, and humidity
*Winter months: May thru October
*Decreased: Temperatures, precipitation, and humidity
*Average air temperatures: 77-85
*Average water temperatures: 77-84
*Weather Patterns (cont.)
*Seasonal Prevailing Winds
*NE trade winds dominate from January to April
*SE trade winds from May to August
*Easterlies from September to December
*Chance of hurricanes during summer
*Offshore winds do not coincide with winter
*Local weather patterns controlled by local
topography
*Rainier on windward side of islands
Yellow = NE tradesBrown=SE trades
*Travel Costs/Airlines• Easiest way to travel to Teahupoo is by plane.
The average time it takes would be about 15 hours on the plane and additional time spent waiting for connecting flights.
• Very Expensive
• US Airways flight out of Philadelphia to Tahiti totals $1,128 with stops in Charlotte and Los Angeles then finally arriving at Papeete, Tahiti.
• American Airlines flight out of Philadelphia to Tahiti totals $2,077 with stops in Chicago and Los Angeles then arriving at Papeete, Tahiti.
• Once in Papeete, Tahiti one must either rent a car or take public transportation to Teahupoo.
*Local Information*Friendly locals because tourism is a major component of French Polynesia’s economy and therefore provides many jobs.
*Local Languages
*French
*Tahitian
*Local currency is the CFP Franc
*1 dollar = 86 CFP Francs
*Local wildlife
*Tiger sharks
*Giant centipedes
*Competitions at Teahupoo
*Teahupoo is home to the annual
ASP Billabong Pro.
*Fifth stop on ASP World Tour
*This single event brings out some
of the worlds best surfers
*Former stop on bodybuilding world tour
*Type of board and other necessities for
riding Teahupoo waves
*It is recommended that you have a board that fits the curve at Teahupoo. No long boards because the curve will toss any rider with a long board. Around 6’9’’ is a good board size.
*It is also recommended to bring two spare boards. There is an increased chance of board breakage at Teahupoo.
*Bandages and power for reef cuts are also recommended. Since the break is on a reef, many people get cuts and scratches on the coral.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlzSy_lUUvc&feature=related
*Wave Models
Wave Period and Direction
Wave Height
*Wave Models
*Waves Models
Actual breaking wave heights corroborate to what would be expected.
Approximately what waves would look likeTeahupoo wind and swell statistics
*Works Cited
* "Teahupoo." GlobalSurfers an Online Surf Travel Resource, by Surfers for Surfers with Free Surf and Travel Guides. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.globalsurfers.com>.
* "Teahupoo Surf and Swell Size and Direction | SURFLINE.COM." SURFLINE.COM | Global Surf Reports, Surf Forecasts, Live Surf Cams and Coastal Weather. Web. 31 Oct. 2011. <http://www.surfline.com/surf-report/teahupoo-tahiti_8366/>.
* "Teahupoo Swell Statistics." Surf Report, Surf Forecast, Surfing. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.surf-forecast.com/charts/Teahupoo/surf/statistics/year>.
*Works Cited
* Wilson, Peter. "Kelly Slater Wins 2011 Billabong Pro Tahiti - ESPN." ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Sports. 30 Aug. 2011. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://espn.go.com/action/surfing/story/_/id/6908358/kelly-slater-wins-2011-billabong-pro-tahiti>.
* "Tahiti Surf Season, Surfing Conditions Tahiti- Waterways Travel." Surfing, Surf Charters, Surf Trips- Waterways Surf Adventures. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.waterwaystravel.com/surf_tahiti/tahiti_seasons.php
* "Search for Cheap Airline Tickets at Cheapoair.com." Cheap Flights, Airline Tickets, Cheap Plane Tickets, Cheap Airfare â CheapOair�� . Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.cheapoair.com/default.aspx?tabid=1682>.
* "Surfing Teahupoo – Tahiti | The Big Wave Blog." The Big Wave Blog: A Chronicle of Big Wave Surfing From Oahu's North Shore. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.thebigwaveblog.com/surf-spots/teahupoo-tahiti>.
*Works Cited
*National Weather Service: Environmental Moeling Center. NOAA, 31 Oct. 2011. Web. 31 Oct. 2011. <http://polar.ncep.noaa.gov/waves/viewer.shtml?-multi_1-latest-pacific-hs_sw1->.
* Stanley, David. "Tahiti Travel Guide." South Pacific Organizer. N.p., 2011. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.southpacific.org/guide/tahiti.html>.
*Waldie, Adam. "Teahupoo-Anatomy of a Monster." Tracks. Tracks Magazine, 24 Mar. 2010. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.tracksmag.com/Spotlight/Postcards/TEAHUPOO-–-ANATOMY-OF-A-MONSTER.html>.