PacIOOS Wave Buoy 233: Pearl Harbor Entrance, Oahu, Hawaii

Wave buoy 233 measures wave height, wave direction, wave period, water temperature, air temperature, and surface currents within Mamala Bay approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) offshore of the entrance to Pearl Harbor and approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) offshore of Honolulu International Airport along the South Shore of Oahu in the State of Hawaii. Wave data are transmitted every half hour. Surface currents data are transmitted every 10 minutes. Water and air temperature data are transmitted every 5 minutes. Moored in water 35 meters deep, this Datawell Directional Waverider DRW4 buoy is equipped with three accelerometers measuring north/south, east/west, and vertical displacements, allowing it to measure both wave direction and wave energy. This buoy also uses an acoustic current meter (ACM) to measure the speed and direction of ocean currents at approximately 1 meter below the surface. The water temperature sensor is located at the base of the 0.9 meter spherical buoy, approximately 45 cm or 18 inches below the ocean surface. A compact air temperature (CAT4) sensor was later attached in January 2022 to the antenna at approximately 2 meters above the ocean surface. Wave buoys are useful tools for forecasting local waves and are used by recreational and professional ocean users alike.