Yilan
Wai'ao conditions today
Wave height gauge: Waist-to-chest
How to read the two heights: Hs is the model's significant wave height; metres and feet are two units for that same Hs height (1 ft = 0.3048 m). Breaking-wave face height is an engineering estimate that applies a period-aware nearshore shoaling factor to Hs, so it is usually larger. It is not a unit conversion or an on-site measurement.
Waist-to-chest, fair waves, Cross-shore wind, good for pop-ups.
This hour’s forecast
11:00 · Swell NE
Why we say this
This spot needs ENE, E, SE, SSE swell, NW, W offshore wind, Mid to high tide. Today those conditions line up from 15:00 to 18:00. Meets current criteria (quality 93/100).
- Swell directionENE, E, SE ✓
Needs ENE, E, SE, SSE · today ENE, E, SE ✓
The swell sits in a direction this spot works on (ENE, E, SE), so it clears the gate.
- Period6.8s fair
Needs period over 5s · today 6.8s fair
Period is moderate, so it's average but surfable.
- WindCross-shore wind 1.7m/s
Needs NW, W (offshore) · today Cross-shore wind 1.7m/s
Onshore wind messes up the face and flattens it, but it's light.
- Wave heightWaist-to-chest · Hs 2.2ft (0.7m)
Needs Hs 1–3ft (right for your level) · today Waist-to-chest · Hs 2.2ft (0.7m)
Wave height sits in the ideal range for your level (Hs 1–3ft).
- TideRising, mid tide
Needs Mid to high · today Rising, mid tide
Rising tide pushes water in and fills out the shape.
Use the image for the scene and the forecast for the trend
Camera: Wushi · 4.2 km (SW) from this spot; not a head-on view of this break.
📐 Cameras compress wave scale. Use the image for visibility and set timing; judge height again from shore.
Footage from: National Academy of Marine Research · Government Open Data License
Direction
Wind blows onto the shore, so the face gets messy.
This spot works best on ENE, E, SE, SSE swell.
Onshore wind today, but the swell lines up.
Spot specs
- Type
- Beach break
- Seabed
- Sand with some rock
- Best tide
- Mid to High
- Level
- Improver +
Location
Navigate in Google MapsThe compass on the map shows today's swell and wind directions (solid arrows) and this spot's ideal swell and wind windows (dashed arcs). See the Direction card above for the interpretation.
Next 7 days
Hourly forecast (Thu)
Shared time axis · shaded band is the best window to paddle out
All four charts share one time axis · wave (ft) · period (s) · wind (m/s) · tide (m) · arrows show where it comes from · the band marks the best window to paddle out · tide uses CWA (unaffected by model) · slide or touch to read each hour.
Tide
衝浪港澳水域遊憩活動範圍A、C區 station · CWA
Hourly raw values
Hourly forecast (Thu) · Daylight 5:00–18:00 is the surfable window
| Time | 00 | 02 | 04 | 06 | 08 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wave | 0.8m3ft | 0.8m3ft | 0.7m2ft | 0.7m2ft | 0.7m2ft | 0.7m2ft | 0.7m2ft | 0.7m2ft | 0.7m2ft | 0.7m2ft | 0.7m2ft | 0.6m2ft |
| Period | 6.8s | 7.0s | 7.0s | 7.0s | 7.0s | 7.0s | 7.0s | 6.9s | 6.8s | 6.8s | 6.6s | 6.6s |
| Swell dir | 44° | 56° | 55° | 54° | 53° | 52° | 52° | 51° | 50° | 49° | 46° | 46° |
| Wind | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| Wind dir | 86° | 22° | 360° | 360° | 103° | 112° | 91° | 103° | 87° | 90° | 100° | 180° |
| Gust | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 3.7 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 7.2 | 5.8 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 2.4 |
| Weather | Cloudy | Cloudy | Cloudy | Cloudy | Clear | Rain | Cloudy | Cloudy | Cloudy | Cloudy | Cloudy | Clear |
| Tide | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | -0.3 | -0.4 | -0.1 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Air | 25° | 24° | 24° | 23° | 26° | 28° | 29° | 28° | 27° | 26° | 25° | 25° |
| Sea | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° |
| UV | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wave (m / ft) · period (s) · wind & gust (m/s) · arrows show where it comes from (green = suits, dim = unfavorable) · tide relative level (m) · air / sea temp (°C) · UV. Color is only a hint; the numbers and arrows are always there. Swipe to see all hours on mobile.
How we score it93/100
Quality = 0.32×period + 0.28×wind + 0.25×wave height + 0.15×tide
- Period85 × 32% = 27.2
- Wind91 × 28% = 25.5
- Wave height100 × 25% = 25
- Tide100 × 15% = 15
The model's daily summary, handy for cross-checking with Windy or other forecast apps.
- Significant height (Hs)
- 2.2 ft（0.7 m）
- Typical height
- 1.1 ft（0.3 m）
- Max set height
- 3.5 ft（1.1 m）
- Period
- 7 s
- Tide
- Rising
About Wai'ao
Wai'ao is an east-facing beach break in Yilan, a wide sandy stretch next to Wushi Port that peels both left and right. The bottom is mostly sand with some rocks. It takes east-northeast through south-southeast swells with northwest or west offshore winds, from mid to high tide. Rated lower-intermediate, best once you can stand confidently.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Wai'ao good for beginners?
- Yes. Wai'ao is a beginner-to-improver spot and one of the friendlier ones in Yilan, Taiwan, for surfers just starting out. Conditions change daily, though, so check this page's daily conditions score before you paddle out.
- When does Wai'ao work best?
- Wai'ao is usually cleanest on an ENE/E/SE/SSE swell and a NW/W wind. How good it actually gets still comes down to the day's wave height and period, so go by the hourly forecast on this page.
- How do I get to Wai'ao?
- Wai'ao sits on the coast in Yilan, Taiwan. Open Google Maps navigation straight from the spot map on this page to get there.
- Does Wai'ao have a live cam?
- Yes. This page embeds a live feed from National Academy of Marine Research at "Wushi" (about 4.2 km SW of Wai'ao) (not a direct view of this spot, for reference only), so you can check it against the current conditions. The camera tends to flatten waves, though, so go by this page's verdict for the actual call.