ShouldISurf· Taiwan time · Beginner criteria
Display settingsm · m/s
Compare the estimated breaking-wave face with a roughly 170 cm adult.
Numeric wave heights are model significant wave height (Hs). The body scale estimates breaking-wave face height. Display settings do not change the assessment.
Tide m · Temperature °C · Distance km · Period s
Changes apply immediately and are remembered in this browser.
Yilan
Wai'ao conditions on this date
- Wave Hs
- 1.4–1.9 m
- Period
- 7 s
- Wind
- Not offshore
- Tide
- Rising · High 06:05
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.
Dangerous on this date: Waves too big. Stay out of the water.
This hour’s forecast
16:00 · Swell ENE
Why we say this
Verdict: dangerous, stay out of the water. Waves too big.
- DangerWaves too big
The forecast waves are over the safe ceiling for your level.
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 on this date, 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 the selected date’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 (Sun)
Shared time axis · shaded band is the best window to paddle out
All four charts share one time axis · significant wave height Hs (m) · period (s) · wind (m/s) · tide (m) · arrows show where it comes from · the band marks the best window · 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 (Sun) · Daylight 5:00–18:00 is the surfable window
| Time | 00 | 02 | 04 | 06 | 08 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wave Hsm | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| Periods | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.8 |
| Swell dir | 75° | 75° | 75° | 75° | 75° | 74° | 73° | 72° | 65° | 61° | 60° | 60° |
| Windm/s | 3.4 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Wind dir | 132° | 135° | 159° | 174° | 135° | 129° | 118° | 118° | 112° | 90° | 76° | 297° |
| Gustm/s | 8.0 | 7.3 | 5.9 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 7.9 | 8.9 | 8.7 | 7.1 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 1.4 |
| Weather | Rain | Rain | Rain | Cloudy | Clear | Cloudy | Cloudy | Cloudy | Cloudy | Cloudy | Cloudy | Cloudy |
| Tidem | -0.7 | -0.4 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | -0.1 | -0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | -0.4 |
| Air°C | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 22 |
| Sea°C | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
| UV | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Significant wave height Hs (m) · period (s) · wind & gust (m/s) · arrows show where it comes from (green = suits, dim = unfavorable) · relative tide level (m) · air / sea temp (°C) · UV. Color is only a hint; numbers and arrows remain. Swipe to see all hours on mobile.
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. Cameras can distort wave scale. Cross-check the forecast and footage, and defer to conditions on site, official warnings, and local professionals before entering the water.