Why doesnt florida get massive waves?

Question

Ok, so I know the moon's gravitational pull and the wind affect how big the waves get here in florida. But it seems even on a clam day in Hawaii or Australia, the waves are always twice the size of even a windy day in Florida. What does geogrpahic location have to do with how big the waves get in Florida, and all the other spots arounf the globe?

Answer 1

because of the continental shelf duhhhh and its beach bottoms arent modeled for waves and are extremely grandual grade

Answer 2

who cares man just go out there and surf

Answer 3

First of all, I was born and raised in FL and I've seen plenty of overhead days, on the Gulf Coast even.  But to answer your question of why FL is not "consistently" big is because of the ocean floor, like the other poster said.  I don't have time to give you a science lesson here but basically waves break at the bottom of the water not the top.  Florida's continental shelf is hundreds of yards, if not miles, off the coast in most places.  Therefore, waves roll into the coast line at a much more gradual pace than the places you named.  If you go from a depth of 500 feet to 2 feet in an instant, like you see at many reef breaks in Hawaii and Australia, you're going to get a large wave, all depending on how fast the water is moving.  Florida doesn't have the ocean contours like that.

Answer 4

You know already.Surfs up dude.

Answer 5

because Hawaii is one of the most biggest place for enormous waves, even in the winter. The storms across the pacific send energy and wheather patterns to Hawaiis way and theres no stopping it.

Answer 6

I have owned a home in the Fla . Keys for over 12 years

It is in Islamarada. Always there is never nothing more than

a gentle suft hitting the beach..I live on the water  but I

only go there 1 or 2 months a year. I rent it. Anyhow I am told

that it is because the water offshore is not deep close to shore and that it location  is running somewhat east and west to a degree as to north and south locals tell me that.... even

on windy days in jan,  feb,, march when it is very windy

25 -30 mph winds  never more than a surf of a foot or two.

the dept of the water is all under 20 ft until you go out

3 miles... that they tell me has something to do with it..

others tell me the further south you go the less waves , but I have been to Mexico and Aruba and

the Caribbean and they have a lot bigger waves..hope

this helps

Answer 7

If the area is on land above sea level it's obvious the waves will not be normally that high. I think Hawaii is at sea level or below so the tend to get high waves normally.