Wave module field evaluations between the NDBC’s SCOOP on modified 3-m foam hulls and nearby operational systems

The National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) has developed an advanced Self-Contained Ocean Observing Payload (SCOOP) that reflects technological improvements in instrumentation, power consumption, and communications. These SCOOP systems are deployed on existing NDBC hulls that are modified to accommodate the SCOOP payload, reducing superstructure area and elevating the wave sensors above the waterline. Field evaluation comparisons provide a suitable overlap period for old and new systems to assess the impact of the changing system to present applications and on long-term records. Comparison results between the new SCOOP wave systems on modified 3-m foam hull types and two types of operational wave systems are described here. Overall, small biases between the three SCOOP systems deployed on modified 3-m foam hulls and their operational counterparts show that the new systems are in good agreement. Observed variance in the systems is likely due to spatial effects of the comparative buoy locations. Next steps involve further analysis of spectral data.