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wave direction The direction from which waves are moving. The term is most often applied to swells in forecasts. A westerly swell is coming from the west. Wind waves, on the other hand, are usually flowing in the same direction as the driving winds, and consequently this direction is rarely specified in forecasts or reports. A report might read, southwest winds at 20 knots, seas 4 to 6 feet, with a westerly swell of 8 feet. The waves here are moving from the southwest toward the northeast, whereas the swell is coming from the west moving toward the east.

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