observed with relatively small waves, On the other hand there are no cases 
where currents less than half a knot were recorded when the breakers were in 
excess of 9 feet. Just as most of the high surf zone currents with low 
breakers are to the north so most of the currents with high breakers are to 
the south, 
Outside the surf zone the current velocities are ordinarily so slow that 
the median velocities of all but the highest bresker heights fall in the O.1 
knot grouping. Accordingly for each breaker height in these outer zones the 
velocity was chosen below which 75 per cent of the current velocities 
fell (figure 3). It will be seen that these fastest currents are roughly 
related to breaker height. However, as indicated previously, the high 
velocities are also related to high winds which accompanied many of the 
periods of high breakers. The latter were mostly accompanied by southerly 
currents outside the surf zone. Just beyond the breakers on days when 
breakers were 9 feet or more there were 23 south currents compared with 7 
to the north. At the end of the pier with equally large breakers the 
notations show 22 south currents and 9 to the north. 
Current Directions. 
Table 1 shows the number of observations with north, south, and 
neutral* currents and the number of occasions when the current was dominantly 
offshore (rip currents). 
Table 1 
Current Directions in the Different Zones 
Rip Currents 
North South (Dominantly  Neutral@ 
Currents Currents seaward) Currents 
Surf Zone Number 86 213) 222 23 
Per Cent 51.5 22.5 23.5 2.5 
Cutside Breakers Number 334 370 96 161 
Per Cent Niel 38.5 10.0 16.8 
Pier end Number 30 367 ALi 102 
Per Gent 36,2 39.2 14.90 10.6 
The percentages show that there is a decided majority of north currents over 
south in the surf zone whereas the south currents are slightly in excess out~ 
side the breakers. The neutral currents show their largest number just out- 
side the breakers and their minimum in the surf zone. Rip currents are most 
common in the surf zone but are slightly more common at the pier end than 
directly outside the breakers. Since most of the rip currents in the surf 
2 No net drift observed during about 10 minutes of observation. 
5 
