PREFACE 



This report presents a comparison of field wave gage measurements with 

 near shore wave height predictions, which were generated by two techniques: an 

 irregular wave model (Seelig and Ahrens, 1980) based on the method of Goda 

 (1975) and the Shore Protection Manual (SPM) method (U.S. Army, Corps of Engi- 

 neers, Coastal Engineering Research Center, 1977). The field gage measurements 

 were gathered at the Field Research Facility (FRF) at Duck, North Carolina. 

 The work was carried out under the U.S. Army Coastal Engineering Research Cen- 

 ter's (CERC) Wave Estimation for Design work unit, Coastal Flooding and Storm 

 Protection Program, Coastal Engineering Area of Civil Works Research and 

 Development . 



The report was prepared by Michael G. Mattie, Physicist, under the general 

 supervision of Dr. C.L. Vincent, Chief, Coastal Oceanography Branch, and Mr. 

 R.P. Savage, Chief, Research Division. The author expresses appreciation to 

 E.F. Thompson, CERC, for the Raleigh distribution analysis and to D. Orndorff 

 for data reduction. 



Technical Director of CERC was Dr. Robert W. Whalin, P.E., upon publication 

 of this report. 



Comments on this publication are invited. 



Approved for publication in accordance with Public Law 166, 79th Congress, 

 approved 31 July 1945, as supplemented by Public Law 172, 88th Congress, 

 approved 7 November 1963. 



TED E. BISHOP 



Colonel, Corps of Engineers 



Commander and Director 



