of unknown magnitude. However, a comparison of the buoy located at 0.6 km to 
the Baylor staff wave gage at the seaward end of the pier (approximately the 
same distance offshore) showed very good agreement. For most engineering 
applications, a 7 percent error is tolerable; however, a correction procedure 
is described in Appendix A which will allow the calibration error to be 
improved up to 4 percent. 
Tide Gage 
21. Water level data were obtained from a National Oceanographic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/NOS control tide station (No. 865-1370), 
located at the seaward end of the research pier, using a digital tide gage 
manufactured by Leupold and Stevens, Inc., Beaverton, Oregon. The Leupold- 
Stevens analog-to-digital recorder is a float-activated, negator-spring, 
counterpoised instrument that mechanically converts the vertical motion of a 
float into a coded, punched paper tape record. The below-deck installation at 
pier sta 19+60 (Figure 2) consisted of a 30.5-cm-diam stilling well with a 
2.5-cm orifice and a 21.6-cm-diam float. 
22. This tide gage was checked daily for proper operation of the punch 
mechanism and accuracy of the time and water level information. The accuracy 
was determined by comparing the gage level reading to a level read from a ref- 
erence electric tape gage. Once a week, a heavy metal rod was lowered down 
the stilling well and through the orifice to ensure free flow of water into 
the well. During the summer months when biological growth was most severe, 
divers inspected and cleaned the orifice opening as required. 
23. Quarterly, a NOAA/NOS tide field group, which consisted of NOS per- 
sonnel familiar with the installation and equipment, performed a tide station 
inspection and review. The tide gage elevation was checked using existing NOS 
control positions, and the equipment was checked and adjusted as needed. NOS 
and FRF personnel also reviewed procedures for tending the gage and handling 
the data. Any specific comments on the previous months of data were discussed 
to ensure data accuracy. 
Meteorological Instruments 
Anemometer 
24. Prior to 30 March 1982, winds were measured using a NOAA/National 
Weather Service (NWS) Model F420C anemometer consisting of a cup rotor and 
