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See how source types, observations and model points are handled.
Open methodologySwellOracle editorial policy
SwellOracle Editorial Policy and Corrections
SwellOracle combines public ocean observations with practical educational context. This policy explains who is responsible for that context and how we keep it transparent.
Editorial responsibility
SwellOracle is created and reviewed by PhD. Jorge Cornejo, a marine biologist who completed his doctorate at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The editorial goal is to explain ocean data clearly for surfers while preserving uncertainty, source identity and practical limits.
Scientific training informs the context and explanations presented by SwellOracle. It does not turn a buoy reading, model output or editorial interpretation into a guaranteed surf report or a safety instruction.
Sources and attribution
Physical observations remain attributable to their original providers, such as NOAA/NDBC, Puertos del Estado, Marine Institute Ireland, NOWPHAS/MLIT and other public networks. SwellOracle preserves the provider name, station identifier and observation time when they are available.
SwellOracle may add unit conversion, source labels, comparison tools and educational interpretation. It does not present provider data as proprietary measurements or silently replace unavailable observations with invented values.
Observed data, models and editorial interpretation
Observed stations and marine model points are labelled separately. A physical buoy reports conditions at its own location; a model estimates conditions at a geographic grid point. Neither is an exact report for every beach nearby.
Editorial pages explain how height, period, direction, wind, tide and exposure can interact. They are designed as practical context, not as a promise that a specific break will be good, safe or surfable.
Corrections and updates
If a station name, source label, coordinate, interpretation or link is inaccurate, users can contact SwellOracle for review. When an error is confirmed, we correct the affected content and update the review date when appropriate.
Data availability can change without notice when a provider delays, changes or retires a feed. In those cases, SwellOracle will label the reading as unavailable or update the source status instead of fabricating continuity.
Automation and safety
Automation may help format, translate or organize information, but published data labels, source handling and educational material are reviewed for accuracy and clarity. We do not use automated text to impersonate a provider or conceal uncertainty.
SwellOracle is informational. Always check official marine warnings, local regulations, weather and visible conditions, and use personal judgment before entering the water or making navigation decisions.
Practical takeaway
Clear attribution, visible uncertainty and corrigible information are part of SwellOracle's editorial standard.