Sofar Mooring Guidelines

Sofar Spotter Usage

Free floating: For free-floating deployments, Spotter is ready to go right out of the box. Follow the instructions in your user guide to activate and deploy your device.

Moored: For moored applications, you will need to build a mooring to anchor Spotter to the seafloor. Mooring a Spotter is a compromise between securing Spotter in place and minimizing constraints on Spotter’s motion so that it can collect accurate ocean data from motion.

<aside> ⚠️ DISCLAIMERS:

Every mooring location and situation is different — one size does not fit all.

This document provides general mooring guidelines and best practices. The information in this document may not apply to your specific mooring use case. Ultimately, you are responsible for your own mooring. Sofar makes no representations or warranties, either express or implied, as to the suitability of the mooring designs described in this document or their fitness for your particular purpose. Similarly, Sofar is not liable for any damages caused as a result of your use or reliance upon this mooring guideline document.

For more information, please refer to our Terms of Use, or contact us at [email protected]

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Mooring Considerations

Optimal Spotter Location for Data Collection

The optimal location for a Spotter is dependent on the use case. Before selecting a mooring site, it is important to identify the data collection goals. Wherever Spotter is moored, it will collect hyper-local data for that location.

• A Spotter moored offshore with an unobstructed fetch will collect the highest accuracy data for incident swell and wind-driven waves along that stretch of coastline
• A Spotter moored in a bay or cove will make accurate observations of the sea state at its location. The Spotter may not, however, be the best indicator of offshore conditions due to the interaction of the wind, waves, and swell, with the nearby coast.

Placement Consideration

The following physical parameters should be taken into account before selecting a mooring site:

• Spotter is not designed to be continuously submerged and should be placed outside the surf zone.
• Spotter should be moored outside of shipping lanes and away from heavy boat traffic.
• The mooring should be safely away from reef structure, rocks, or debris.
• The mooring should not be on a slope or near a drop-off where the anchor can slip.

Regulations