How is wave forecasting done and how does it impact the Paris Olympics surfing competition?

Associated Press

TEAHUPO’O, Tahiti (AP) — The search for the perfect wave has been a part of surfing culture for decades, with surfers traveling from location to location in their quest for the best swells. This year, it determines the days that surfers competing in the Paris Olympics in Tahiti will paddle into the ocean in their pursuit for gold. But with the development of surf forecasting — the prediction of wave behavior and breaking — deciding when to surf has become easier. Here’s a look at how surf forecasting is done, how it impacts the surfing competition and how experts expect climate change to affect future forecasting.