ScooterCam Wave Height – Layered Views

Version: 3.0
Author: ScooterCam
For: ScooterCam.net

Clean, discrete layers for buoy observations and forecast models – no more mixing yesterday’s data!

🎯 Why Layered Views?

The Problem with Hybrid

Forecast data was bleeding into yesterday
Timezone confusion between data sources
Hard to see which data is which
Mixed data = messy debugging

The Solution: Separate Layers

✅ Buoy layer = Past 48 hours of real observations
✅ Forecast layer = Next 48 hours of predictions
✅ No mixing = No timezone confusion
✅ Clear data source = Easy debugging

🌊 Three Shortcodes, Three Use Cases

1. `Loading buoy data... Current Wave Height -- Wave Period -- seconds Wave Direction -- degrees 📍 Source: NDBC Buoy 45168 (South Haven, 12 miles offshore) 📅 Active: April - October (seasonal deployment) 🔄 Updates: Hourly real measurements` – Buoy Observations Only

Shows: Past 48 hours of real buoy measurements
When to use: Historical data, validation, actual conditions
Data source: NDBC Buoy 45168 (South Haven)

Loading buoy data...

[wave_buoy]
[wave_buoy hours="24"]  // Last 24 hours only
[wave_buoy hours="72"]  // Last 3 days

Features:

✅ Real measurements from 12 miles offshore
✅ Current wave stats (height, period, direction)
✅ Solid blue line
✅ Seasonal (April-October)

2. `Loading forecast data... 📍 Location: South Haven viewing area (42.56°N, 86.24°W) 🔮 Source: Open-Meteo marine forecast model 🔄 Updates: Every 6 hours, shows next 48 hours` – Forecast Only

Shows: Next 48 hours of wave predictions
When to use: Planning, future conditions
Data source: Open-Meteo marine model

Loading forecast data...

[wave_forecast]
[wave_forecast hours="24"]  // Next 24 hours
[wave_forecast hours="72"]  // Next 3 days

Features:

✅ Future predictions from now forward
✅ No historical/yesterday data
✅ Dashed orange line
✅ Year-round availability

3. `Loading buoy data... Current Wave Height -- Wave Period -- seconds Wave Direction -- degrees 📍 Source: NDBC Buoy 45168 (South Haven, 12 miles offshore) 📅 Active: April - October (seasonal deployment) 🔄 Updates: Hourly real measurements Loading forecast data... 📍 Location: South Haven viewing area (42.56°N, 86.24°W) 🔮 Source: Open-Meteo marine forecast model 🔄 Updates: Every 6 hours, shows next 48 hours` – Tabbed Interface

Shows: Both views with tab switcher
When to use: Complete conditions page
Data sources: Both buoy + forecast

Loading buoy data...

Loading forecast data...

[wave_layered]

Features:

✅ Tab 1: Buoy Observations (real data)
✅ Tab 2: Forecast Model (predictions)
✅ Single shortcode, both views
✅ Easy switching between layers

📦 Installation

File Structure

/wp-content/plugins/scootercam-wave-layered/
├── wave-height-layered.php
├── js/
│   └── wave-layered-chart.js
└── README.md

Upload & Activate

Upload to /wp-content/plugins/scootercam-wave-layered/
WordPress Admin → Plugins → Activate
Use any of the three shortcodes!

🎨 Visual Examples

Buoy Layer (Past Data)

Yesterday ←──────────────────── Now
        48h of observations
        Solid blue line
        Real measurements

Forecast Layer (Future Data)

        Now ────────────────────→ +48h
        48h of predictions
        Dashed orange line
        Model forecasts

Layered View (Both)

┌─────────────────────────┐
│ 🌊 Buoy | 📊 Forecast  │ ← Tabs
├─────────────────────────┤
│                         │
│   [Active layer here]   │
│                         │
└─────────────────────────┘

🔧 How It Works

Separate AJAX Endpoints

Buoy Endpoint:

wp_ajax_get_buoy_data
→ Fetches NDBC 45168
→ Returns past X hours
→ Cached 30 minutes

Forecast Endpoint:

wp_ajax_get_forecast_data  
→ Fetches Open-Meteo
→ Returns ONLY future data
→ Cached 1 hour

No More Timezone Issues!

Old hybrid approach:

// Mixed buoy (UTC) + forecast (Chicago)
// Comparison: time() vs strtotime()
// Result: Yesterday bleeds through ❌

New layered approach:

// Buoy: Shows past only
// Forecast: Shows future only
// No comparison needed ✅

🎯 Usage Examples

Main Conditions Page

<h1>Lake Michigan Wave Conditions</h1>

<h2>Current Observations</h2>

Loading buoy data...

<h2>48-Hour Forecast</h2>

Loading forecast data...

Tabbed Interface

<h1>Wave Data</h1>

Loading buoy data...

Loading forecast data...

Sidebar Widget

<h3>Current Waves</h3>

Loading buoy data...

Blog Post Embed

<p>Check today's wave forecast:</p>

Loading forecast data...

Comparison View

<div style="display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; gap: 20px;">
  <div>
    <h3>What Just Happened</h3>

Loading buoy data...

</div> <div> <h3>What’s Coming</h3>

Loading forecast data...

</div> </div>

📊 Data Specifications

Buoy Layer (45168)

Location: 42.397°N, 86.331°W
Distance: 12 miles west of South Haven
Active: April – October
Update: Hourly

Returns:

Wave height (meters)
Wave period (seconds)
Wave direction (degrees)
Timestamps in Chicago timezone

Behavior when offline:

Shows friendly message
Explains seasonal deployment
No chart displayed

Forecast Layer

Location: 42.5593°N, 86.2359°W (South Haven)
Source: Open-Meteo marine model
Active: Year-round
Update: Every 6 hours

Returns:

Wave height forecast (meters)
Wave period forecast (seconds)
Wave direction forecast (degrees)
ONLY future timestamps

Filtering:

// Server-side filter
if ($timestamp <= $nowTimestamp) {
    continue; // Skip past data
}

// Guaranteed: Only shows future

🐛 Troubleshooting

Issue: Forecast Still Shows Yesterday

This shouldn’t happen anymore! But if it does:

Clear transients:

wp transient delete openmeteo_forecast

Check server time:

echo date('Y-m-d H:i:s T');  // Should match reality

Verify timezone:

WordPress Admin → Settings → General
Timezone: America/Chicago

Hard refresh:

Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows/Linux)
Cmd+Shift+R (Mac)

Issue: Buoy Shows “Seasonal” Message

This is normal November-April!

The South Haven buoy is physically removed from the water in fall and redeployed in spring. This is expected behavior.

To verify it’s actually off-season:

Check: https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=45168
Look for recent data (should be none)

Issue: Charts Not Loading

Check browser console (F12):

// Look for errors like:
"Failed to fetch"
"Chart is not a constructor"
"waveLayeredData is not defined"

Verify AJAX endpoints:

# Test buoy endpoint
curl -X POST https://scootercam.net/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php \
  -d "action=get_buoy_data&nonce=..."

# Test forecast endpoint  
curl -X POST https://scootercam.net/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php \
  -d "action=get_forecast_data&nonce=..."

Clear ALL caches:

wp transient delete --all
wp cache flush

🔄 Migration from Hybrid

If Currently Using Hybrid Plugin

Option 1: Run Both (Recommended)

Keep hybrid plugin active
Install layered plugin
Test layered on separate page
Gradually migrate

Option 2: Replace Entirely

Old: [wave_hybrid_chart]
New: [wave_layered]

Option 3: Separate Displays

Old: [wave_hybrid_chart]
New: [wave_buoy] + [wave_forecast]

Shortcode Conversion

Old Hybrid	New Layered
`[wave_hybrid_chart]`	`Loading buoy data... Current Wave Height -- Wave Period -- seconds Wave Direction -- degrees 📍 Source: NDBC Buoy 45168 (South Haven, 12 miles offshore) 📅 Active: April - October (seasonal deployment) 🔄 Updates: Hourly real measurements Loading forecast data... 📍 Location: South Haven viewing area (42.56°N, 86.24°W) 🔮 Source: Open-Meteo marine forecast model 🔄 Updates: Every 6 hours, shows next 48 hours`
`[wave_hybrid_chart show_buoy="true" show_forecast="false"]`	`Loading buoy data... Current Wave Height -- Wave Period -- seconds Wave Direction -- degrees 📍 Source: NDBC Buoy 45168 (South Haven, 12 miles offshore) 📅 Active: April - October (seasonal deployment) 🔄 Updates: Hourly real measurements`
`[wave_hybrid_chart show_buoy="false" show_forecast="true"]`	`Loading forecast data... 📍 Location: South Haven viewing area (42.56°N, 86.24°W) 🔮 Source: Open-Meteo marine forecast model 🔄 Updates: Every 6 hours, shows next 48 hours`

🎨 Customization

Tab Colors

.wave-tab.active {
    background: #10b981; /* Green instead of blue */
}

.wave-tab-badge {
    background: rgba(255,255,255,0.3);
}

Chart Heights

.wave-chart-wrapper {
    height: 500px !important; /* Taller charts */
}

Buoy Chart Color

// In wave-layered-chart.js
borderColor: '#0ea5e9',  // Sky blue instead of blue

Forecast Chart Color

// In wave-layered-chart.js
borderColor: '#8b5cf6',  // Purple instead of orange

📈 Performance

Cache Strategy

Buoy data: 30 minutes

Real-time not critical
Reduces NDBC server load
Balances freshness vs performance

Forecast data: 1 hour

Model updates every 6 hours
No need for frequent checks
Significant performance gain

Load Times

Single layer (buoy or forecast):

Initial load: <1 second
AJAX call: 1-2 seconds
Chart render: <100ms
Total: 2-3 seconds

Layered view (tabs):

Both layers load on page load
Slightly slower: 3-4 seconds
But switching tabs is instant

✅ Advantages Over Hybrid

Data Integrity

✅ No mixed timeframes
✅ No timezone confusion
✅ Clear data boundaries
✅ Easy validation

Debugging

✅ Simple data flow
✅ Separate endpoints
✅ Clear error messages
✅ Isolated failures

User Experience

✅ Choose what to see
✅ Understand data source
✅ No confusing overlaps
✅ Clean visual separation

Maintenance

✅ Easier to update
✅ Independent caching
✅ Clearer code
✅ Better testability

🆚 When to Use Which

Use `Loading buoy data... Current Wave Height -- Wave Period -- seconds Wave Direction -- degrees 📍 Source: NDBC Buoy 45168 (South Haven, 12 miles offshore) 📅 Active: April - October (seasonal deployment) 🔄 Updates: Hourly real measurements` when:

✅ Want actual observed data
✅ Validating forecast accuracy
✅ Showing recent trends
✅ It’s buoy season (Apr-Oct)

Use `Loading forecast data... 📍 Location: South Haven viewing area (42.56°N, 86.24°W) 🔮 Source: Open-Meteo marine forecast model 🔄 Updates: Every 6 hours, shows next 48 hours` when:

✅ Planning future activities
✅ Need predictions
✅ It’s off-season (Nov-Mar)
✅ Want clean forward-looking data

Use `Loading buoy data... Current Wave Height -- Wave Period -- seconds Wave Direction -- degrees 📍 Source: NDBC Buoy 45168 (South Haven, 12 miles offshore) 📅 Active: April - October (seasonal deployment) 🔄 Updates: Hourly real measurements Loading forecast data... 📍 Location: South Haven viewing area (42.56°N, 86.24°W) 🔮 Source: Open-Meteo marine forecast model 🔄 Updates: Every 6 hours, shows next 48 hours` when:

✅ Want complete picture
✅ Professional display
✅ Main conditions page
✅ Let users choose view

📝 Best Practices

Page Layout

Good:

<h1>Wave Conditions</h1>

Loading buoy data...

Loading forecast data...

<!– Single comprehensive view –>

Also Good:

<h2>Recent Observations</h2>

Loading buoy data...

<h2>Upcoming Forecast</h2>

Loading forecast data...

<!– Clear separation –>

Avoid:

[wave_layered]

Loading buoy data...

Loading forecast data...

<!– Too much! Pick one approach –>

Cache Management

During testing:

# Clear before each test
wp transient delete openmeteo_forecast
wp transient delete ndbc_buoy_45168

In production:

# Let caches work normally
# 30min/1hr is good balance

Seasonal Messaging

April-October (Active):

Promote buoy data
Show observed stats
Highlight “real” measurements

November-March (Inactive):

Default to forecast
Explain seasonal nature
Show “next deployment” date

🎉 Success Checklist

After deploying layered views:

[ ] All three shortcodes work
[ ] Buoy shows past data only
[ ] Forecast shows future data only
[ ] No “yesterday” in forecast
[ ] Tabs switch properly (layered view)
[ ] Current stats update (buoy view)
[ ] Seasonal message shows correctly
[ ] Mobile responsive
[ ] No console errors
[ ] Caching works

📞 Support

Quick Diagnostics

Test buoy data:

curl https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/data/realtime2/45168.txt | head -5

Test forecast API:

curl "https://marine-api.open-meteo.com/v1/marine?latitude=42.5593&longitude=-86.2359&hourly=wave_height&timezone=America/Chicago&forecast_days=2" | jq

Check WordPress transients:

wp transient list | grep -E 'buoy|forecast'

🏆 Summary

Layered = Better than Hybrid because:

Cleaner separation – No data mixing
No timezone issues – Each layer independent
Easier debugging – Isolated data flows
Better UX – Users choose what to see
More reliable – Simpler = fewer bugs

Three shortcodes for every use case:

Loading buoy data... Current Wave Height -- Wave Period -- seconds Wave Direction -- degrees 📍 Source: NDBC Buoy 45168 (South Haven, 12 miles offshore) 📅 Active: April - October (seasonal deployment) 🔄 Updates: Hourly real measurements → Past observations
Loading forecast data... 📍 Location: South Haven viewing area (42.56°N, 86.24°W) 🔮 Source: Open-Meteo marine forecast model 🔄 Updates: Every 6 hours, shows next 48 hours → Future predictions
Loading buoy data... Current Wave Height -- Wave Period -- seconds Wave Direction -- degrees 📍 Source: NDBC Buoy 45168 (South Haven, 12 miles offshore) 📅 Active: April - October (seasonal deployment) 🔄 Updates: Hourly real measurements Loading forecast data... 📍 Location: South Haven viewing area (42.56°N, 86.24°W) 🔮 Source: Open-Meteo marine forecast model 🔄 Updates: Every 6 hours, shows next 48 hours → Both in tabs

The forecast layer guarantees future-only data! 🎯

Made with 🌊 for accurate wave forecasting

🎯 Why Layered Views?

The Problem with Hybrid

The Solution: Separate Layers

🌊 Three Shortcodes, Three Use Cases

1. Loading buoy data... Current Wave Height -- Wave Period -- seconds Wave Direction -- degrees 📍 Source: NDBC Buoy 45168 (South Haven, 12 miles offshore) 📅 Active: April - October (seasonal deployment) 🔄 Updates: Hourly real measurements – Buoy Observations Only

2. Loading forecast data... 📍 Location: South Haven viewing area (42.56°N, 86.24°W) 🔮 Source: Open-Meteo marine forecast model 🔄 Updates: Every 6 hours, shows next 48 hours – Forecast Only

📦 Installation

File Structure

Upload & Activate

🎨 Visual Examples

Buoy Layer (Past Data)

Forecast Layer (Future Data)

Layered View (Both)

🔧 How It Works

Separate AJAX Endpoints

No More Timezone Issues!

🎯 Usage Examples

Main Conditions Page

Tabbed Interface

Sidebar Widget

Blog Post Embed

Comparison View

📊 Data Specifications

Buoy Layer (45168)

Forecast Layer

🐛 Troubleshooting

Issue: Forecast Still Shows Yesterday

Issue: Buoy Shows “Seasonal” Message

Issue: Charts Not Loading

🔄 Migration from Hybrid

If Currently Using Hybrid Plugin

Shortcode Conversion

🎨 Customization

Tab Colors

Chart Heights

Buoy Chart Color

Forecast Chart Color

📈 Performance

Cache Strategy

Load Times

✅ Advantages Over Hybrid

Data Integrity

Debugging

User Experience

Maintenance

🆚 When to Use Which

Use Loading buoy data... Current Wave Height -- Wave Period -- seconds Wave Direction -- degrees 📍 Source: NDBC Buoy 45168 (South Haven, 12 miles offshore) 📅 Active: April - October (seasonal deployment) 🔄 Updates: Hourly real measurements when:

Use Loading forecast data... 📍 Location: South Haven viewing area (42.56°N, 86.24°W) 🔮 Source: Open-Meteo marine forecast model 🔄 Updates: Every 6 hours, shows next 48 hours when:

📝 Best Practices

Page Layout

Cache Management

Seasonal Messaging

🎉 Success Checklist

📞 Support

Quick Diagnostics

🏆 Summary

1. `Loading buoy data... Current Wave Height -- Wave Period -- seconds Wave Direction -- degrees 📍 Source: NDBC Buoy 45168 (South Haven, 12 miles offshore) 📅 Active: April - October (seasonal deployment) 🔄 Updates: Hourly real measurements` – Buoy Observations Only

2. `Loading forecast data... 📍 Location: South Haven viewing area (42.56°N, 86.24°W) 🔮 Source: Open-Meteo marine forecast model 🔄 Updates: Every 6 hours, shows next 48 hours` – Forecast Only

Use `Loading buoy data... Current Wave Height -- Wave Period -- seconds Wave Direction -- degrees 📍 Source: NDBC Buoy 45168 (South Haven, 12 miles offshore) 📅 Active: April - October (seasonal deployment) 🔄 Updates: Hourly real measurements` when:

Use `Loading forecast data... 📍 Location: South Haven viewing area (42.56°N, 86.24°W) 🔮 Source: Open-Meteo marine forecast model 🔄 Updates: Every 6 hours, shows next 48 hours` when: