Upwelling
The major upwellings in the ocean are associated with the divergence of currents that bring deeper, colder, nutrient rich waters to the surface. There are at least five types of upwelling: coastal upwelling, large-scale wind-driven upwelling in the ocean interior, upwelling associated with eddies, topographically-associated upwelling, and broad-diffusive upwelling in the ocean interior.
The Eddie
The tournament is known for a unique requirement that open-ocean swells reach a minimum height of before the competition can be held. Open-ocean swells of this height generally translate to wave faces in the bay of to . As a result of this requirement, the tournament has only been held nine times during the history of the event, most recently on February 25, 2016.