Most forecast sites calculate wave energy using H² × P — a formula that over-emphasizes height. Many then multiply by proprietary constants to show local amplification. Volta has no secrets: the formula is always ft × period^1.7, the same everywhere. What it means at your break is for you to learn.

Period matters because of shoaling — as a swell enters shallow water, longer-period waves carry more energy and break bigger. A 4ft wave at 8 seconds and a 4ft wave at 14 seconds are completely different animals. Juice captures that difference in a single number. As a rough reference point, 300 is solid surf on an East Coast scale — Florida averages around 50 in summer, Costa Rica around 300. A useful tool for comparing regions when planning a trip.

Some breaks rewrite the rules entirely. The Wedge, Bluff, and Nazaré are spots where hyperlocal bathymetry makes 200 feel overhead when it's chest-high most places. Juice doesn't predict height — it describes the volume and character of a swell. Use it to compare swells, seasons, and regions. Then go surf.