The Coast Guard cutter Kukui today completed deployment of three buoys designed to help improve surf forecasts for north-facing shores in the Islands.

The buoys will begin providing wind and wave analysis for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as early as Sunday.

According to James Waymen, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service Honolulu forecast office, the addition of buoys 51001, 51000 and 51100 significantly amplifies the NWS ability to forecast weather, predict high surf, and monitor large storm systems.

"There was a gap to the northeast," Waymen said. "These buoys will allow us to not only track weather but also monitor the wave height, wave period, and wave direction of incoming swell from the north."

The Kukui is a 225-foot buoy tender with a crew of approximately 55. In addition to servicing aids to navigation throughout Hawaii and the Pacific, the crew performs law enforcement, marine pollution response, and search and rescue missions.