To access buoy data by phone, select the “Dial-A-Buoy” heading. The Dial-A-Buoy Data Center (888-701-8992) provides telephone access to all of the weather reports from the buoy and coastal weather stations operated by the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) and numerous Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOSS) partners. The telephone-accessed computer system allows selection of a reporting station by its ID (look it up on line and save the reference number for later use) or by entering the buoy’s approximate latitude and longitude. An interactive voice menu allows selection of the desired reporting station or buoy. Both current observations and forecasts are delievered in a computer-generated voice. Mariners sailing in areas such as the Gulf of Mexico can also access weather information from sensors on oil platforms such as Station 42362 — Brutus — Green Canyon 158, a fixed drilling platform located at 27.8° N, 90.67° W.

In my phone phreaking days I would have thought it interesting to know of a phone number from which one could receive an automated weather report from an ocean buoy.

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