So some people may be asking how wave heights are measured. Officially, when weather reports indicate heights they are reporting the average height of the highest third of the waves (as I recall). When onboard to estimate wave heights it's done by knowing the height of your eyes above the waterline of the boat. When I'm standing at the helm, my eyes are 9 ft above the water (in flat water). So if I'm at the helm and look to the horizon and it is obscured by waves frequently then I know the wave height is about 3 meters or greater. Heights greater than that become increasingly difficult to estimate the larger they get. I could stand on top of the salon roof to get an accurate measurement of a 5 meter wave but it's not fun to be up there in heavy waves.
Smaller waves are estimated in the same way. When sitting at the salon table inside (with good posture), my eyes are 5 ft above the water for example.
All that said, human estimates are often overstated as the highest waves can be quite remarkable when you look up at them so it makes one more prone to reporting the most massive ones instead of an average.
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