Measured storm wave records from several Continental Shelf areas were used to test the adequacy of estimating formulae for individual wave parameters. In all, 376 hours of storm wave records were analyzed, and their properties nondimensionalized by fundamental spectral parameters. Results are presented for surface deviation statistics, individual wave height statistics and individual wave period statistics. The results can be used by ocean engineers to eliminate unintended bias from wave parameters selected for the design of offshore facilities. The most significant result is that measured rare wave heights in the storm wave records are on the order of 10 percent less than predicted by the Rayleigh distribution at the 1 in 1000 probability level.