what is a wave really????

[diezelducker]

My wife and I were out on our boat 2 weeks ago. chop, waves chop,waves,
what is the difference? I'm really new two having a bigger boat. It's a 20 footer and on my other boats 10' and 12' jon boats they seem to fit into big waves or chop. So I am unsure as to when it is not safe to be on the water. The day we went it was windy and the waves or chopp seemed to be really, really ,really BIG. Scared the hell right out of me! Water is something I've never in my life been afraid of, but that day I was dawning a life jacket.
I posted this before and someone said it was the frequency of the waves. I guess I just don't understand? was it just 3-4' chop or was it 3-4' waves 15-20' apart? Any info would be great. I don't mean to ask common sense questions. I suppose I really don't get it.

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: what is a wave really????

Your out in 3'-4' waves, WOW I thought the waves here were bad!! Ya it would have been time to head back, When we have choppy waves due to wind and current I open the throttle more an just skim over the top and don't feel them until we slow down then we dolphin, so to keep from dolphining too bad I just speed up and don't feel a single wave, but 3'-4' ya that would be AWSOME but scary too, I love it when my blood pumps, really makes me feel alive!!

 

[highN'dry]

Re: what is a wave really????

Where are you boating? No hard and fast rule but chop to me is usually something in the range of 6" to 2 feet, closely spaced with sharp crests. Waves of 3 to 4 feet would be something you are not likely to "skim" across and frankly might be a little much for the typical bow rider or inland lake sport boat. N

 

[diezelducker]

Re: what is a wave really????

Wavenbye2, first off nice boat! Looks familiar. And yes 3-4' at least. That was no exaggeration. Lake Champlain Vermont side In the broad lake. How big are the biggest waves you've seen?

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: what is a wave really????

2' Max and thats on the worst day, I have jumped wakes from larger pleasure crafts or from waves that I have created myself just to turn around to jump my own waves, the first big one I hit and the boat was completely out of water kind of scared me, but now I LOVE it and find all the big huge 2 1/2 ft waves I can find from the pleasure craft giong in the opposite direction

 

[rbh]

Re: what is a wave really????

A whole bunch of waves coming at you is someones way of saying
"GET THE HELL OFF THE WATER AND FIND THE NEAREST BAR"
thats what I do.
rob

 

[esobofh]

Re: what is a wave really????

Check this out...

Waves are all categorized and given names/numbers and descriptions based on their physical characteristics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale

 

[esobofh]

Re: what is a wave really????

Note, of particular use are the "land conditions" - these are things you can note *before* heading out to get an understanding of what you might encounter on the water.

I especially like Beaufort Scale 9 Strong Gale - Where the land condition reads as follows:

Damage to circus tents and canopies.

Essentially, before you head out on the water - take note of the condition of circus tents in and around your area. If they are taking damage, you know that it's a fairly windy day. Circus tents are always a good indicator of wind speed, and something we can all rely on to gauge what's going on...

 

[SeanT]

Re: what is a wave really????

Hrm. Now to find the nearest circus before I head out this weekend...

 

[fishrdan]

Re: what is a wave really????

Circus couldn't have been too far with all the clowns I saw on the lake last weekend...

 

[QC]

Re: what is a wave really????

This is a wave:

 

[SeanT]

Re: what is a wave really????

LOL^^^^ X 2

That wave pic made me think of Crocodile Dundee: "That's not a wave..."

 

[QC]

Re: what is a wave really????

It's one of my favorite pics. It's actually George C. Scott's 70' Mojo. I think that his wife broke her arm and the boat sustained major damage. He fired the Captain. That is the entrance to Morro Bay here in CA. Look at the boat to the left that is inside the breakwater. I use this to illustrate the dangers of the Pacific and rogue waves. I've been over a similar, but smaller, wave in a Charter boat out of Oxnard, but it wasn't breaking. Amazing experience!

 

[david_r]

Re: what is a wave really????

ok well i like the scale but now im confused........................ then whats a swell??

i always thought of

chop as anything that is as close together as it is high, or closer ........ie 1' high 1' apart..........waves that make a rough ride

swell as rolling water....... waves that dont white cap and are spaced apart

waves as anything that has a whitecap or crest no matter how low or high.......... unless it a ripple..... but if your an ant a ripple is a tidal wave........ i think thats where all the confusion comes in. a bass boat or a john boat with low free board has a different opinion of a wave that someone in a 40-50' boat.............

..............now i have to go and investigate this scale a lil more closely so as not to look like an idiot when i describe water conditions.

 

[SeanT]

Re: what is a wave really????

I thought water was either "glass" or "bumpy". Gee, thanks grampa...