Wind over Tide - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

03-11-2009, 13:37

#11

Bash

Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2008

Location: sausalito

Boat: h46LE

Posts: 690

ebb chop

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liam Wald

This happens quite dramatically at the Golden Gate entrance to the San Francisco Bay when tidal currents of 5+knots oppose 30 knot winds. The waves that are created seem to just stand up and stay in place. They are quite steep and very close together. It was once explained to me as being caused by the friction of the wind on the water. I was told they were called overfalls.

We even have a name for this phenomenon: "ebb chop."

Talk to any surfer, and you'll get a simple answer for why the surfing is better in an offshore breeze. It's because the wind holds the waves up, dude.

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