Boat wakes depend on the speed and weight of the boat, and on whether it
is planing or not. Big boats on the Rideau make smoother wakes. Boats
passing in opposite directions make interesting wave patterns. I've sailed
into a hole in the water that way. As a youth on Lake Muskoka (Ontario) I
rowed a double ender out and surfed along on the wake made by the boat
which delivered heating oil.

Waves made by the wind on sheltered waters tend to be short and sharp. On
shallow lakes like the notorious Lake Nip****ing I've ridden 3 ft waves.
Also read about 6 ft waves on inland waters (Churchill River) during
storms. There's a formula that says when the distance between waves is
less than 7 times their height the waves will curl over and break. So 1 ft
waves will break when they are only 6 ft apart. I've seen that on the
Ottawa River here.

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