On Tue, 31 Jan 2006 01:46:33 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

I've run across this picture a couple places on the net and am
wondering if it is real or a digital paste up.

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2004/...b__430x275.jpg

If real, it is very spooky because of the relatively benign conditions
around it. You would expect something like this in a well developed
major storm but not in the general sea state shown.

It doesn't look like a breaking shoal. If these things do exist, they
must be exceedingly rare and this must be one of the luckiest pictures
ever taken.

I'm guessing this is a digital fake.

If so, here's another one from today's NY Times:

http://travel.nytimes.com/pages/travel/index.html

The surrounding water looks even flatter.

Here's some mo

http://tinyurl.com/av3gv

http://tinyurl.com/8mb4e

But, those are shoreline breaks. One of the articles in which that
picture appeared indicated that it was occurring in deep water and
that this the kind of thing you could encounter offshore.

I've seen a 100 foot schooner stick her bow out into the trough in
front of a freak sea so there was air under the keel back to the
foremast. A few seconds later, only the two masts were above water as
she dove through the wave. I have some idea what can happen offshore
put proof (if indeed this is) that such waves can occur when there is
not already some pretty significant seas would be new to me.

--

Roger Long



"Wayne.B" wrote If so, here's
another one from today's NY Times:

http://travel.nytimes.com/pages/travel/index.html

The surrounding water looks even flatter.

Here's some mo

http://tinyurl.com/av3gv

http://tinyurl.com/8mb4e

On Tue, 31 Jan 2006 02:40:36 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

But, those are shoreline breaks. One of the articles in which that
picture appeared indicated that it was occurring in deep water and
that this the kind of thing you could encounter offshore.

I'd take that with a grain of salt although it could happen with large
storm waves hitting an adverse current. Mavericks is somewhat off
shore however and in relatively deep water, it's just shallow compared
to the surrounding area. There are places like that on the east coast
but not as well known, such as Southwest Ledge at Block Island
(N41-07.08, W71-39.37, depth 21 to 35 feet, about 3 miles off shore).
It would probably be as well known as Mavericks if the North Atlantic
was consistently prone to the same sort of large swells that the
Pacific has. I have seen some very impressive swells near Block
Island and also on the coast of Maine after a hurricane has passed a
few hundred miles offshore.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message

It would probably be as well known as Mavericks if the North
Atlantic
was consistently prone to the same sort of large swells that the
Pacific has.

You're the wrong side of the Atlantic then!

I have seen some very impressive swells near Block
Island and also on the coast of Maine after a hurricane has
passed a
few hundred miles offshore.

The Bay of Biscay is notorious for amplifying big ground swells,
and during winter, these are frequent. The interesting spots are
the 8m deep banks 1 to 3nm off the entrance to A Coruna and other
harbours in NW Spain. Just a 1m ground swell creates 3m breaks,
and as the ground swell increases, so you'll see many examples
like this photo.

It's pretty daunting following the lead lines into A Coruna with a
big ground swell running, but they follow flattish water so
they're quite safe. It's the sight of the turmoil around you
that's scary.

Similar spots off Lisbon.

JimB

News f2s a écrit:

The Bay of Biscay is notorious for amplifying big ground swells,
and during winter, these are frequent.

Have a look at this :

http://www.wannasurf.com/spot/Europe...ntry/belharra/

These waves, up to 20m (65') high, breake about 1 nM ashore over a reef
located close to Saint Jean de Luz harbour, France.

You can read : "It need at least 20 feets to start breaking at hight
tide. The bottom is 15m deep at low tide. Noone knows how big it can
be..."

--
Peio