On Mon, 03 Sep 2007 08:49:17 -0700, Chuck Gould
wrote:

When you have seen conditions deteriorate, what are the winds doing?
I don't think the chop just suddenly self-generates to be ornery. :-)

On Long Island Sound it's a combination of wind and tide. In areas of
strong current and an uneven bottom you can get so called "tide rips"
with almost no wind at all. If there is a swell running against the
tide, the size of the rips can double in a short time, rarely
approaching anything like 7 feet however, but frequently 3 or 4.