David Hockney Reads about Reading Water
My thanks to Charlie Gladstone for sending an interesting email about a beautiful book, with an intriguing couple of paragraphs. The book in question is…
Tag: water signs
How to See Through Reflections on Water
Anyone who spends time on or near the water will have noticed that sometimes we can see through water, but often we can’t. For those…
Why do waves bend towards the shore?
When waves meet shallow water they slow down. When one side of a wave slows down, the wave bends towards that side. It is a…
Winter Sea Cumulus
The clouds always make a map for us. On winter mornings, the cumulus clouds map the sea. A lot more about this and the other…
5 Sea Colours That Are Easy to See
Every time we look out at the sea there are lots of colours. Our brain tends to mash them all up because it is busy…
What is a ‘Drying Height’ on a Chart?
The definition of a drying height: “The drying height is the vertical distance of the seabed that is exposed by the tide, above the sea water level at the lowest astronomical tide.” But this…
Water-pepper, Persicaria hydropiper
Water-pepper, Persicaria hydropiper, is a bitter tasting map-maker. It is an inconspicuous annual plant, but it is useful to natural navigators. It grows up to…
Clues Above Brighton Pier
Have a good look at the picture above. I took it during a night walk along the Brighton seafront. If I was planning to set…
Alder Trees – A Sign of Water Nearby
The common alder – Alnus glutinosa – is a small tree that grows up to about 25 metres. It is native in the UK and…
Transit Lines
My favourite signs always combine simplicity, elegance and practicality. They are often so effective that technology can’t improve on them. Cats’ Paws, the ruffled patterns…
Nigerian Signs
Something a bit different today. My thanks to Chris McCosh, for coming on an Instructor’s Course in 2018, and for passing on his findings in…
Allow the River to Invite You In
Whilst researching a chapter in the book, How to Read Water, I spent time with fly fishing expert and all-round river guru, Stuart Crofts. During…
The Glitter Path
A ‘glitter path’ is light reflected off water from a low sun, moon or other bright object. Glitter paths help us to read water because…
Beach Hut Picture Puzzle
What direction are we looking in this photo of West Wittering beach in West Sussex, UK? Clues (if you want them): All dunes form with…
How to Read Water
Clues & Patterns from Puddles to the Sea A New York Times Bestseller. A Sunday Times “Must Read” book. A must-have book for walkers, sailors,…
How to Navigate with Rainbows
Many people believe that a thing must be either beautiful or practical. But nature brims with examples that manage both. Rainbows are pretty, but they…
No River Runs Straight
No natural river or stream will run straight for longer than 10 times its own width. If you see one that does, like this one…
How to Read Water – New Animation!
Here is the first of a short series of animations that I will be publishing over the coming weeks. Hope you enjoy!
Reflections and Ripples
We see the most detail in relatively calm water when we look at the places where light and dark reflections meet. Look at the line…
Cluespotting in Puddles
My thanks to Omar and Fran for braving the elements on the course last Friday. I knew they were in the zone when they stopped…