A Brief Guide to Overfalls
Whenever the tide turns, water heads from one area to another. This sets up a flow known as tidal currents. Tidal currents moving over a…
Find out how to read water
Tag: waves
The Colour of Water
The colour of water is determined by: A) What’s under it. B) What’s in it. C) What’s on it. D) And by light levels and…
How to Spot a Dangerous Sandbank or Reef
How to spot a dangerous sandbank or reef: Note the change in colour and the breaking waves. At night only the sound of the breakers…
What is Fetch?
The definition of the word ‘fetch’ is simple: The distance that wind travels over open water. The first time we come across this word it…
Shark Teeth and Currents
A sample of fossil sharks’ teeth collected on Casey Key and Venice beach, Florida, by Mark Evans. — I have written about the way sea…
The Difference Between Waves and Swell
One of the commonest questions ocean watchers ask is: What is the difference between waves and swell? The concise answer is: “Swell is best thought…
The Tombolo
If you feel like a fun test of your observational skills, use this blog to try to answer this question: What colour is the dog’s…
The Marine Quarterly
Congratulations to Sam LLewellyn on the launch of The Marine Quarterly. A more handsome nautical vessel would be hard to find. (The Marine Quarterly that…