Surfing Waves

Anyone surf in thunderstorms? i don't think i have yet, not sure if i should? one has just started here now, what a summer!

Uh, would you stand in the middle of a golf course with your club raised in the air during a thunderstorm?

i've played golf in a thunderstorm

I'll get my marshmallows out, then.

YEah sponged in every type of weather the UK has to throw at me.. even snow!

PapaW wrote:.. even snow!

Hah!

You say it like it's a rarity!

On Monday night there was thick fog that completely surrounded me but I had blue sky right above, it was like surfing in the eye of the storm (without the storm part) which was cool.

I'd surf in lightning, but as rich r says just don't take your golf clubs!!

Well it is in the South west lol :p

If lightning would happen to strike the water within the vicinity of where you are sitting on your board, wouldn't you get shocked? Anyone know?

Personally if it starts thundering and I see lightning, I'm outta there! I think boaters get out of the water when a thunderstorm comes so I would guess it would be wise for surfers to do the same.

PapaW wrote:Well it is in the South west lol :p

I suppose I should have said "I've even surfed in the sunshine!!"

Real Pol wrote:

PapaW wrote:Well it is in the South west lol :p

I suppose I should have said "I've even surfed in the sunshine!!"

haha classic

heheh for sure !! :p

How are the flies up there this year?

the odds of gettin struck are pretty low. I've been sailing in some really nasty storms (like the sky turns green and crimson in colour) and never known any boat to be struck, and these boats have a 45ft long aluminium rod pointing at the sky, so as a surfer, you should be less of a target.

Also, lightening will strike open water, but the sea water (being filled with various salts) tends to disperse the charge very well, so you would need to be very close to the strike to feel it. Remember highschool physics, lightening is very very high voltage, but low current, therefore there aren't many free electrons to disperse in the water.

Had plenty of thunderstorms roll in while surfing.

Never bothered getting out and never been zapped

-doug

The odds of getting struck by lighting are pretty low, if you take precautions.

You increase your chances greatly by acting reckless.

Sure, shark attacks are rare, but tie a bleeding piece of meat to your leg at dusk and paddle out.

I'm not sure if you're a sailor or have just been on boats while sailing - I hear strikes are common, but sailboats have built-in lightning rods to protect them.

Finally, salinity INCREASES the conductivity of electricity, which is why salt water is used in most electric applications versus fresh water, due to free ions.

Just because you have done something and survived, doesn't mean that you weren't increasing your chances greatly. Taking precautions and doing something dangerous that has some predictability and known quantities is fine. Standing out in a lightning storm is not one of those things.

Every public swimming pool that I've ever gone to shuts down the pool and makes everyone get out of the water during storms. There has to be logic to that reasoning. I won't be surfing during a storm. I guess I'm not really a risk taker I suppose.

PapaW wrote:
How are the flies up there this year?

Are you talking about midges? The little ones that bit?

You don't really get them on the east coast, they only hangout on the west coast around the tourist spots. Highly trained they are, to go for the face/neck/ankles or any other exposed part of an unsuspecting foreigner who doesn't have the correct whisky/blood ratio in their veins! (or thats what we tell the Americans anyway)

I always find that washing helps with the flies

Real Pol wrote:

PapaW wrote:
How are the flies up there this year?

Are you talking about midges? The little ones that bit?

You don't really get them on the east coast, they only hangout on the west coast around the tourist spots. Highly trained they are, to go for the face/neck/ankles or any other exposed part of an unsuspecting foreigner who doesn't have the correct whisky/blood ratio in their veins! (or thats what we tell the Americans anyway)

Haha Wicked.. Never been to the east coast of bonnie land yet.. only west and north... I tend to increase my garlic intake and they stay away. mind you so to most people too

Yea thunderstorms are great to surf in. Even better when theres a big guy on a longboard in the lineup as well