Re: Freak waves


"Wayne.B" <waynebatrecdotboats@xxxxxxxxxxx> 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


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