8-10 Foot Waves

[Smitty]

In reading the "Best rough water boat" post I see many that reference running their 18-21' boats in 8-10' waves.. Do I measure waves differently, are these folks all sedated beyond common sense, or am I just the most gutless fisherman on earth???

I think I saw (hit) one 10' wave last spring on Erie and not only had I done a 180 heading back to shore before the next one got there (we were only probably 1/2 mile out), but I NEVER want to see another one quite that close.. I'd want to be on teh Kelley's Island ferry next time I hit one of those..

Maybe it's just me???

[Hawgeye]

I am with you on that one Smitty. It might be only you and I that are gutless but you and I may be the only ones still fishing tommorrow!!? :)

I got into some what I call 5-6 footers once. Once! Never again. Now a 4' swell on big water like Erie is a little different than on small water. I think they are farther between swells on bigger water. I was in some real short choppy 5 footers once that nearly sent my 17' boat to the bottom of the lake. I was never so happy than to set foot on dry land that day. Call me a whimp, so be it. I am going to be alive to fish tomorrow too!

[Eyez]

I've never seen a 10 foot wave, but I've seen 7 footers at chamberlain, and the one guy who was stupid enough to be out there was standing his targa 2000 (not slamming anyone, that's what he was driving) nearly vertical on each wave. I was on the bridge, and that was as close as I wanted to be to those waves. This spring I ran into waves in the 5-6 foot range just outside whitlocks bay, and that was plenty rough for me. I don't think it was dangerous unless we had broken something or speared a wave, but it was definitely no fun.

I don't know about that 10 foot wave comment. I've never seen Erie waves, but to be in 10 footers, they must be a lot farther apart than what we get on Oahe and smaller inland lakes in SD


Eyez

[wish2fish]

I think waves are alot like fish stories ;-)..

I bought a new boat this year and while making the selection I experienced a reoccurring tale. I spoke to many sales rep's that stated "I personally tested boat "X, Y or Z" in 6 - 8 footers".

How to measure a wave..

The following info comes from this link. It also has illustrations.

http://explorezone.com/earth/waves.htm#measure


Inside a wave | Measurement | How waves break
When a wave crashes ashore, do you think about the wind thousands of miles away? The larger the wave, the farther away it probably came from.

Inside a wave
Waves, either on the ocean or on a lake, are created as the wind blows over the water, turning particles of water in circles. Imagine the force of a breaking wave as accumulated wind energy near the water's surface. Each particle of water transmits energy to the next.

Wave size depends on how hard the wind blows, and how long it blows in one direction (scientists call this "fetch"). As waves move, each particle of water stays in roughly the same area.

Measuring waves
A wave's amplitude is the distance between equilibrium and a crest, or equilibrium and a trough. The distance between wave crests is called wavelength. The longer the wavelength, the faster a wave moves.

How waves break
As the seafloor becomes less deep near the coast, it drags on the wave and slows it down. This compresses the distance between wave crests and increases the height. Finally, the top of the wave falls down, or breaks.

[Frank from TBay]

I got caught on Lake Superior in a 16ft open fishing boat 10 years ago in the early spring. We had been fishing the sheltered part of an Island and were not paying attention. I went very slowly with the waves untill we reaced our landing. In the boat in the troughs all you saw was a solid wall of grey water. I would give it a little gas to get into the next wave and then it would start all over. Had my motor failed we would have all died. It was an hour of #####. I was very inexperienced at the time and should have stayed on the sheltered side of the island and waited it out even if it took all night. I may have been cold and late but those options are a lot better than landing in the lake.

[Smitty]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-12-01 AT 12:39PM (CST)[p]Yes, the waves on Erie in my limited experience there are much farther apart and more rolling usually.. I think may people measure from valley to crest rather than the method described below.. All I know is that I had to look waaayyy up to see the top of this wave and hope I never have to do it again. I have no problem running in 4-5' waves out there if I have to.

[GullGuide]

You hit it right on the head.
The true measurement of a wave is from the point where the water would normally be if calm, to the highest point of the crest or lowest point of the trough. SOOOOO...if you said 10 foot waves, you are speaking of a wave that is actually 20 feet high from the bottom of the trough to the top of the crest...in other words, a REALLY BIG MOTHER!!!! Surf's up dude!
>"////=<

[TJ]

Just want to test my "estimating" abilities as far as waves go.

Anyone fish out on Green Bay during last year's RCL? I fished both days up around Sturgeon Bay and on Day 2 the seas were as nasty as I've ever been out in. If you were there, how big were those waves? I estimated them to be 6-8 feet by the time we turned tail and ran (more like surfed) from Larson's Reef. It took a lot of throttle work and concentration to bring home the 619 that day - 40 miles straight down the gut of Green Bay. Came across a swamped Crestliner just outside the channel to the Port of Green Bay.

I hope I never have to be out in water like that again. But if I do, I can take some comfort in knowing I have a boat that has a chance of getting me home. It was worth every penny that day.

TJ

[Tennessee Jed]

Maybe we're swapping fish stories for wave stories!

I'm looking at bluewater boats for early retirement to the Gulf of Mexico--possibly setting up a charter business. The boats I am looking at are in the neighborhood of 35', and generally the charter captains and manufacturer's reps do not recommend running them in seas over 6', unless the captain has years of experience.

So I'm thinking that 20' fishing boats aren't going to survive long in 8-10' waves. Besides, the wind required to whip up 10' waves on a lake would probably blow you overboard anyway.

[Tom (Mich)]

Me thinks that the same guys that tell stories of fishing in 10 foot waves are also the same ones that get 60mph in flat seas with four guys on board (two really fat), full tank of gas......

Only once in my fishing career have I seen anything even close to 10 footers - Lake Huron out of Grindstone City - went out, hit the first wave, and turned around.

[Chum Chucker]

Fished off of Kauai (Hawaii) in April on a 38' cruiser. The waves out there were like mountains - tossed that 38'er around like a toy boat in the bathtub. My Dad was sitting in the cabin reading a book on one side when we got rocked by a big one. I saw his legs flying by the cabin door. Peaked in to find him in the bench seat on the other side of the cabin. He didn't sit on the side anymore after that. Two of six were "chumming" within the first hour.

Oh yeah, the fishing wasn't too bad. I caught my first billfish - a small blue marlin (175#)! The breaching humpbacks were pretty cool too. Glad I wasn't in my walleye boat.

[Scott]

I read the same story about the charter guy who takes his clients out in that stuff. Number one, I wonder if his liability insurance would cover him in that type of blatantly negligent behavior? I find the whole thing a bit tough to believe. In 20+ years of being on Lake Erie, I've only been in 10's twice, maybe three times. It isn't fun, it isn't fishable, I don't care what you are in...as far as walleye/bass boats go. I do know that when we came off the top of those waves, quartering them basically just at or above idle, the boat would feel like it was falling out from under us when we came over the top of the wave. Thank God I was with a very competent captain that day. I don't believe that bunk about chartering in that with a Targa, 620, 205 or any of it. I bet you wouldn't have many repeat customers. Methinks someone was drinking heavily at the dock yesterday.

[CL]

I fished it and I think 6-8 footers is fair. We were also up at Larsens. I didn't think that was all that bad of an experience though - I felt really safe in a 20' Lund. My worst experience was on Green Bay the year before. We were fishing a tournament and were 45 miles up the Bay. The wind came up unexpectedly and we had to come back into 30 mph south winds. I had an 18' Pro V at the time - no walleye boat would have been big enough. It took us 4 hours to get back and we burned just about every drop of gas we had. My boat got us home safe and sound but I don't ever want to experience that again.

[Sampson]

In my experience, inland folks measure waves from trough to crest and ocean folks divide that number by 2. I've been in some pretty decent (I thought) seas on the pacific in fishing boats that the Captain calmly explained were only 8 footers. That's 16 foot of total rise in a 35 foot boat. The real danger there is man-over-board if you are fishing.

The wavelength is critical, but I wouldn't wish true 8 footers on my worst enemy in an 18 or 20 foot walleye boat. I think it is likely that the 8 - 10 footers that most walleye folks talk about are measured wrong and probably exaggerated some. Besides, at that point, it has a lot less to do with boat quality and a lot more to do with driver skill (or motor failure). I'll put my money on an experienced captain in a 1985 16 foot tiller over an amateur in a brand new 20 foot lund/ranger/whatever assuming that both motors run fine.

[Ron]

Here are a couple of old sayings relevant to this discussion:

1. There are old captains, and bold captains, but no old, bold captains.

2. It is far better to be on the dock wishing you were out there than to be out there wishing you were on the dock.

[Hawk Eye Mike]

I think people who say they go out in 8-10 ft. waves really don't know the wave height. Only once in 23 years, have I got caught in legitimate 9-10 foot waves on Lake Erie. It was Memorial Day weekend 1987, and I was fishing three miles west of West Sister.

The waves blew up so fast from an off-shore storm that we struggled to get behind West Sister. I was in a 23 foot boat and scared to death. We actually anchored north of west sister against the island almost all night, and motored back to Anchor Pointe Marina about 4 a.m. the next morning. About ten nautical miles. Several 27 ft. Sportcraft charter boats where there with us anchored against the island.

If boaters navigate frequently in 8-10 foot waves, their boating lives would be short ones.

[WARRIOR]

I HAD THE FORTUNE OF BEING STUCK IN THE MICROBURST IN GREENBAY LAST JULY. THAT WAS TWO DAYS BEFORE THE MWC. THE TRIP FROM STURGEN BAY TO THE MENONIMONEE RIVER WAS THE FAST I THOUGHT LIFE COULD PASS IN FRONT OF ONE'S EYES. BUT AS WE ARRIVED AT THE RIVER MOUTH THE 70MPH WINDS HAD RECEETED TO A MERE SOFT NORTHWESTER. THE EXPERIANCE MADE ME RESPECT THE POWERS OF THE WATER. IN MY OPINION THE WAVES WERE EVERY BIT OF TEN FOOTER'S. AND I DON'T WANT TO BE THERE TO MEASURE THEM AGAIN.

[Bottomfeeder]

I was on Kelley's island one when they said e had 8-10's. Not a boat went out and the ferry was shut down. Kelly's Island in April is a pretty quiet place when you can't fish.

Bottomfeeder

[capt. Geo]

I find it hard to believe that many people in this country ever did much boating in ten foot waves come on guys getting caught in some bad stuff is one thing but going out in true 10 footers
never happen, the only place your are going is to the bottom.I am a charter boat captain on lake mihigan for 20 years trust me on this one! not in a 18 foot walleye boat anyway have a great season

[capt. Geo]

Then again what do I know I can't even spell michigan

[Fuzzy]

Anyone out there at the August 1996 NAWA Sakakawea Pro-AM?
I had a 17-10 Champion Fishhunter 38 miles up res from 'home base' near Indian Hills when it really hit. 55 mph sustained wind they said. See that movie Perfect Storm? These weren't all 10 footers but a lot of them were. At one point I got stuck on a wave crest, nowhere to go but downward. The boat fell on my side straight over sideways, thought it was a rollover, but luckily the nose began to lead the way. Only option I had was to full throttle and hope to lift the nose up onto the next one. It worked. Spent the rest of the day 'surfing' back to weigh-in with one very beat up fish. The am partner was weeping uncontrolably for most of this and was no use to me what so ever. Image that afternoon. Then imagine someone squirting a garden hose in your face almost the entire duration. I've been in 10 footers in a walleye boat but never, ever, never do I desire a reoccurance of that day.

We don't launch the boat if the wind is(or predicted to be) over 26 mph (especially in the western basin). That's a golden rule us little walleye boaters should respect. Hope this helps someone out there.

[Dbl]

I was in the Gulf of Alaska Silver Salmon fishing two summers ago. The captain did not want to make the 15 mile run into the Gulf in his 32'boat due to waves and possibly seasick passengers. There were only two of us on board and we are both pilots and assured him we could take the wave action if he felt it was safe. We decided to run out and look and if it got bad we would turn around. There were 5 other boats making the run and we all made it safely to our spot in 10' to 12' waves.
We had a fantastic day fishing and were the last boat to go in that day. The other captains were reporting 20' waves on the run in. One boat had to tow in another due to a lost prop seal. His bilge kept him afloat for the run in. When we began the trip in I have never seen anything like it. We were bouncing around pretty good going directly into the waves and then had to turn 90 degrees to the waves (parallel). It took almost 15 minutes to time it and make the turn. Then the real ride began! We never did get seasick, but I have never seen anything like it. A 20' foot wave is as big as I will ever be out in again. I did not feel in danger at all, but it was exciting. Now I know why captains up there only travel in pairs! That would be a good lesson for all us inland water boaters when traveling in adverse conditions.

[Dunn]

I've only seen one day of true 8-10' waves. The VHF Weather channel was predicting them between 6-8' that day, and inreasing.
Out of Pt. Austin, MI on Lake Huron I was in a 18' Wellcraft with my dad when the storms moved through bringing HUGE waves. The boat almost stood on end it seemed.

I do have to agree alot of times waves are either downplayed to much or over exagerated.
----------------------
Marshall J. Dunn
OffShore Release
Bluewater Research, Inc.
N.P.A.A. # 701

[Iowa Eye]

So how does the cost gaurd and other websites that give lake erie conditions meassure waves? From bottom to crest or midpoint? I have been on the lake when they websites predicted 2-3 foot sweels and they seemed more like 4-6 ft top to bottom.

[Tim FRick]

Those of you who say you can't catch eye's in 10' waves are wrong(I don't mean to pick a fight). I diffentlly wouldn't recommended it or do it again. It was last year when we had a bad north-northwest wind, an easy 30-40knot wind not including the gusts. NOAA was calling for the waves to come down in the afternoon so we chance it on my buddies 27ft. Searay Aberjack, 10ft. beam. Took 3-4 hours just to go 5 miles. Well the waves never came down. The waves were running 8-10ft. The only good thing was that the waves were spread apart so you could recover from the first one to get ready for the next. No one else went out that day. But did see one or two sail boaters. We turned the boat paralle with the waves and drifted with 5 -7oz. in-line weights with worm harness. Just 50-75ft. back. Probable right in the surf. We ended up with 14 eyes in one drift. The waves were easily taller than his boat which from the waterline to the top of his canvas is about 10ft. From trough to crest I would guess 15-18ft. tall. On erie it seems the more waves the more action. AS long as the water clarity is good. Again I do not recommend it or would personal do it again. Wasn't thinking that day but did catch fish!
Good Luck!!
Tim FRick

[Smitty]

I agree that it seems rough water turns the eyes on out there. I just can't believe that folks would go out to get 'em in an 18-20' walleye boat with 8-10 footers. Not me, never again....

[bob oh]

Actually the waves on Erie are very close which is what makes it a "hard riding" lake. The waves are much closer than that on the other Great Lakes and closer than many small lakes I have fished. These close waves also make Erie very dangerous. I would really like to see all of these 10 footers. I have only seen waves larger than that on 2 ocassions and both times Erie was flooding!!! I can remember day after day that the charters have cancelled and the headboats are not running and the waves ARE NOT 10 foot. One time I was waiting in line to take the ferry to Put-in-Bay and they cancelled. I asked the guy at the booth if the waves were really too big for the ferry and he said, "you nuts? Those babies are 10 - 11 foot. We don't go out in that crap."

Bob

[Gilligan]

I will agree with Tim. I fish Erie east basin and we get large waves but usually well spaced out rollers. In my 18' I've successfuly fished 6'ers and rode through 8-10'er's to return to harbor. I would never go out in that but when they kick up when you are 10 miles out you don't have much choice. Again these rollers are much easier to navigate that the short erratic waves you would get on the shallow west basin or other shallow lakes.

[Finaddict]

Hey gilligan now I know how you and skipper ended up on that island!!!! Small craft warnings start at 3'-5' waves(any vessel under 50'). SAFETY SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE NUMBER ONE THING ON ANY FISHERMANS MIND!!!!!

[Gilligan]

hey finaddict DIDNT I SAY THAT I WOULDNT GO OUT IN THAT? I did say that when caught in these they can be safely navigated in a seaworthy 18' boat. Small craft warning at 3-5'? Fished Erie for last 6 seasons, 2-12 hour days a week all summer and into fall and never once has there been a warning until waves predictions hit the 7'+ levels.

[ETT]

The important thing to emphasize is that even small boats can be handled in such a way as to successfully negotiate some very very rough water and/or tall waves, so long as the skipper keeps a cool head. Most of the bad weather fatalities are a matter of someone without alot of experience panicing, and trying to make the boat do things it simply can't do.

[Scott D]

I was one of the people that posted in the thread "Best rough water walleye boat" that mentioned being out in 10-footers. I still think my estimation of 10-footers is right. Thinking back on it I would say that most of the waves were probably 7-8 feet with a few larger ones that were approaching 10'. All I know is that at the time they seemed like 30-footers - They scared the #### out of me and I will never fish out of that area again. Measuring the waves never entered my mind at the time.

It is an area on the Columbia River named Crowe Butte. The river necks down from a rather large basin area and the current picks up through there pretty fast. The water flows westerly and the wind blows easterly which makes for some really big waves.

It was a fairly calm day last summer when my wife and I launched at Crowe Butte State Park and ran up river to Umatilla. We fished for about 4 hours or so and when we noticed the wind start to pick-up we decided to head back to the launch. Up by McNary the water was not really rough, there was only about a 1-2 foot chop, but when we got past the big basin area of Blalock Islands, where the current picks-up and the river necks down, all ##### broke loose. I had to pretend like I wasn't scared to keep my wife calmed down - she was crying. It took over an hour to travel the 5 miles down to Crowe Butte.

I decided not to ever launch at Crowe Butte again and run through that 5 mile stretch of river again. There are boat launches up-river that you can launch at to avoid the rough section of water. I was just glad that we had a 20-foot boat.

[RIVERRUNNER]

Erie spring of 98', I left pelee island heading home from a 4 day vaca. that was in it's 10th day .I left scudder dock on the north end in 5-6 footers, the calmest the lake had been in a week.Within 5 min approx. 1/2 mile out I lost sight of the islang and was in 10's not rollers, due to variable wind's the waves were coming from everywhere. I turned back and took the ferry across,barely , with an upper deck warning,all people off, the washroom puke line at about 30 adults .Imanaged to talk the captain into leting me on the upper deck to see what I WOULD OF HIT AN HOUR EARLIER IN THE LUND. Nope I would be dead I,M CERTIAN OF IT. The captian stated 16-17 footers in the channel,and wow he wasn't joking man no rollers a chop coming from all over I hung on to deck rails and could not tell where the next rogue was coming from. No lie giving the right condition's this lake will pile up.Be safe, Ipredict erie can and maybe will sink the g-man. that's a huge boat but it has it's limit.