Swell, waves, and period

[jhande]

I grew up on Long Island Sound, from East Haven to Stratford CT with most time off Milford shore.

As I got older a buddy and I would spend every low tide on Mondays clamming. High tides on the weekends on the water fishing or checking his lobster pots in a 16' outboard.

We were able to see the water from my buddies house. During bad stormy weather of course we wouldn't head to the water instead we'd drink beers and shoot darts in his garage.

Think of swells as the rising and falling of the water kind of smooth waves. Think of waves as what people surfboard on or the water crashing to shore.
It was very very rare to have such bad water that we couldn't go out in the boat. We never bothered trying to find a place to call or check for water issues.

We did call every weekend (very important) to see if claming was safe.

Milford Laboratory

Conducting state-of-the-art science that informs management for the sustainable expansion of aquaculture

www.fisheries.noaa.gov

 

[TheOceanCoach]

Swell can and do exist in bays depending on the local topography and swell direction. If they are coming straight in from the mouth of the bay. Can even be amplified somewhat as the bay narrows in and gets shallower.

You are absolutely correct on this.