Re: [Paddlewise] Sloping sea illusion?

Hey Peter,

Sloping water... now that's what I like!  It makes paddling so much easier.
Usually on the sea, I look for 4+ knots of  long-wavelength "slope" (e.g.
current), combined with 3+ feet of short-wavelength slope (e.g. waves).  Of
course, these conditions are much more common on whitewater rivers, which is
where you will more commonly find me... ;)  Last weekend in fact, I paddled
down the deep, dark, rainforested SF Hoh River on the Washington coast,
which has a steep gradient that is *very* obvious.

But I digress... here is the answer you are looking for: I think you have
witnessed the effects of surface tension on a grand scale. Ever seen how a
drop of water "beads" up on a car windshield?  Well, the ocean is beading up
near the shore.

And if you bought that, then I have some more great "facts" to tell you :)

I think it is psycological. Your mind has decided that its personal frame of
reference is more important than "outside" frames of reference (e.g. the
shore). So therefore you perceive the shore as being "lower" or less
important. This is not an uncommon thing, and I have experienced something
similar while paddling in near-dark conditions on mirror smooth water. It
felt like we were paddling on molasses and were working very hard to make
barely any headway. In fact, we were smoking along at a high speed, but we
didn't notice this until we passed some flotsam in the water that provided a
reference frame. Given the utter lack of useful references, our minds had
decided that we weren't moving and that we were working very hard. I
wouldn't be surprised if something similar is happening to you.  It was very
interesting to observe a perceived change in physical effort from this
illusion.

Next time you feel that sensation, try to "break the spell".  Do roll close
to shore and keep your eyes closed for a while. Then open your eyes and see
if your perspective reorients to something more logical.

 Cheers,
Kevin




----- Original Message -----
From: "PeterO" <rebyl_kayak_at_iprimus.com.au>
To: "Paddlewise (E-mail)" <paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net>
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2001 2:04 PM
Subject: [Paddlewise] Sloping sea illusion?


> G'Day,
>
> I've come across a peculiar effect/illusion and would like to know if
others
> have experienced it?
>
> Has anyone else noticed that sometimes when paddling into shore the sea
> seems to slope downwards giving the effect of paddling downhill? Almost as
> if the beach were in a slight valley! Also under these conditions the
> paddling seems easier as though one were indeed paddling downhill and yet
> there may be no significant waves breaking so it can't be swell. I've seen
> this effect both when tired and fresh. Would be glad to know if anyone
else
> has experienced anything similar or has an explanation?
>
> All the best, PeterO
>
>
>
>
>
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