Re: [Paddlewise] Taking Water Temps

From: Michael Daly <michaeldaly_at_rogers.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Jul 2002 13:25:48 -0400
From: "Jennifer Pivovar" <kayak_at_headwinds.org>

> --- Michael Daly <michaeldaly_at_rogers.com> wrote:
> > > with knots at 5' and 10' depths. 
> > 
> > Where did you get these depths?  Were they arbitrary
> > choices?...
> 
> I didn't mean to imply they were standard.  

I didn't think they were, but I thought you might have got them
from someone else who had a reason based on some standard for
a club or organization.

> I think 4" is
> too shallow to give an accurate picture of what you'll
> encounter out of the boat, but I may be all wet :).

Four inches is around the depth that I notice a change from
warm surface water to colder lake water in many still lakes.  
I can see it being useful in a turbulent stream where there
is little temperature stratification, but in lakes it would be
next to useless.

I wonder if two foot depth would be better for reflecting the 
depth at which a paddler would be affected - five foot would
be at their toes; two foot, at their waist.

> I'm sure the USGS has some standard for their stream
> guages, but I haven't checked yet.

They must have.  Does NOAA have offshore weather bouys with temperature
readings?  I was paddling yesterday within sight of the following bouy
on southern Georgian Bay:

http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/scripts/marinegen.pl?Client=ECMar_e&city=45143

The water was warm to a considerable depth compared to what I expect in the 
more northerly areas of Georgian Bay.  The recorder temp was 17C but it felt
much warmer where we were closer to shore.

Mike

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Received on Sun Jul 07 2002 - 10:25:53 PDT

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