Mike wrote: - >However, if lighting stikes nearby, I don't know >is surface currents in the water will get you - >is it like on land? G'Day Mike, I like the idea of the balanced brace, but how long could you keep in that position? Longer than me I'll bet! My take on this is theoretical and idealised so take it with many grains of salt and I wouldn't recommend using it to guide your actions in a thunderstorm or even to persuade yourself to get out of the boat or brace. I'ld just get off the water if at all possible. The "ground" potential near a lightning strike in the open sea would possibly drop off faster with distance from the strike, than on land. If the ground potential drops off faster then so too should ground currents. In the sea surrounding the strike successive layers of ions and counterions in the water might neutralise the field more rapidly than in soil where the reduced ability of ions to move could limit this effect. In soil the energy would be dissipated by other mechanisms such as ohmic heating, which generally takes place over much greater distances. However, if you were in the water between a strike and a large conductor, eg a jetty, or a large boat, then you could be at risk from current flow between the strike and the conductor. One reason for this would be that the conductor could electrolyse ions which could flow between the conductor and the strike and disrupt the polarisation layers. Would really like to be corrected on any of this if people can see flaws in the reasoning. All the best, PeterO *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Oct 31 2003 - 00:16:57 PST
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