One Breath Freediving
  • Home
  • About
    • Malta & Dive Sites
    • Dahab (Egypt) Freediving
    • Testimonials
    • Frequently Asked Question's
    • Price Lists
  • Courses
    • AIDA 1-4 Freediving Courses
    • AIDA Instructor Course
    • AIDA Youth Courses
    • AIDA FEMR Course
  • Freediving
    • Training, Coaching, Exploring & FUN Freediving
    • Freediving & Sailing Excursions
    • Freediving Workshops
    • Freediving Photography
  • Calendar
  • Store
  • Blog
    • Photo Gallery
  • Contact
    • Links

Freediving & Effects of Sea Conditions / Weather

29/8/2022

0 Comments

 
One thing that I get asked about by students and customers often, or find that there is a lot of confusion around, is sea conditions and how the weather effects us as free divers. When I talk about "waiting to see how the weather is on X day" a new diver or non-diver will often think about if the sun is out or if it might rain, which is of much less importance to us than the wind strength. Lets be clear: freediving in strong wind is not fun! For scuba divers, they can get in and go down and not feel the effects too much, while trying to relax on the surface can be quite a challenge in even moderate wind or chop.

So lets look at 4 of the main sea conditions that can be experienced:

Wind (Chop): The effect of the wind passing horizontally over the surface of the water causes localised waves which can range from small and insignificant to large and powerful (see Beaufort Wind Scale). Wind does not necessarily cause sea current and can often be in completely the opposite direction!
Wikipedia WIND information HERE

Tide: The rising and falling of the sea, usually twice in one lunar day due to the attraction between the moon and sun. Therefore tides are a predictable factor and in many parts of the world regularly updated and accurate 'Tide Tables' are available, mainly to help with shipping and other sea traffic.
Fact: The Mediterranean Sea does not get strong tides due to the narrow inlet at the Straits of Gibraltar that connects it to The Atlantic Ocean.
Wikipedia TIDE information HERE

Current: The movement of the water, often in a horizontal direction, often caused by water temperature differences. There can be ocean currents on a predictable global scale as well as more local currents
Wikipedia CURRENT information HERE
NOAA information HERE

Swell: This comes from distant weather conditions rather than local. Often in the sea it is experienced as the residual effect after a period of strong wind, where it is no longer locally windy but there is still a distinct up and down movement of the water, most noticeable on the shore line. Swell can travel thousands of kilometres through the sea.
Wikipedia SWELL information HERE


To efficiently read the weather, an app such as Windfinder (and more so the 'Pro' version which gives more detailed information). is a must for anyone that is in or on the sea on a regular basis. Also, the use of the 'Beaufort Wind Scale' is an invaluable way to gauge prevailing wind conditions purely by sight. Wikipedia information HERE

I hope you found this blog post interesting, let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Picture
By David Watson, Owner, Founder & Head Instructor / AIDA Instructor Trainer at One Breath Freediving
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Find out what the One Breath Freediving team is up to with the latest posts on this blog page.

    Archives

    January 2023
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    November 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    December 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    Categories

    All
    AIDA
    Apnea
    Blue
    Blue Hole
    Breath Hold
    Bubbles
    Buoy
    Camera
    Coaching
    Cold
    Competition
    Constant Weight
    Coral
    Dahab
    Dancer
    Dancing Underwater
    Decompression
    Decompression Sickness
    Dive
    Diving
    Dry Dive
    Dynamic
    Egypt
    Equipment
    Fish
    Freedive
    Freediver
    Freediving
    Freediving Competition
    Freediving Photography
    Freediving & Sailing
    Free Immersion
    Guide
    Hyperbaric Chamber
    Malta
    Malta Diving
    Malta Freediving
    Mammalian Riving Response
    Mediterranean
    Mermaid
    Monofin
    Ocean
    One Breath
    One Breath Freediving
    PADI
    PADI Freediver
    PADI Freediver Centre
    Paralenz
    Poem
    Pool
    Product Test
    Relaxation
    Sailing
    Scuba Decompression
    Sea
    Sickness
    Test
    Training
    Underwater
    Underwater Dancer
    Underwater Photography
    Underwater Tango
    Variable Weight
    Wetsuit
    World Record
    Wreck
    Y-40 Pool

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly