@willowleaf said:
My cousin’s husband and 13 year old son were both drowned at Pentwater Beach 35 years ago this month (2 hours north of Silver Beach). They were locals and experienced surf swimmers, but they went out body-surfing on one of those same beautiful blue sky windy days when a squall blew in out of nowhere and turned the lake into a churning cauldron. Apparently the son was swept out by the rip current and when his dad tried to reach him he too was caught by the waves and then bashed against the channel breakwater. It was several days before the son’s body was recovered offshore…
I’m sorry for your family’s loss. Thank you for sharing the story.
@Overstreet said:
The waves are different up there. One thing I noticed at Pictured Rocks was the waves were at 3 seconds. That’s steeper and closer together than ocean waves here. But tourists and rip currents never seem to work out.
I’m pretty sure the warning sign at Silver Beach was not there by accident although I also agree that the water looks inviting. Grand Haven is just an hour north and the fatalities happened on same day at about the same time. If you click on the link from Rookie the waves look a lot like the ones in my pic…but the amount of churned up sand is scary. Our local news gives frequent reminders to swim parallel to shore if caught in a rip current.
@Rookie said:
Yes, very short duration waves on the Great Lakes. Today buoy 45022 is reporting 1.6 ft at four seconds. Before launching I’ll watch them for a while to see if there’s a pattern. In many cases there is and I can get out on the smaller ones.
Those ARE the small ones.
Am guessing that ocean waves must be fun to play in.
No, great lakes waves pack much more fun per inch. It probably depends what you are most used to. I find the thought of battling big waves in salt water much more intimdating., and I don’t like coming up from a roll draped in bull kelp. Theres too much stuff living in it. Give me oligotrophy any day.
in some areas it can get quite thick with the stuff, I wouldn’t want to end up upside down in it (a good way for another kayaker to go missing).
I remember, always having to avoid the stuff when paddling around Cape Alava (on the inside of Ozette I) (northwest WA).
It’s fun to watch the sea otters pop up through it.
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