Clarification needed.

I keep reading threads here and elsewhere about wave height. You see guys talking about 3 & 4 footers. I understand they are talking about 3 & 4 foot waves. What I don’t under stand is where they measure from. Do they measure from the bottom of the swell to the top?

I’ve been on Mille Lacs and Rainy when it has been blowing. At no time did I ever think I was in 4 foot waves. If you took the water line on the outside of the boat that would make the waves 2 to 3 foot ABOVE the sides of the boat!

Please tell me how you measure a wave.

A waves Amplitude is measured from its midpoint within its period

Problem is, Some guys are giving you a peak to peak value. Thats when most of the 4ft wave stories arrive. However there are guys here who have been in 4 ft waves with an 8 ft peak to peak measurement

Redneck measuring consists of trough to crest. Which on Erie few years back was easily 8-10 feet swells. Now the worst I’ve seen on Mille Lacs would be an occasional 6 footer, but most are in the 4 foot range.

Not saying this is legit, but it’s how I measure waves.

Redneck

Engineer

We’re both redneck nerds,……Truce?

most people simply measured from peak to trough.
the correct system should be half that – ie from mid-point to either peak or trough.
I still like the peak to trough way

I think a lot of folks exagerate wave height, too!

Hey, who knows how I measure waves The river has few big waves but Lake Pepin has scared me a time or two and I don’t think they were much over 3 footers. I was on Lake Oahe once in some “oh crap” waves that were bigger than I wanted to be in! They are too big for me when you look behind you and all you can see is water.

Do they count as BIG waves when you are spearing them in a 1750 Fishhawk

I guess I have always assumed they were measured from the trough to the peak of the wave. If that is the case I have been in 4 footers on Mille Lacs and Chequamegon Bay.

Anyone ever been in Canal Park in Duluth when they are coming over the walls of the boardwalk?? Now those are some big waves, I’ve seen them shut Canal Park down because the waves coming over the wall flooded out the park.

I was on Rainy once, in a little Alumacraft F7, when the tops of the waves were above the top of my head. It was loud too.I don’t know how big those waves were officially, all I know was that I was about to crap myself by the time I got to the access

Rootski

(Who now owns a bigger boat).

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We’re both redneck nerds,……Truce?

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High tec rednecks

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Redneck measuring consists of trough to crest. Which on Erie few years back was easily 8-10 feet swells. Now the worst I’ve seen on Mille Lacs would be an occasional 6 footer, but most are in the 4 foot range

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Erie with a winds out of the NE! Can you say ouch.

FDR

I’m not sure how one measures wave height, but do know I’ve been in some bruisers before. Not sure if they would be considered 3footers or 7footers, but on 2 seperate occassions I have had the boat following say every 4th or 5th wave they would completely lose sight of my boat in a swell. Now I run a Lund Fisherman Magnum with full windshield. That boat rides high up front as you well know. If that boat is concealed in a 3-4 foot wave….Not sure!! Pretty rough though!! LOL!!

NE Winds on Erie or otherwise known as the gauntlet. We had my 1750 fishawk and I just remember being in the bottoms of those troughs and losing site of all things land, then up on top we’d go. Felt like a Thil by the end of the day.

Several years ago my dad and I were off of Stoney point south of Knife river when there happened to be a water spout off of Beaver bay. Before we could get all the gear out of the water we have had Big Big Big sea’s. No time to measure. They were just Biggggggggg! I would say 12ft+ Trough to Crest and 30-40ft Crest to Crest.

“Boys…I hate to do it…but I got to pee!”

Brings back memories Kooty!

back a few years i was in a 22′ whaler on Superior in waves that had to be 20 footers from trough to crest,
all I remember is looking at the face of the wave and thinking it looked like a mountain,
scared the crap out of me.

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NE Winds on Erie or otherwise known as the gauntlet. We had my 1750 fishawk and I just remember being in the bottoms of those troughs and losing site of all things land, then up on top we’d go. Felt like a Thil by the end of the day.

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This is how we felt 2 years ago this April. The first day we were in my 1700 Fisherman. Luckily the next 4 days my friend who lives on Erie loaned us his 21ft center console Striper. It was a huge difference. Especially when I went to fill up his tank. I remember it being over $200.00. But it saved our trip.

FDR

When the wind comes straight out of the south on the mighty Miss it can get pretty rough. Bret and I were down in Genoa many years ago with winds up in the 50’s with reported gusts near 70. The waves were probably only 3’+ trough to crest but Bret said I did the “Perfect Storm” maneuver as I crested one with my 16′ Smoker Craft. We were getting a little tense going back to the landing and when we finally made it my buddy Bret jumps out of the boat, runs down the dock to shore and stands there, hands on hips taking real big breaths. He turns an ugly shade of green in big waves.

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Do they count as BIG waves when you are spearing them in a 1750 Fishhawk

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Been in that exact same situation way too many times! 30-40mph winds on Mille Lacs is quite a ride. The only problem is im too stupid to learn from it.

I can’t count the number of 80 degree days ive spent in full raingear on my Fish Hawk.

All I know is when you are down in the trough and all you see is water above you on all sides and have to gun it to get up on top of the waves to see where your destination is and you think you are on top of Mt. Everest, you really really should have left before the storm hit ! We had been fishing crappies next to a bluff and didn’t see the storm roll up until it was too late. It happened to us down on Mark Twain a few years back, lucky we had just left the standing timber part of the lake, you could see the top of the trees one minute and it would dissappear the next, I’m talking 5-6 foot of tree just appearing right NOW and then it’s gone! Imagine being in that mess, a guy could get his boat impailed !

Four of us were on minnitaki by sioux lookout, canada and we had two lodge boats, 16 footers with 25 four strokes, and we went five miles into 6 footers. You could only see the boat in front of you if you were on top of the swell. The prop would come out of the water on every wave and you would spear the wave in front of you. Glad I was driving because the guy in the front went through a prize fight! I think i could handle doing that again, except this time I will put on my rain coat first!

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I can’t count the number of 80 degree days ive spent in full raingear on my Fish Hawk.

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Hence, the nickname Wetliner for my fishawk.

Ok guys. Rather than measure, let’s settle on small, medium, large, and XL. XL is 180 miles off the coast of CA tuna fishing with 90% of the boat puking over the rail and still carrying on conversation as it’s not funny to point at people anymore. Large for me would be a harmless looking front moving across Mille Lacs on a sunny day, funny how quick things change on that shallow lake and how busted up eyes in the well look when (if) you get back to the landing and where your anchor went to now that you just have the frayed rope. Small and medium make my butt sore, so I know those when I wake up the day after.

“Anyone ever been in Canal Park in Duluth when they are coming over the walls of the boardwalk?? Now those are some big waves, I’ve seen them shut Canal Park down because the waves coming over the wall flooded out the park.”

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The waves at canal park and the waves coming in at the other channel on the border between MN/WI, I forget the name, could be some of the most crazy swells I’ve ever had to get through. With the flow of Superior coming in and the current of the river going out it makes for some giant waves. You always have an audiance at Canal Park so have to get the prop out of the water a few times

I’ve been on Mille Lacs when some “ROLLERS” came over the back of the boat more tha twice and ended up sinking us I considered (judging by my height, 6’4″) that them waves were 4′ + waves, I know this because I know how TALL I am and how the waves wentb from my knee’s to over my head in a matter of seconds….quick enough to sink a boat…bad,bad,bad memorie’s

This will keep some of you picture lookers busy awhile.

Heavy Seas