Quote:
Originally Posted by surfer1280
Wow...that's a lot of great info...I got a few follow up questions.
1) Why is it that the water is too cold to swim from in MA and points north?
-Where exactly is the line in New England where it gets too cold...I find it interesting and am curious as to why Rhode Island is so close to the too cold point of the Atlantic and what makes it warmer than others.
2) I also find it interesting how you say the Block Island sound is part of the Atlantic Ocean.
-It's kind of confusing because if it's part of the Atlantic Ocean...than why do they call it the sound like the LI Sound?
-Same thing with Mass...they have the Massachusetts Bay and the Gulf of Maine...I never got if one/both were the Atlantic or seperate?
-I also have wondered...is the RI/CT border really the line between the Atlantic and the sound...what makes it so drastic?
3) How come the outer banks has such great surf...if doesn't face north/south.
4) Would you say basically then any Rhode Island beach be it
-Misquamicut -Scarborough -2nd beach
They all have a similar surf....in other words is it worth the extra distance and money for me to go to Narragansett town beach of Ruggles...or would I be just as well in Westerly as far as water temp and surfing goes all things equal?
5) As far as forecasts go...to plan a good time to go the beach....do any websites offer good forecasts on surf?
-You mentioned southern winds and Bermuda highs but I'm not meterologists...would any marine forecast sight be fine or do I have to observe and predict the waves myself?
Thanks!
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Lets see if I can answer your questions one at a time….
Q: “Why is it that the water is too cold to swim from in MA and points north - Where exactly is the line in New England where it gets too cold...I find it interesting and am curious as to why Rhode Island is so close to the too cold point of the Atlantic and what makes it warmer than others.
”
A: Several factors create cool to cold water in summer from Massachusetts northward…and warm water from Rhode Island southward. The main factor is the cold Labrador Current - which begins up off eastern Canada and flows south to around Cape Cod, where it converges and weakens near the Gulf Stream coming out of the tropics east of the Bahamas and off South America. Also, the periodic southwest flow out of the subtropical High (Azores-Bermuda High) allows better mixing of the warmer water (eddies, wind effects..ect) of the Gulf Stream from Rhode Island south to Virginia. Places from Rhode Island/Long Island southward are effectively blocked from the cold currents (in most years). Rhode Island may be in political "New England"...but climatically it's in the Middle Atlantic. The line can be pretty sharp.
Here is a picture from last August (2008): You can somewhat see the core of the warm Gulf Stream (the black dots). The Atlantic Ocean was about 24 C (74 F) off Rhode Island/Long Island…. while from Massachusetts’s northward, the Atlantic was around 20 C (66 F). You can see that just to the east of Rhode Island, the Atlantic quickly cools very quickly. In fact, as you can see, most of the coast of Maine had 17 C surf (about 61 F). This would be like trying to swim in the Pacific off San Francisco, CA! At the opposite end of the extreme…from the southern North Carolina coast southward the Atlantic is over 28 C (82 F).
Q
: I also find it interesting how you say the Block Island sound is part of the Atlantic Ocean. It's kind of confusing because if its part of the Atlantic Ocean...than why do they call it the sound like the LI Sound? Same thing with Mass...they have the Massachusetts Bay and the Gulf of Maine...I never got if one/both were the Atlantic or separate?
-I also have wondered...is the RI/CT border really the line between the Atlantic and the sound...what makes it so drastic?
A: As I mentioned before…the south coast of Rhode Island faces the open. The terms “Bay or Gulf” is often given to near shore waters when there is a small island or shoaling offshore, for example…Gulf of Santa Catalina along the Pacific Coast near San Diego, Long Bay and Onslow Bay off the Atlantic Coast of North Carolina. Some Bay or Sound’s are truly enclosed bodies of water for the most part, for example …Chesapeake Bay (Baltimore), Puget Sound (Seattle), Biscayne Bay (Miami). Using the map above again, you can clearly see the Connecticut coast is blocked from the open sea by Long Island, NY. Once you reach Watch Hill, Rhode Island, Long Island ends. Hence you face the open sea or the Bahamas if you are looking due south (71 – 72 longitude).
Q: ) How come the outer banks has such great surf...if doesn't face north/south
A: The Outer Banks often has better surf because it is frequently the closest to the southwest flow of the Bermuda High and rough Atlantic surf generated by storms, fronts…etc. So the Outer Banks has good surfing frequently because it is very exposed. Again, technically, it’s really southern North Carolina (Cape Fear to southern Cape Hatteras) that has the best surfing. This is due to the fact they face a bit more southward (onshore wind/waves). Still, summer can have a lot of flat conditions anywhere along the East Coast. Storm surfing is still king on the East Coast.
Q
: Would you say basically then any Rhode Island beach be it
-Misquamicut -Scarborough -2nd beach - They all have a similar surf....in other words is it worth the extra distance and money for me to go to Narragansett town beach of Ruggles...or would I be just as well in Westerly as far as water temp and surfing goes all things equal?
A: If this question means which location has the best surf under the best conditions (hurricane swinging eastward, strong south wind, tide coming in…etc) then I think any of the south County beaches are the best (East Beach, Misquamicut, Green Hill, Matunuck…etc). Narragansett and the spots around Newport would still be very good too. Under perfect conditions…there is no bad surf along the Atlantic Coast of Rhode Island or Long Island.
Q: As far as forecasts go...to plan a good time to go the beach....do any websites offer good forecasts on surf? -You mentioned southern winds and Bermuda highs but I'm not meterologists...would any marine forecast sight be fine or do I have to observe and predict the waves myself?
A: Well, the marine segment of the local news in Providence is great. They supply wind and wave conditions every day. You could check the NWS marine forecast site. It’s simple. Are you located in Rhode Island, the northeast …etc?
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