Dive Planning - Beaufort Scale
Force |
Knots |
MPH |
KPH |
Sea Term |
Sea Conditions |
On-Land Appearance |
0 |
<=1 |
<=1 |
<=2 |
Calm |
mirror-like water surface | smoke rises vertically |
1 |
1-3 |
1-3 |
2-6 |
Light Air or Wind |
small ripples on surface | smoke drifts and leaves rustle |
2 |
4-6 |
4-7 |
7-11 |
Light breeze |
small glassy wavelets | wind felt on face |
3 |
7-10 |
8-11 |
12-19 |
Gentle breeze |
large wavelets, some white caps | flags extended, leaves move |
4 |
11-16 |
12-18 |
20-30 |
Moderate breeze |
small waves, frequent white caps | dust and small branches move |
5 |
17-21 |
19-24 |
31-39 |
Fresh Breeze |
moderate waves, many white caps, some spray possible | small trees begin to sway |
6 |
22-27 |
25-31 |
40-50 |
Strong breeze |
large waves, white caps all around, some spray | large branches move, wires whistle |
at this point go home! don't dive. |
||||||
7 |
28-33 |
32-38 |
51-61 |
Near Gale |
seas heap up the waves, some foam streaks off wave tops | trees in motion, resistance felt when walking |
8 |
34-40 |
39-46 |
62-74 |
Gale |
moderately high waves, edges of crests break off in spindrift, foam makes well defined streaks | walking impeded |
9 |
41-47 |
47-54 |
75-87 |
Strong Gale |
high waves, dense streaks of spray, visibility affected | structural damage may occur |
10 |
48-55 |
55-63 |
88-101 |
Full Gale or Storm |
very high waves, surface white with spray and foam, visibility reduced | trees uprooted, structural damage likely |
11 |
56-63 |
64-73 |
102-117 |
Violent Storm |
Exceptionally high waves, small to medium ships obscured, visibility limited | damage to structures wide spread |
12 |
64-71 |
74-82 |
118-132 |
Hurricane (start of) |
air filled with foam and spray, sea white, visibility restricted | severe structural damage to buildings, wide spread devastation, flooding |
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