It's amazing to me how overestimated the north sea is

It's on average 300 ft deep (around 100 or so meters for our European Friends) and some parts are only like 100-200 ft (30-50~ meters). That means that some parts of the north sea, you can SEE THE BOTTOM! All this means that those 60 ft (20~ meters) waves are 1/3 of the oceans average depth.

Voir le contenu lié

Commentaires

LocoCoyote2025-10-20 06:02

It’s because of how shallow it is that the waves get so big.

beauterson2025-10-20 08:51

What do you mean by 'overestimated' though?

Grand_Ad_80912025-10-21 06:01

I say "overestimated" because everyone thinks that it's a giant watery mile deep hellscape when it's basically a glorified angry lake

SomethingMoreToSay2025-10-21 16:30

I don't think anybody who lives in a country bordering the North Sea thinks it's a giant watery mile deep hellscape.

People who live thousands of miles away might think that, but if so it's just ignorance.

convolutedcomplexity2025-10-22 00:29

Hahaha .. you really would be disappointed if you saw it. You certainly would not be talking about seeing the bottom 😂

I work at sea, and yes. The north sea is a notoriously rough sea but its due to it being so shallow, waves and swell build up and the wave frequency is high, meaning vessels tend to ‘pound’. Seafarers dislike the north sea, its no angry pond in winter, it can be a truly desperate hell hole.

xenosilver2025-10-22 12:22

I think more people are concerned about the frequent storms, unpredictable currents, and massive waves that come along with the storms. It’s still one of the top five deadliest oceanic areas.

allatsea332025-10-24 10:42

Adorable you think this, as someone who's worked on it most of my adult life I can assure you it's a very angry shelf sea that is dangerous as all hell

glitterlok2025-10-20 15:21

I have no idea what the premise of this post is. What about it is "over-estimated?"

Grand_Ad_80912025-10-21 06:00

Because everyone thinks it's this giant deep ocean when it's basically a glorified, angry pond

parsuval2025-10-22 00:27

Its reputation in the UK, particularly east Scotland where I live, is that it is dangerous precisely because of its shallow depth.

Eyemouth, a fishing town on the east coast, has a memorial to 189 men and boys who died in one day when a fishing fleet went to sea in calm conditions. The memorial is quite spooky. It’s lots of little models in a long line of mothers and children looking out to sea for their lost family members.

I’ve never heard of anyone saying the North Sea is a deep ocean because it’s not. It is very dangerous though, because its shallow depths amplify wave energy.

JinxThePetRock2025-10-22 21:09

Thanks for mentioning this. I hadn't heard of this sculpture, it's hauntingly beautiful.

Jimgun12025-10-22 11:08

I've worked in the North Sea for 15 years and never have heard it described as an "angry pond"

sciencedthatshit2025-10-22 00:01

Depth doesn't mean a thing. Why don't you stick your head in a 5 gallon bucket for a few minutes and see how you feel?

This is an all time stupid bad take.

wusterfather2025-10-23 03:31

I’ve never estimated it

ExaminationStatus1452025-10-23 23:31

Your post is based on a false premise that people assume the North Sea is deep. People understand that the North Sea has incredibly rough waters, but I don't think they make assumptions about the depth.

dom_6782025-10-24 03:07

Couple points.

1st. You cant see the bottom if the water is 40ft deep let alone 100-200ft (unless its super clear water with sunlight shining thru it onto something at the bottom. If you dont believe that go to a pier that has larger boats and see if you can see the bottom yourself. Even better, tie a light colored rock to a string and lower it till it disappears. Its not very deep at all.

2nd: i spent some time in the north atlantic on a nuclear aircraft carrier. The flight deck is normally about 90ft above sea level. We had waves come over the flight deck with enough force to seriously damage planes wings that were too close to the edge. I looked out at the swells thru a 4ft opening in a hangar bay door one day and it was a humbling experience. The carrier was tossed around like a kids toy.

-kalaxiancrystals-2025-10-24 08:51

I have definitely assumed it’s super deep and the most insane waters ever! I’m a dumbass who’s never looked into it! Thank you for sharing because now I know!