Quote:
Originally Posted by This'nThat
Of course this is a complete fake. The Laws of Physics won't allow this to happen.
First, Newton's Laws: For every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction. The action, in this case, is the boat going forward. The reaction is -- the water that is pushed backwards. The boat's propeller is pushing a lot of water backwards. Which will prevent the "surfer" from moving forward without the assistance of the rope tow. He's trying to make us believe the small wake behind the boat is sufficient to overcome this propeller wash. It isn't -- big time.
Second, gravity isn't assisting the "surfer" in this video. During ocean wave surfing, the surfer actually uses gravity to propel forward. Gravity is made available by the constantly increasing size of the wave. As an ocean wave approaches shore, it becomes higher as a result of the wave's energy traveling over more and more shallow conditions. The wave's energy causes the wave size to increase and turn nearly vertical. The surfer rides this front edge of the wave, and essentially continues to "fall" as the wave pushes him to shore. Without this effect, a wave is essentially non-surfable (if that's a word). A boat wake isn't a surfable wave.
Basically, this video is trying to make us believe that the boat's forward momentum is causing a wave condition that is also moving forward at the boat's speed, and has sufficient energy to carry the surfer with it. Folks -- this is physically impossible.
|
First off, you apparently have never surfed a rapid in a canoe or kayak before. The growing size of the wave is not what moves the surfer. It is a balance between gravity, friction and the velocity of the water. The only reason the surfer moves on an ocean wave is because the wave is changing its position in relation to the shore. If the wave stays in the same position relative to the boat, then there is no reason this is not possible.
Second, you are focusing on the wrong action. it is not that the boat is moving forward, it is that the water is being propelled backwards. That force is what creates the wave.
Based on your theory, this would be impossible!
http://youtu.be/WCDuIJMrLbo