On Thu, 9 Jan 2014 11:36:39 +0000, Sacha wrote:

Genuinely phenomenal. I read the other day that coastguards and police
somewhere in Cornwall received mouthfuls of abuse from people when
warned not to get too close to the raging sea.

Perhaps it's about time that there was a legal way to withdraw the
emergency services from such people. Some phrase like your rights
that have to be read to you when you are arrested. Once it has been
quoted to you, you are on your own, full stop.

Apparently, these idiots hadn't realised not only the power of the sea
itself but that rocks, pebbles and even small boulders were being hurled
ashore.

Aye, fast flowing water not much over 12" deep can have you off your
feet quite easily, 12" is more than enough to carry you along where
ever it wants to take you. As for getting in the way of a large wave
that is probably going to hit you with half a tonne of water...

And rock is remarkably bouyant in water. Several times I've been
watching the becks in flood around here and heard the clonk clonk
clonk of the small boulders (12 to 18") across that make up the beck
bed being shifted. Things that size are effectively glued to the
ground most of the time.

--
Cheers
Dave.