Do Great Lakes sound like the ocean? I mean, like waves

[raccoon]

Crashing on the beach?

[Jaydog]

1. Sometimes

Depending on the wind.
I have seen large waves on Lake Michigan, and body-surfed on them.

[Binkie The Clown]

2. Lake Michigan sounds like Santa Monica beach, but nothing like the Oregon coast.

Every beach, every shoreline, will have a different sound depending on so may different factors.
There is no single sound for a Great Lakes shore, just as there is no single sound for "the ocean."

[shrike3]

18. Loved the Oregon Coast.

[brush]

3. I've been on the shore of Lake Michigan and the surg...

was not as high, nor the sound as loud as the Atlantic of Pacific. That's my experience. Lake Michigan is the thrid largest lake. Superior and Huron are larger, maybe their surfs/waves are too.

[Sympthsical]

4. When it's very windy

I used to live along Lake Michigan. One time, the wind was sending waves over the walls onto the walking area along the shore. One caught my bike wheels about halfway up and pulled my bike out from under me. It was a bit much.

Generally, the lakes are pretty quiet. But under the right conditions they can be pretty rowdy.

[shrike3]

7. Wow. You were very fortunate.

I've been along the lake when it acts like that. Someone I know says, "Lake Michigan does not want you in her." Why she never goes swimming. She'll hang out at the beach, stick her toes in the water, but never go in beyond wading depth.

[wishstar]

30. I've been in severe sudden storms on Lake Ontario, nearly drowned once

When I was 14, my sibs and cousins and I all swam out from rocky shoreline in water over our heads to a nice shallow sandbar offshore as we often did during our July get togethers. But on this hot sunny afternoon a freak storm developed and rapidly came over us creating huge waves so we all swimmed toward shore furiously. I was the youngest and weakest swimmer and was overcome with the waves. The others stood on the shore watching me in trouble and my 16 year old cousin swam out and I grabbed onto his shoulders as he carried me to shore. But I swallowed a lot of water and was unconscious and had to be carried to the family cottage where they helped get the water out and revive me.
This favorite cousin who rescued me joined the Navy 2 years later during Vietnam War and after coming home died from a sudden stroke at a young age and I still miss him.

Many years later, husband and I were visiting and walked out to the end of a long lighthouse pier where several people were fishing. The day was clear, calm and sunny. But we suddenly noticed a waterspout offshore so I said we better race to the car. Husband didn't see the urgency, but quickly walked back with me. Before we could reach the beachy shore, the waves overcame the pier sweeping away all of the coolers and fishing tackle and the wind blew sand from adjoining beach area that was so extreme that my car always had sand in every crevice from that time on as we opened doors and hopped in to escape the storm.

[shrike3]

5. They can, yes.

I've lived by the Great Lakes and the ocean. It depends on the weather.

The Great Lakes can also be dangerous as hell. You know summer's arrived when people start drowning.

Here where I live, a couple of college guys were kept from swimming in Lake Michigan by lifeguards. Riptides. They found an unguarded beach. You can guess the rest -- one of them drowned.

From Great Lakes safety

When you visit the Great Lakes it’s important to know about the hazards you may face. Staying aware and alert is what will keep you safe in the dynamic conditions found on their beaches.

“Dangerous currents and breaking waves are common in the Great Lakes region. Rip currents, other currents, and river outlets found near piers (also known as breakwaters/breakwalls) are extremely dangerous for swimmers and can lead to drownings”. (Michigan Sea Grant, member of the Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium)

To stay safe, you need to stay aware of the weather and what is going on around you.
Even small waves can hit you with the force of a car! Getting knocked down or pinned to the sand can cause serious injury.


https://www.weather.gov/safety/great-lakes

Lots good info at the link.

[LeftInTX]

6. Good question

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/gltides.html

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/seiche.html

Maybe the general waves seen on calm days are due to ships and other disturbances in the water. I've hopped in Lake Michigan in South Milwaukee on a hot day. I swear there were small waves, but then there were other people hopping in at the same time.

[shrike3]

8. I live along Lake Michigan.

Beach closing are not uncommon, due to dangerous conditions.

[LeftInTX]

9. But aren't those secondary due to weather?

[shrike3]

14. Given the dangers involved, it's almost irrelevant.

I shared the link upthread.

Ocean conditions are of course much different. Operate the way they do for certain reasons. I've lived on the Atlantic ocean and I've lived along the Great Lakes. All in all, the Ocean is more impressive. And has much more interesting marine life; that goes without saying. But it's never good to underestimate the Great Lakes.

[LeftInTX]

21. I'm from Wisconsin, so yeah I know

But even the Gulf of Mexico, which is the sleepiest coast in the Atlantic has a rhythm. Plop yourself on a beach towel and pass out listening to the rhythm of the waves. (And get sunburnt as heck). If you sleep too long you have to worry about tides.

[shrike3]

27. Good point.

[TheRealNorth]

17. In Milwaukee

Those closings are often due to high bacterial counts in the water. Particularly later in summer.

While on average, I am guessing the oceans are a bit rougher when it comes to wave, the Great Lakes can get very bad with the right weather conditions.

[shrike3]

28. Oh yeah, we've had bacterial problems down here.

And like I said upthread, you know it's summertime when people start drowning.

[snowybirdie]

10. No comparison

I lived in Chicago and Lake Michigan. More like lapping waves mostly. Also lived on Pacific Ocean beach in Mexico. Waves sounded like cannon balls frequently.

[shrike3]

15. Good point. Except when you're near the bike/walking path and see those waves.

Can get a little scary.

[ProfessorGAC]

33. I Buy That

Can one hear waves on a Great Lake? Sure.
But, they tend to be more a whooshing sound. Ocean waves are much more powerful sounding.
Being from Chicagoland my whole life, I've been along Lake Michigan scads of times.
Being that I traveled somewhat regularly to Singapore, Indonesia, & the Philippines (near Batangas), I agree the sounds are not comparable.

[Hekate]

11. I've never seen any of the Great Lakes, but I do know winter storms can take a ship to the bottom

[kcr]

12. Yes, depending on conditions

I grew up near them, and remember the first time I saw the ocean. I was expecting it to be this big special moment like it is in the movies, but it was a lot like the beaches I lived near, so I was a little let down. The ocean air is quite different, though, which I like.

Edited to add that I feel like some of the comments in this thread are giving the wrong impression. The cause may be different, but waves are waves. I live near Long Island Sound now, and it's more like a lake than the Great Lakes are, even though it's connected to the ocean. The Great Lakes are essentially freshwater seas. They have calm and rough conditions the same as any other sea. It also depends on the lake. Erie is calmer than Superior, for example.

[Novara]

13. Nothing like the Pacific Ocean

I've lived in both places and nothing beats the sound of the Pacific.

[shrike3]

16. I lived along the Atlantic. Only visited the Pacific.

The Pacific was impressive. It's funny, my brother lives in Cali and he and their family just stick to their pool. Find the ocean too cold.

[Novara]

19. It really is too cold

It's why San Francisco stays cool in the summers - the cooling air over the cold waters of the Pacific blows inland and keeps the area cool all summer. Man, I miss it.

The Pacific is not a pacific type of ocean. It is a wild ocean.

[shrike3]

20. Well, I never set my foot in it.

But it sure looked like a wild ocean to me from shore.

My nieces got into surfing for a while, but always wore wet suits. You are not the person I've talked to who concurs that the water out there is too cold.

[TheRealNorth]

23. You have "Lake Effect" cooling with the Great Lakes too.

During the summer, the temperature along Lake Michigan is often 5-10 degrees lower than what it is 10 miles inland.

During early winter, it's sometimes a few degrees warmer along the lake.

[Novara]

25. Nothing like northern California, though - that's really dramatic

[ProfessorGAC]

36. We Live 50 Miles From Lake Michigan

It's not uncommon for that differential to hit the high teens.
75 on the lakeshore, 93 here.
Often a 5-10 difference the other way in winter. 20 on the lake, 12 here.

[LeftinOH]

22. I've lived at or near the south shore of Lake Erie my whole life..

..and no, it doesn't sound like the ocean. It's remarkably silent - but during major storms the chop can get pretty wild. Another major distinction from the oceans is that the Great Lakes have no odor; that classic scent of ocean breeze simply doesn't exist.

[Hortensis]

37. First Great Lake I ever saw. When we drove along the shore, the

size related it to the oceans we were used to, but the water was barely below the pavement and as calm as a pond. Felt surreal.

[xmas74]

24. Lake Superior

https://youtube.com/shorts/Bt8cfjkmqGg?feature=share

[Johnny2X2X]

26. Lake Michigan from the West Coast of Michigan does.

There's always gentle rolling waves coming in even on calm days. I've fallen asleep to the sounds of the lake and the ocean.

The beaches along Lake Michigan have great sand too. Late Summer, early Fall when the wind picks up can see waves in excess of 10 feet on the regular, occasionally even 15-20 feet.

I think the frequency is greater in the great lakes than the ocean, less distance between wave crests. So the rhythm is a little faster.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

29. Lake Superior can get some pretty big waves that sound pretty close to the Atlantic

Lake Michigan and Huron seem to have quieter, faster paced I guess, waves, at least in my limited experience. I'm mainly on Lake St Clair and only boat on a Huron and Michigan on rare occasions. Lake St Clair is a baby lake compared to the others.

[Tom Kitten]

31. Some beautiful pictures of Lake Erie storm waves

Can be seen here - https://www.businessinsider.com/lake-erie-storm-photos-2016-1

[48656c6c6f20]

32. Hang on let me stick my head out the window..

Not today it doesn't.

[Tommy Carcetti]

34. They sound like cars rolling by out on 441. nt

[Happy Hoosier]

35. Lake Michigan feels very ocean-like

Crashing waves, etc. if the wind is up, you can get waves big enough to surf on.

[phylny]

38. Lake Michigan - loved it.

[raccoon]

50. Thank you! To me, that's like the ocean only the waves are closer together. NT

[llmart]

39. In my opinion, no they don't sound like the ocean.

I grew up on Lake Erie. I have been on the shore of every great lake. I have also lived in North Carolina and been to the ocean too many times to count. I've also been to Point Reyes National Seashore, Cannon Beach, Oregon.

There is nothing to compare to the sound, smell of the air, vibe of the oceans.

[GoCubsGo]

40. Most of the "crashing" sounds come when a wave hits a man-made structure,

like a break wall, pier or groyne. Usually, it's during foul weather, with high winds. Otherwise, waves lapping up on the beach in fair weather sound like ocean waves lapping on a beach on the coasts.

[iemanja]

41. the waves are smaller

and hence the sound is lower. Storms increase the turbulence and with it the sound. There have been many shipwrecks in Lake Superior.

[roamer65]

47. 10 November 1975.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Edmund_Fitzgerald

[VGNonly]

42. When the winds up

the waves can be bad, even scary. Once I was at Lake Superior, Pukaskwa NP Ontario with near gale west winds. It sounded like artillery shells.

This clip is Lake Michigan.

[Emile]

43. I have seen 15 foot waves along western Michigan shores on windy days.

[SYFROYH]

44. On the shore, the lakes produce smaller waves, but the ocean has longer waves.

and nothing smells like the ocean.

[ironflange]

45. No tides to worry about

[roamer65]

46. Different frequency to the waves.

Ocean freighters have to be careful on the Lakes in rougher water.

[ellie]

48. When it storms

it gets choppy.

[BarackTheVote]

49. I lived in Chicago for a while

We’d have waves breaking 10, 20 feet over the “seawall.” What was real cool was when it froze that way

[XanaDUer2]

51. I would love to see a picture of that nt

[BarackTheVote]

52. I might have some pictures somewhere

Just as likely, I was bundled up and too in pain to reach for my phone; it was excruciatingly cold, as you can probably imagine

[XanaDUer2]

53. Lol, yes

Thnx