MillersLocal
  • Home
  • Latest Shots
  • Blog
  • Comp news
  • Surf Report
  • SurfGuide
  • PHOTOS
  • Vintage
  • Enviro
  • Shop

Blog

Surf forecast? Check the loo, bru!

3/19/2014

 
Picture
Throw away the iPhone. Who needs internet forecasts to predict when surfs on the way? All you gotto do is check the loo, bru!

Next time the wind is pomping as a cold front is smashing us, go check the water level in your toilet bowl. You'll notice it will have dropped a bit lower than normal. Say hello to the "Toilet barometer". So every morning instead of logging onto your phone to check the forecast, just pop your head over the loo and see what the water level's doing. Gone down? Good - low pressure system is around and there's a chance of waves.

It sounds kinda crazy, but it actually does work. Learnt it way back in the day from Seals legend and weather guru extraordinaire, Eric Stedman. 

Here's the low down on the weird loo levels. Basically the water in your loo is in an s-shaped combination of curved tubes. If the far side of the tube develops under-pressure, some of the water will be pulled over into the far side, and water level in your toilet bowl will sink. Where your loo pipe comes out the wall it has a lil chimney pipe coming off of it vertically with a small vent at the top (which gets rid of the pong). 
Picture


On windy days, this chimney can act like a pump. The wind blowing over it creates a low pressure in the pipe, which then sucks some water out of the toilet and into the pipe. Which is why you see the loo bowl level drop.

There's actually a scientific principle that explains the scenario: Bernoulli’s principle. It's all about fluid dynamics.
Because fluids like air and water tend to move towards area of decreased pressure, lower air pressure results in a suctioning effect throughout the plumbing system, which ultimately lowers the water level in your toilet bowl as the winds start to howl as a cold front moves through. Conversely, calmer weather conditions result in increased air pressure in the toilet and higher water levels as a result.

So go check ya loo during the next cold front. Betcha you'll notice the water level will have dropped a bit.
Picture
Ou's checked the loo, and look what they found!

Comments are closed.
    Picture
    LATEST POSTS
    More posts HERE

    Author

    Millerslocal

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Latest Shots
  • Blog
  • Comp news
  • Surf Report
  • SurfGuide
  • PHOTOS
  • Vintage
  • Enviro
  • Shop