What are the chance that the fiber carbon can attract the thunder or can be hit for a thunderbolt...
At least 10 people is hitting for thunders in Mexico on the raining season, in city and country fields.
On the beach clubs they closed the pools and the access for the beach, we was surfing and start to rumble and storm coming all people get out of the beach....
If any statistics or hear about SUP hit for thunder...
Best regards.
No statistics to offer sorry but have had one interesting experience SUPing as a storm front was approaching. Heard a buzzing sound (which I thought at first was just an insect). After a second or two I realised it intensified each time I raised my carbon fibre paddle. Curious (and at this stage still a little un-believing) I raised the paddle a little higher skyward. Quite an impressive buzz, but surprisingly no shock, or deadly bolts from the heavens - decided at this point maybe it was time to leave the surf. Been meaning to run it by Dr Karl sometime.
I've had the same experience with a loud clicking or buzzing sound coming from my paddle along with hairs on my arms standing on end while downwinding during a thunderstorm.. Waving our paddles where like light sabers from a Star Wars movie and the loud clicking sound that our paddles made could be heard easly from 5-10 meters away.. Very cool.
You can see it here in this vid from about five years ago.. (the last few seconds)
No experience in any of the above posts. But carbon fibre is very conducive for electricity. On one of my windsurfing masts it had a large warning sticker about it being conductive. In a thunderstorm I would strongly suggest not pointing your paddle towards the sky. Also you probably shouldn't be on the water during a thunderstorm as from what I had been told once before that lightning was described to me as lazy. It will look for the shortest route to ground. So if your 6foot tall and out on the water there is nothing taller than you around (no trees out there). So lighting would go through you rather that hit the water. I'm sure there are other factors too that come into play
Must admit. Have been on the water plenty of times when storms are apporching. Some of the best sessions (sailing & surfing ever)
Was out on the local lake a few months ago, wasn't using my carbon paddle, big southerly rolls out of nowhere, I was roughly 500 metres out and the thunder was starting, freaked me out ended up swimming in and lying under the board on the beach. I had a plastic bic composite paddle that seemed to not attract the lightning.
I have surfed many times in large storms as when the storm hits the water it goes really smooth, waves start hollowing out and the rain makes it a euphoric experience.
We were always taught the 5 second rule. So it takes the thunder cap five seconds to reach you. When the cap starts getting closer than 5 seconds between bursts your in the eye and bunker down, use anything tree, rocks, board, under the beach walkway. Lightning will arc so its totally unpredictable. It will not always latch onto the highest point. Its pretty much russian roulette after the five second rule.
My advice - don't get hit by lightning. I scored a good hit loading the back of the car at the tail end of a storm a few years back. Freak strike sheared off the steel light pole next to me.
One of those moments when everything goes bright and your left wondering if you will be lucky enough to wake up being revived in the back of an ambulance.
Worse again I had my daughter with me. First instinct when the jolt let go off me was to make sure she was ok. Luckily she was only just opening her door. Shaken, but unhurt.
So I was at Manly a year back getting out during a thunderstorm. This bolt hits way too close. I chucked my freaking paddle and the SUP, diving for the sand. People were laughing. All I could say was I guess you haven't been hit by lightning before?????????
