# Difference between sea and lake boating **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 27, 2013, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-sea-and-lake-boating/674936 "2013-11-27T17:53:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Artemis\_Tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Artemis\_Tardis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Artemis_Tardis)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2013, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-sea-and-lake-boating/674936/1 "2013-11-27T17:53:23Z")
I wrote another thread about float-ability of fat people. It made me wonder another thing, so I am posting on another thread: Will there be noticeable difference for a boat to ride on a lake and on sea? I know it is easier to float on the ocean, but will that make a big difference on drag, max speed or anything like that? Ignoring of course exterior factors such as wind, waves, depth and currents… ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2013, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-sea-and-lake-boating/674936/2 "2013-11-27T23:13:17Z")
What kind of boat? Not much if any at all worth trying to measure. More a math problem in for the nerds IMO. I do sailboats, not race boats. More important to big ship builders I would think… ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2013, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-sea-and-lake-boating/674936/3 "2013-11-28T02:18:42Z")
On the average, salt water weighs 64.1 PCF, while fresh water weighs 62.4 PCF. So the buoyancy of salt water is about 2.7% better than fresh water - your boat will float just a tiny bit higher in the ocean than in a fresh water lake. Lets say that your boat had 10" draft on a lake, with a freeboard of 15". Then if you took it into the ocean, it would float about ¼" higher out of the water, with a freeboard of 15-¼". Hardly noticeable. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2013, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-sea-and-lake-boating/674936/4 "2013-11-28T06:12:01Z")
> [@demian\_travis](#): > > I wrote another thread about float-ability of fat people. It made me wonder another thing, so I am posting on another thread: Will there be noticeable difference for a boat to ride on a lake and on sea? I know it is easier to float on the ocean, but will that make a big difference on drag, max speed or anything like that? Ignoring of course exterior factors such as wind, waves, depth and currents… I’ve piloted boats in rivers, large bays, and the open ocean, and have been a passenger on a few lakes. As others have stated, there is no noticeable difference on speed. To me, the wake seems a little more pronounced on a lake, but that’s probably simply an illusion caused by the contrasted relative calm of lake waters when compared to heavier eddied waters of open ocean or bays. ---
**Author:** ![bluezooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@bluezooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluezooky)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2013, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-sea-and-lake-boating/674936/5 "2013-11-28T06:33:45Z")
> [@demian\_travis](#): > > Ignoring of course exterior factors such as wind, waves, depth and currents… How about altitude, if your at 1000m some engines will lose around ten percent of their power, a bigger factor than water density.