Send (Sea Motion)

The forward impulse or surge imparted to a vessel or floating object by waves or swell.

In traditional nautical usage, the send of the sea describes the bodily movement or momentum produced as a wave lifts and carries the vessel. It may be felt near a harbour entrance, shoal, wall or other place where wave shape and reflection alter the motion.

The term is uncommon and varies in regional use, so ‘surge’, ‘swell’ or the exact vessel motion may be clearer in modern instruction. It should not be defined merely as water rising against a fixed object, which can instead describe run-up, setup or splash.