The Skimmers' Paradox

Ever wondered why it is so difficult to find a place that is perfect for skimming stones?

I believe I can explain. Whenever you find a good place, it either has perfect, flat stones - or beautifully flat water, but not both... This is because neither circumstance can exist alongside the other.

The reason is that stones get their shape because of moving water and water currents. These help to break and chip the stones down to a specific shape in a process known as attrition. These stones either become flat or round, as explained in the video below.

These stones can only get a nice, flattened shape (rather than a big, chunky, bumpy mess) when the water they are in is very choppy.

And therefore, when the water is flat, it probably means that the stones have not been worn down properly - so they are not fit for skimming.

To conclude, Flat Water = Chunky Stones

Choppy Water = Flat stones

And that is the Skimmers' Paradox.

Square Stones

Square stones often seem to grip nicely to your hand as they have at least four grooves you can hold onto. They are also easy to spin fast and rotate better than triangular stones because triangular stones normally have one uneven protrusion which has a bigger effect on the spin, and a smaller surface area. You will be surprised how many people actually prefer to throw square stones over round ones.

Round Stones

Round stones are generally preferable because they are less likely to catch on small bumps on the surface of the water. The down side to this is that they can often be hard to grip onto as they have no grooves around the outside.

Stones with Handles

A common type of stone is a stone with a single handle on. These are very helpful to get a fast spin but can lead to uneven rotations and bounces. Generally, stones with handles can be thrown very hard as the index finger acts as a launch site for the tip of the stone which is the last place in contact with the thrower. Unfortunately, half of the time, the stone's handle points the wrong way for the thrower; they may be right handed but the handle points right, leaving little grip.

Triangular Stones

Triangular stones usually grip very well into the hand and spin fast, but can bounce unevenly. If throwing a triangular stone, make sure it has a very flat surface.

Thick Stones

Thick stones can be good as they are hard to stop and rarely change direction - especially good for rough water. However, if they are too heavy, it can be difficult to give them enough speed to travel far.

Small Stones

Small stones are easy to throw very hard, and very fast. They will either go very far, or bounce off course like a crazy salmon. It is advisable to pick a thick stone if it has a small surface to reduce erratic bounces.