Spindrift wind. Some sources regard "spoondrift" as a direct alternative to "spindrift" in all its uses. In Greek and Roman mythology, Leucothea is considered the goddess of spindrift. Spindrift Spindrift (more rarely spoondrift) usually refers to spray, particularly to the spray blown from cresting waves during a gale. This spray, which "drifts" in the direction of the gale, is one of the characteristics of a wind speed of 8 Beaufort and higher at sea. In Great Britain "spindrift" is the telltale sign used by mariners to define a Force 8 (Beaufort Scale) wind (not higher) when observed at sea. See this
Beaufort scale law relating wind velocity to Beaufort force. Wave heights in the scale are for conditions in the open ocean, not along the shore. The wind speeds in different units are not mathematically equivalent; e.g. 12–19 km/h is not equivalent to 8–12 mph, and both are not equivalent to 7–10 knots. The reason is that the Beaufort scale is not an exact nor an objective scale. It was based on visual and subjective observation of a ship and of the sea. The corresponding integral wind speeds were determined later, but the values in different units were never made equivalent. The scale