Wind charts, found any?

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Brian D

Brian D

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Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
I have scoured the internet looking for weather forecast, tidal action, and most importantly, wind predictions and conditions. Visuals always help me before I launch on a day trip. I use the Marine Forcast Summary from WeatherChannel.com and get some good info. But not exactly what I am looking for. Then I ran across this site: http://www.sailflow.com/windandwhere.iws?regionID=138&regionProductID=3&day=0&timeoffset=1 It is sailflow.com, but it is a subscription service. They do have wind charts. But I don't really know how accurate they are. So, does anyone have any sites that show in visual, the current wind conditions? Thanks.
 
S

sailortonyb

sailflow

I used sailflow.com for the trial period only and found it fairly accurate off the south texas coast. I was thinking of paying for the subscription. Maybe your post will bring something better.
 
Franklin

Franklin

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Jul 20, 2005
2,422
Whitby 55 Kemah, Tx
NOAA

is the best I've seen in predicting wind. The best prediction of waves can be found at (www.netsurfing.com). Rain....well...I use a combination of Weather.com and NOAA.
 
O

OceanDeliveries

weather

Some info here. http://www.buoyweather.com/ http://oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu/pacific/pacific-arrows.html http://www.weathermatrix.net/radar/data/wxmatrix.shtml http://www.oceanweather.com/data/ http://kamala.cod.edu/ca/latest.asus46.LOX.KLOX.html http://www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/pyba01.gif http://weather.unisys.com/satellite/sat_ir_enh_west_loop-12.html
 
M

mike c

sailflow

I used sailfolw last year 9free trial) and found it surprisingliy accurate. Their wind forecasts and real time weather was right on ( there is a wind sensor approx. 2 mi. from my YC) As I was the "weatherman" for my racing crew, It was very helpful. I believe that they charge $5 a month. SO I will be using the subscription for the sailing season.
 
action jackson

action jackson

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Dec 13, 2005
15
Catalina 250 Clear Lake, Texas
Iwindsurf.com

Iwindsurf.com is one of the best~! I kitesurf also so i keep up on these things........aj
 
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uploadjoe

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Jul 25, 2005
124
- - -
Same site...

iwindsurf.com and sailflow appear to be owned by the same company so they are offering the same data. I think I might try the service for a month. Thanks for sharing the info. -- Jeremy
 
Franklin

Franklin

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Jul 20, 2005
2,422
Whitby 55 Kemah, Tx
Wind...funny thing

I always thought that the wind would be the strongest near the center of the high/low pressure. From looking at the intellicast's web site, I see that for the high pressure cells, the wind is actually stronger away on the outter edges. There has to be an explanation....anybody?
 
Brian D

Brian D

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Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
Do you remember the game...

Whip the tail? Where a bunch of kids all held hand and started spinning in a circle? Remember what happened to the kid at the end? Poor fellow had to run like crazy to keep up with the rest of the group. :) Thanks for the info guys. Looks like a subscription service is a requirement. Thought there would a site that was free since the info provided by NOAA and NWS is free.
 
S

sailortonyb

NOAA is Free

NOAA is free because i couldnt imagine anyone paying for it, except of course, us taxpayers. I have been working offshore for about 14 -15 years and from my personal experience, it amazes me that NOAA can be so consistantly wrong. Thats why there are so many subscription services. All the helicopter and oil companies in the gulf use various subscription services. Providing data is a science and that is what NOAA does. Interpreting the data to make forecasts is somewhat of an art, and that is where NOAA and the NWS is lacking.
 
Franklin

Franklin

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Jul 20, 2005
2,422
Whitby 55 Kemah, Tx
Wind direction

So, on a high pressure system, the wind is stronger on the edges and a low pressure system the wind is stronger in the center? If so, then I guess you can say that the wind builds up speed in the direction it's going.
 
Ross

Ross

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Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
A somewhat simplistic

explanation is that wind is sucked not blown. Consider alow pressure system like a round tub with a hole in the center letting the water out, and consider a high pressure system like a tub that is filled from the center and drains over all of the edges.
 
Franklin

Franklin

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Jul 20, 2005
2,422
Whitby 55 Kemah, Tx
Filling the tub

you would think that in a high pressure, the air that is being drawn is much more concentrated at the center and therefore faster.
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
23,047
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Try gradients not circles

Franklin If you look at the isobars in a weather pattern printout, rather than thinking of the highs and lows as circles, you will see that the stronger winds are located where isobars are closer. It's kinda like maps for land - where the differences in altitude lines are closer it's steeper. The highs and lows aren't always circles and the higher winds are between the differences in pressure (high to low - that the sucking sound you hear!) not so much the circular rotation. Stu
 
S

sailortonyb

Not all weather systems are........

Not all weather systems are cyclonoc ( round and rotating) some very strong fronts are more or less straight line. Depends what is driving the system. Warm fronts are usually counterclocwise and low pressure systems. Cool or Cold fronts are clockwise and are high presure systems.
 
R

Rob

I second Mike C's assessment

I tried the Sailflow trial near the end of last season. I too found it surprisingly accurate.
 
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