BayAreaKiteboarding.com

So, Fall is here, and iKite no longer has forecasts generated by humans. We have some resources here, https://www.bayareakiteboarding.com/winds.htm which are being moved over to the new portal config, but my question is does anyone else have any noteworthy sources they'd like to add to provide us with decent forecast info?

Ollie

Note: Wind resources have been moved and are now located under Articles

You got em' all.....but no need to check, since kiting this time of the year is over......water too dirty and sharky. Wait until spring.

zgur wrote:You got em' all.....but no need to check, since kiting this time of the year is over......water too dirty and sharky. Wait until spring.

Hmm, so we won't see you at any of the storms? It won't be ideal conditions, but if you don't mind the cold, Alameda will produce some killer storm sessions. Last year was great - lively too! :!:

I generally look at the NWS site for the Bay Area, then check the marine forecast from piedras to pigeon out to 20nm for a rough idea of whats happening.

It's definately more of a crap shoot this time of year, but there are some usable NW days on the coast between Santa Cruz and OB. The wind is often very concentrated. Example- This past Monday, 11/1, about 3pm, it was completely calm, even a little southeasterly, from Santa Cruz to Pigeon Point. I noticed a wind line north of Pigeon, however, and as I drove up the coast it was getting more and more windy out of the northwest. Pomponio and San Gregorio had enough wind to sail easily- white caps and some blowing sand. It was probably good for a 12 or a 14 from there on up to at least Martins Beach. Yes, I got out of the car, walked out onto the beach, and stood there for a while at both spots. I was suprised. The swell was LARGE and I was super pissed I'd only brought a 7'0 Merrick along, thinking there wouldn't be much wind. The nautical forcast I mentioned above called for 10-20 out of the northwest in the afternoon. I guess I shoulda read it more carefully. Waddell never got windy that day by the meter, and the meters at HMB and Pillar were reading in the low-mid teens. If I'd only looked at the Ikitesurf meters, I'd have thought there wasn't enough to make it work.

Maybe that day was unique, cause it seems like when I'm heading from HMB to Waddell on NW days, it usually gets more and more windy as I drive south. Regardless, I'll take my gear next time I go over the hill if there is even a shred of hope. It's not like looking at the graph in the summer, where you know it's a sure thing. But there are days to be had on the coast even in the winter months. Any thoughts on how to better predict em?

Hey Speeder,

Sounds like you've got it together pretty good for your coastal forecasts. I must admit, I've never put in that much research into it as it looks like you do. I just ten to cross-reference forecast info from some of the sites listed here under the wind section in "Articles". But what you say does go to show that sometimes, despite what the forecasts say, you can score some killer sessions regardless. It's always a toss of the dice...that is, if it seems like there's good chance of winds. Many is the time when you don't even give it a second thought because you know there's not a chance. Which can be good, because that's when you can actually get some stuff done! :P

we totally forgot the Alameda Cam

http://www.kitewindsurf.com/store/windcam.aspx

K

Forcast 10 to 20, se. himm.....

What have you got?.

Per the NWS site as mentioned in my earlier post- Sat, 11/13, forecast- 15-25 kts NW wind with west swell starting the day 8-10 feet and building to 12-15 feet. A few surf sites- notably blakestah.com, an SF exclusive that is very good for kiters as well as surfers, are calling for big surf and a NW wind. Uh, yea. I'll likely drive over and take a look. No guarantee I'll go out in surf that big, but it'll probably be pretty impressive and exciting if nothing else. Sometimes in HMB the swells aren't quite so large and you can still get the NW wind. The other question is what type of wind is it gonna be? Crazy ass stormy type stuff and surf that big could be a recipe for trouble. Rain is listed as a possibility also, which means it'll likely be storm wind.

nice call speedster
looks like saterdays the day,some might find wind inside the bay as well.
i too use the n.w.s

Comes on at 12 to 1 pm in the afternoon, and peaks at 4pm. Not as many signs when it's coming....today is a great example at Waddell - nothing until about 12:30, and then boom, 10m weather with building swells.