Wind speed help and resources?

[ahalbeck]

Hi all!

Wondering if anyone has any tips on how to get real-time wind readings for all of the major beaches in the bay area. Have been relying on windguru, but have learned fairly quickly that it's not always accurate. Other than looking at webcams, how should I know if it'll be windy enough to kite?

A brief overview of whether or not I should be looking at mph instead of kts (what I currently look at) would be super helpful, too.

Thanks!

[Yoda]

There's nothing better than iKitesurf for around here. Their network is well established at most of the popular spots.
http://wx.ikitesurf.com/en-us/Services/SignUp.aspx
The Pro Forecast is a nice tool for around the Bay. It's updated 3 times a day, twice in the morning, and once in the eve for the next day outlook.
Note: iKitesurf is a subscription service at $10/month, however the ROI from not waisting gas and time by knowing when and where to go is well worth it. This holds especially true for the Bay since there's the traffic factor. Nothing's worse than sitting in traffic for 2+ hours to then arrive at your intended spot too late.

[irvinside]

Yoda is right: best place for wind metrics in the bay for sure, although their forecast might be wrong (nothing 100% reliable) so wind Alerts is a good way to go. Also available on ikitesurf.

.aspx only for ie browser, so you will need internet explorer.

You can also get discount on annual PRO membership like here for $99
http://greenhatkiteboarding.com/ikitesu ... membership

here for $80
http://kiteboardingcloseouts.com/access ... rship.html

or there for $60
http://kiteboarding.com/proddetail.asp? ... membercard

Must be related to the Wind :-)

Cheers,

[ahalbeck]

Yoda is right: best place for wind metrics in the bay for sure, although their forecast might be wrong (nothing 100% reliable) so wind Alerts is a good way to go. Also available on ikitesurf.

Yoda and Irvinside - thanks for the tips! Can you say a little more about wind Alerts? Have poked around iKiteSurf and am not entirely clear on how the alerts work/what they do/where to find them.

Also wondering a bit about predicting wind direction - I know that directly offshore is a no-no and that onshore can be a maybe, but how should I be thinking about cross-offshore?

Thanks!

[seashell]

Also wondering a bit about predicting wind direction - I know that directly offshore is a no-no and that onshore can be a maybe, but how should I be thinking about cross-offshore?

Cross-offshore sadly has the same problem as offshore - you'll get blown away from shore if your equipment fails and you do a self-rescue. If you're on an excursion with a boat backup, that's when it's okay.

[amir]

Welcome to becoming weather obsessed! Windalert.com is the best resources and well worth the cost. Read the forecasts to begin to learn about the Bay Area weather patterns. I learned a ton from the forecasters and still peak at them to see what they are thinking.

My additional go to sites are
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecasts/displ ... tr&pil=afd
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/data/Forecasts ... .KMTR.html
http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/sat-bin/disp ... C_SCALE=25

Those 4 sites give me a great idea of weather or not to go, plus I always look out the window.

Also check the tides, they make a difference for all spots. Plus it's good to know where you'll end up if the wind shuts off.

[irvinside]

Yoda and Irvinside - thanks for the tips! Can you say a little more about wind Alerts? Have poked around iKiteSurf and am not entirely clear on how the alerts work/what they do/where to find them.
Thanks!

Hi, there is a simple way to setup alarms with iKitesurf PRO which allows you to be alerted on your mobile App/lock screen whenever current wind is matching specific speed/direction/... on your favorite spots. This way you get to know as soon as the wind picks up. Very useful when forecast is just wrong.

Select your spot from the GUI, and click on the ALERT menu to set it up

Cheers,
Greg

[ahalbeck]

thanks guys! thinking im starting to get the hang of it...