My Wetted Finger Does Well!
Seriously… Go out in progressively in different forecasted conditions, and then double check the buoy info afterwards to confirm. After awhile, you will be able to judge within 2-3 knots the wind speed by the feel and look of things.
In my opinion, when you’re out there, holding up a guage to figure out what you’re dealing with is pretty pointless. Just deal with it and then check to see what you dealt with afterwards.
sing
Wife uses one often
My wife uses one all the time. We live in chicago and get a bit of wind.
Prior we lived in Portland, OR and found it useful for fall/winter paddles in the Columbia Gorge.
Wade
Agreed
That was my intent as well, and I came to the same conclusion.
Mike
Been playing with this stuff for a whil
but on water based indicators what about the fetch?
I agree; if you need a wind meter you should be able to use the beaufort scale. The wind meter when it works, will be more exact.
When I started paddling
I kept a journal that included the mileage, time, conditions, currents, wind etc for the paddle. It helped me in developing my sense of seamanship (I find the ocean environment to be encredibly complex and intimidating, and this approach helped me to identify and avoid/purposely encounter big stuff as I got more experienced. For example, 6 foot swell at 10 seconds is really different than 5 feet at 15 seconds, add opposing wind etc). If I had a wind gage, I would have used it, and can see the value in it.
I agree with the previous post that people over estimate the wind (and swell size). We get some winds here in the summer (regularly 25 knots in the afternoon) and its really hard to make any progress into that kind of wind.
I only ever over-estimate the wind
when I’m recounting the tale
I use a Kestrel 2500
and when I hold it up and read the meter I ask folks what they think the wind is doing. Once in a while they get close. The experienced ones are more accurate. (Ok, I’m being a little dramatic with that statement, but not by much.) Just like measuring swell height or beach break it takes a little practice to get good at estimating. I like barometers, as every year I paddle in places where we cannot hear NOAA or the host country’s equivalent. It’ss a simple thing to record the barometric trend on a homemade graph. Like everything, there are tools, analytical powers and the right combination for you. Choose well and be happy.
Dogmaticus
I’m probably guilty too
of over estimating wind velocity, which is why I’d like one. Just for checking from shore before and after a paddle. I wouldn’t want to pay more than $10 for one though. Maybe ebay.
Paul S.