Right this seems as good a place as any to ask the question.

Not only am I having to learn how to windsurf, the names of manouvers, the correct types of kits for different conditions I know need to understand the wind (obvious I suppose, but never given it any thought before!)

Reading alot of posts I am becoming confused by force ratings It seems to me the lower the rating the gentler the wind?

What is on shore and off shore is that the direction?

please help my poor little brain

Its all quite easy really.... An onshore wind is one that is blowing from the sea, onto the land (shore), an offshore one is blowing off the land onto the sea.

Take a look here for a description of the beaufort scale and therefore the wind strengths.

Al.

lol death on a stick I'm liking that

Thanks Al that makes things a little easier and now explains why I was the only muppet sat on the shoreline at bala while nothing much moved. All I could do was listen to my mp3 drink coffee and read all morning sunday!!

I guess from that scale it was probably a force 2/3

Would I be right in assuming wind generally pick up late afternoons? Is there an optimum time to sail I guess at the sea it goes with the tides?

[Edited on 25-6-2007 by welshtrowy]

No, in this country the wind doesn't generally pick up in the afternoons. It can do on the coast on hot days in the summer when a sea breeze develops. This happens as air rises over the hot land and therefore sucks in cooler air from the sea, but it isn't usually hot enough (or more accurately the temperature gradient between the land and sea is great enough) for this to always happen.

We do get the opposite effect here on some mornings where cool mountain air descends down the valleys creating an offshore wind (locally known as Ivor), but again it isn't that predictable.

The winds of the UK are generally created by pressure gradients rather than temperature gradients and most of our winds here are associated with low pressure systems coming in off the Atlantic. These aren't affected by time or tide so it can be windy at any time of day or night. Sea breeze effects can make a difference and can produce some memorable days as they happen in the summer when the sun is shining but you can't rely on them.

The only way to be sure of catching the wind is to be there waiting for it (listening to your mp3 player and drinking coffee) so that you are ready for it when it arrives!.. Oh, and of course being here yesterday because you can be assured of hearing 'You should have been here yesterday' whenever you turn up at the beach.

Al.

Thanks Al a very definitive answer. I now see why its such a friendly sport so much time spent chatting while awaiting the wind

[Edited on 25-6-2007 by welshtrowy]

Most windsurfers I know are really good at skimming stones. It comes from spendig many windless hours sitting by very still water

Extreme stone skimming, I fancy my chances at that