welshtrowy
Hot shot  
Member #: 6588 Posts 38
Registered: 8-5-2007 Member Is Offline Mood: no skills but willing
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 posted on 25-6-2007 at 16:38 |
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On shore, Offshore force3,4,5?
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
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justal
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| posted on 25-6-2007 at 18:01 |
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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.
URL: Pixelwave Design - Website Design Wales
Shop: Website Templates
Personal Weblog: A Simple Life of Luxury in West Wales
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welshtrowy
Hot shot
Member #: 6588 Posts 38
Registered: 8-5-2007 Member Is Offline Mood: no skills but willing
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| posted on 25-6-2007 at 19:58 |
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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]
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justal
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| posted on 25-6-2007 at 20:33 |
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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.
URL: Pixelwave Design - Website Design Wales
Shop: Website Templates
Personal Weblog: A Simple Life of Luxury in West Wales
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welshtrowy
Hot shot
Member #: 6588 Posts 38
Registered: 8-5-2007 Member Is Offline Mood: no skills but willing
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| posted on 25-6-2007 at 20:52 |
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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]
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Dave
A Force-of-Nature ** 
Member #: 15 Posts 388
Registered: 29-7-2002 Member Is Offline Mood: Hey Ho
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| posted on 26-6-2007 at 12:11 |
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Most windsurfers I know are really good at skimming stones. It comes from spendig many windless hours sitting by very still water
borth-rowing-club.org.uk
borthlifeboat.org.uk
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welshtrowy
Hot shot
Member #: 6588 Posts 38
Registered: 8-5-2007 Member Is Offline Mood: no skills but willing
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| posted on 26-6-2007 at 19:43 |
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Extreme stone skimming, I fancy my chances at that
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Pixelwave Web Design.
justal@forces-of-nature.co.uk