Using Wind Guru - please help (2023)

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  • 7/27/2011 7:02 p.m

    #1

    Since 1981

    Registrated user Posts:180 ✭✭

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    Posts: 128

    Hallo,
    I'm new to surfing, my nearest beach is Strandhill. I have found Windguru to be the best guide to surfing conditions. Would someone be willing to explain what to look for in Windguru since there is so much information on the site...?

    I know that offshore winds are ideal (East/SE winds for Strandhill), but what do I need to know about the following:
    Wind Speed ​​(and what do colors mean?)
    gust of wind (colors again??)
    Period
    Height
    Wind direction (how about wind from directions other than east/southeast)?

    Bear in mind that I'm not looking for huge waves to learn on.
    Any advice is welcome!! :)
    Thanks.

    (Video) How To Interpret Windguru

  • #207/27/2011 10:48 p.m

    Enlarge Strandhill using this website

    http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,560745,835342,4,10

    You will see that the beach faces NW W SW so as a wind guru you are looking for the ideal NE, E, SE wind directions.

    This ensures ideal winds

    Now to the threshold...

    (Video) Wind and Wave forecasting tools and how I like to use them

    Zoom out on the map...

    You will see that to get into Strandhill the swell direction has to be west to north to get in (or massive southwest).

    Therefore, make sure the wave directions match the beach surface to ensure ideal conditions.

    Now height

    It doesn't take a lot of clean westerly winds to create waves at Strandhill, so it'll do for a small surf at just over say 1.2m westerly swell, slightly bigger for northers and more massive for southerly or south-westers

    Check out this page to know the direction of the swell

    https://www.fnmoc.navy.mil/wxmap_cgi/cgi-bin/wxmap_DOD_area.cgi?area=ngp_atlantic&set=SeaState

    arrows for direction

    The wave period is just the strength of the wave. The bigger, the better or cleaner/faster, the more powerful the waves

    A good little guide with topos is the Wavefinder, which shows exactly what you need to know from the wind guru for every surf break. Order it online at

    http://www.wave-finder.com/

    Check out the topo below. It shows a small map for each break with the ideal wave direction. You can easily determine the rest
    Using Wind Guru - please help (3)

    It's also worth checking before you travel

    http://www.strandhillsurfschool.com/page/main_beach

  • #37/27/2011 11:23 p.m

    Mickeroo

    Administrators, computer game moderators, sports moderators Posts:31.514 Administrator✭✭✭✭✭

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    Join Date:

    Posts: 29762

    Since 1981wrote:»

    Hallo,
    I'm new to surfing, my nearest beach is Strandhill. I have found Windguru to be the best guide to surfing conditions. Would someone be willing to explain what to look for in Windguru since there is so much information on the site...?

    I know that offshore winds are ideal (East/SE winds for Strandhill), but what do I need to know about the following:
    Wind Speed ​​(and what do colors mean?)
    gust of wind (colors again??)
    Period
    Height
    Wind direction (how about wind from directions other than east/southeast)?

    Bear in mind that I'm not looking for huge waves to learn on.
    Any advice is welcome!! :)
    Thanks.

    Hallo

    I haven't surfed Strandhill yet so can't give specific advice but you seem to already know what conditions are good there wind wise and anyway. I will explain your headings as best as I can


    Wind Speed ​​(and what do colors mean?)

    Okay, the less wind the better. As is well known, if there is wind it should be off shore, but if there is no wind at all, all the better! Basically, the colors change with the strength of the wind. When I use Windguru I always use the Beaufort scale, so Strength 1, Strength 2, etc. You can change it to knots, km, miles, etc. if needed. You'll see a little thing that you can click next to Wind Speed. On the Beaufort scale it says Bft.
    The colors basically change with the wind speed. At strength 1 or 2, it is usually white. When it's white it means there's almost no wind, which is a good thing even if it's not offshore when it's blowing in that light you can still get good waves. As the wind speed increases, the color changes to blue and then to green. I find force 5 is about the limit where the wind gets strong enough to be disruptive. Even when it's off shore, the waves are still clean, but with the wind blowing them in the face, they can be difficult to catch. After green it turns to yellow then purple then red etc. When it turns these colors it is said to be almost gale force, a beginner shouldn't really go in the water when the wind is that strong I wouldn't even look at the Surf when it hits force 6 or 7 unless I know of a sheltered location.


    gust of wind (colors again??)

    Exactly the same as wind speed, except it's just the speed of a single gust as opposed to constant regular wind speed. So most of the time it can be a magnitude 3, but there can also be an occasional magnitude 5 gust.

    Period

    The wave period is essentially the amount of time between each wave, or the time it takes for two consecutive waves to pass through a point. When the swell spreads from a low-pressure system, it organizes itself into wave groups of the same speed. Basically, the higher the period, the stronger the waves should be. There are entire books to read to fully understand Swell. 9 seconds is the minimum I want if I really want to surf, 10 is good, 11 is not bad either, 12 and more is perfect. When the swell is big, it's better to have a longer period as there's more likely to be a lull between bigger sets so you can get back out. Big swell and a low period could be a nightmare.

    Height

    Basically, the height only corresponds to the size of the wave. The height of a wave is measured on the back of the wave, not the front, so waves can sometimes appear bigger than you think. Can't comment on Strandhill but my local break keel will have a surfable wave from around 1m, which is 1m with a decent period though. If the period isn't great I would want a wave size of maybe 1.5m and up. That would be longboard territory though. For a beach holiday, anything over 12 feet could be quite muddy, just too big for the beach. Then reefs and peaks are worth a look. Some beaches handle the swell better than others though, so it's hard to say and I'm not sure about Strandhill. One thing to note: Windguru gets his swell from offshore buoys, so he can sometimes say the swell is bigger than you would expect. It's good to compare him to magical seaweed, which seems to compensate for this.


    Wind direction (how about wind from directions other than east/southeast)?

    Basically you only want a light offshore breeze or no wind at all. If the wind is light, you can have fun even if it's onshore.

    I hope this helps, sorry if it's a bit of a stretch. Just look at the forecasts before you go and you'll get a better idea of ​​what's working and what's not. The more you analyze the forecasts yourself, the better off you will be. Compare and compare as many websites as possible. Also read the sticky threads for beginners above. Happy surfing.

  • #47/28/2011 9:28 am

    Zygnoth

    Registrated user Posts:47

    Join Date:

    Posts: 34

    A few more notes:

    The period gives a good indication of whether the waves are ground waves or wind waves. Above 10 seconds are usually considered baseline thresholds. I have surfed both types but the bottom swell is the most consistent as the waves generally come from the same direction and when you are on a good sandbar there is generally good consistency at the top. Wind waves tend to come from (relatively) different directions and tend to add up and peak in different places.

    As Mickeroo and Rodento said, period is related to power. The wave height does not always follow the period exactly. In my opinion, most swellings follow a certain pattern:
    1. First small waves with a long period. These are my favorites as I enjoy longboarding. Long periods between waves and easy breaks to disembark.
    2. Larger waves, period drops by a second or two. These are probably the best waves for shortboarders as they are high and fairly clean
    3. Biggest Waves, Period Drops. This is usually when the surf starts to turn from good to less good. The waves won't be the same consistency and (at my closest beach) the biggest waves tend to end a bit, so I try to avoid the biggest waves.
    4. Medium waves, low period. The swell will be less now and will be at its most choppy.

    If you are going for more than one surf session I would recommend you to print out the wind guru for that area and take it with you. Snap some photos and compare the surf to windguru forecasts.

    There are also forecasts every three hours on Windguru. If you have time, arrive three hours before a session or three hours before the surf really gets going. I've managed to do some great sessions in busy places with only a few people outside.

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FAQs

How do you use wind guru? ›

In order to understand the wind in Windguru you will need to read the wind speed and gust data. The speed on the page will be displayed in knots and colors. White, blue and green will refer to light winds, while red and pink will refer to strong winds.

Is there a Windguru app? ›

Windguru wind map and weather forecast — Windy. app.

How can I use wind energy in my home? ›

Urban and suburban homeowners in windy locations can get supplemental benefits from wind power by attaching smaller turbines to a roof or garage. Homeowners in rural areas with enough space are ideal candidates to use larger wind turbines as a main source of energy.

How do you read a wind speed indicator? ›

Wind Speed & Direction

One long barb is used to indicate each 10 knots with the short barb representing 5 knots. At 50 knots, the barbs changes to a pennant. For wind speeds higher than 50 knots, long and short barbs are used again in combination with the pennant(s).

How do you take wind readings? ›

Wind speed is normally measured by a cup anemometer consisting of three or four cups, conical or hemispherical in shape, mounted symmetrically about a vertical spindle. The wind blowing into the cups causes the spindle to rotate.

What are the numbers on a wind chart? ›

The lower number indicates the average expected wind speed, while the higher number indicates the wind gusts.

What are the 3 factors that determine the direction the wind is blowing? ›

What are the three factors that affect the direction of wind flow...
  • Pressure gradient.
  • Rotation of the planet.
  • Friction.

How can you tell wind direction with your fingers? ›

Lick the ball of your index finger and point it upwards. Observe which side of your finger feels the coolest. Whichever direction the cool side of your finger is facing (north, south, east, west), that's the direction the wind is coming from.

How do you tell if a wind pattern is clockwise or counterclockwise? ›

Winds in the upper levels will blow clockwise around areas of high pressure and counterclockwise around areas of low pressure. The speed of the wind is determined by the pressure gradient. The winds are strongest in regions where the isobars are close together.

What is the best free wind app? ›

AccuWeather (Android, iOS: Free)

The app's daily forecasts pack in everything from rain probability to air quality, wind, cloud coverage and UV index.

Is predict wind app free? ›

You can simply login with your PredictWind username/email and password. The Free and Basic PredictWind Forecast Subscriptions allow you to get Global GRIB files (50km resolution) over land based WIFI and cellular connections, however you are not able to get these GRIBs over a Satellite/SSB connection.

Is the windy app worth it? ›

Windy (formerly known as Windyty) is an extraordinary tool for weather forecast visualization. It's fast, intuitive and detailed, and it's considered one of the most accurate weather apps out there.

What is a disadvantage or problem in using wind energy? ›

Wind farms have different impacts on the environment compared to conventional power plants, but similar concerns exist over both the noise produced by the turbine blades and the visual impacts on the landscape . Wind plants can impact local wildlife.

Is wind or solar better? ›

Wind is a more efficient power source than solar. Compared to solar panels, wind turbines release less CO2 to the atmosphere, consume less energy, and produce more energy overall. In fact, one wind turbine can generate the same amount of electricity per kWh as about 48,704 solar panels.

How many wind turbines do I need to power my house? ›

For example, if your home needs about 900 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month, a 5 kilowatt small wind turbine is enough. Alternatively, homes typically use 1,000-2,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month and require a wind turbine rated in the range 5-15 kilowatts.

Is Wind Compass app free? ›

Wind Compass is Free:

Many features in the app are free to use! Upgrade to Wind Compass Pro to remove ads and enjoy added features such as viewing multiple location and daily weather forecasts.

How do I use Windy app offline? ›

To activate the Offline Mode you need to push only two buttons — one for the Map and one for the spots. No additional or hard settings.

What does 18 mph wind look like? ›

13-18 Mph 20-28 kph 11-16 knots Moderate Breeze Small branches move, raises dust, leaves and paper. Small waves develop, becoming longer, whitecaps. 19-24 Mph 29-38 kph 17-21 knots Fresh Breeze Small trees sway.

What is the symbol for wind speed? ›

Observed Winds: represented by wind barbs. The symbol highlighted in yellow (in the diagram above) is known as a "Wind Barb". The wind barb indicates the wind direction and wind speed. Wind barbs point in the direction "from" which the wind is blowing.

What does it mean when it says wind is NW? ›

Definitions of northwest wind. a wind from the northwest.

What is the most accurate way to measure wind speed? ›

An anemometer is an instrument that measures wind speed. This type of anemometer has a spinning wheel. The stronger the wind blows, the faster the wheel rotates. The anemometer counts the number of rotations, which is used to calculate wind speed.

How do you use a wind speed meter? ›

Hold the device high in the air.

Once you have selected the measurement option, you are ready to calculate the wind speed. Simply hold the device in the air. For the best results, make sure the device is facing the direction of the wind.

What is normal wind speed? ›

Beaufort numberDescriptionSpeed
3Gentle Breeze8 to 12 mph
4Moderate Breeze13 to 18 mph
5Fresh Breeze19 to 24 mph
6Strong Breeze25 to 31 mph
9 more rows

What is a wind code? ›

Windcode is a measurement used to determine the wind resistance ability of a structure and its.

What is a strong wind number? ›

"Damaging high wind" with sustained speeds greater than 58 mph, or frequent wind gusts greater than 58 mph. Damaging wind conditions are consistent with a high wind warning. "A High Threat to Life and Property from High Wind." "High wind" with sustained speeds of 40 to 57 mph.

What 9900 means on wind chart? ›

Light and variable wind or wind speeds of less than 5 knots are expressed by "9900." Forecast wind speeds of 100 through 199 knots are indicated by subtracting 100 from the speed and adding 50 to the coded direction.

What are the 4 types of winds? ›

Types of Wind - Planetary, Trade, Westerlies, Periodic & Local Winds.

What are the three major wind patterns? ›

There are three prevailing wind belts associated with these cells: the trade winds, the prevailing westerlies, and the polar easterlies (Fig. 3.10). Fig. 3.10 only shows the circulation cells and winds in the Northern Hemisphere.

What are the three wind patterns? ›

They are the Polar Easterlies, the Prevailing Westerlies, and the Trade Winds. Each one of them rules roughly 30 degrees of latitude, like wind belts around the Earth.

Why do people lick their finger for wind direction? ›

In the past, when the Dutch wanted to know which direction the wind was blowing from, they would lick their index fingers and raise them. The wet finger would feel coldest and dry fastest on the side the wind was coming from, and so a rough estimation of the wind direction could be made.

How can you accurately identify the direction of the wind without any instrument? ›

Hang a wind sock.

As the wind blows through the sock, it will turn to point in the direction that the wind is blowing. You can also hang up flags to get a sense of where the wind is blowing.

Which way is the arrow pointing wind? ›

What direction is the wind blowing? (Remember: The arrow points in the direction the wind is blowing from. So if your wind vane is pointing north, the wind is actually blowing south.) Record the date and results in your Weather Chart.

What is the counter clockwise direction of the wind? ›

The wind around highs always blows in a clockwise direction. ("clockwise" refers to the direction that the hands on a clock tick) and winds around lows flows in the opposite direction, or counter-clockwise. This image shows the general pattern of air flow around low and high pressure.

What is a wind blowing from the west to the east called? ›

Jet streams are relatively narrow bands of strong wind in the upper levels of the atmosphere. The winds blow from west to east in jet streams but the flow often shifts to the north and south.

What's the best free weather app with no ads? ›

12 Free Weather Apps With No Ads Worth Trying
  1. Windy (Android/iOS) Windy is our top-notch choice. ...
  2. IQAir (Android/iOS) ...
  3. Weather on The Way (iOS) ...
  4. My Moon Phase Pro (Android/iOS) ...
  5. WeatherBug (Android/iOS) ...
  6. RadarScope (Android/iOS) ...
  7. CARROT Weather (Android/iOS) ...
  8. 1Weather (Android/iOS)
Mar 3, 2023

What weather app do sailors use? ›

10 Best Marine Weather Apps for Boaters
  • Buoyweather. Buoyweather is a longtime favorite of boaters for its easy navigation, solid accuracy, and map location-based forecasts. ...
  • Fishweather. ...
  • NOAA Marine Weather Forecast. ...
  • NOAA Weather Radar & Live Alerts. ...
  • Predictwind. ...
  • Sailflow. ...
  • Storm Shield. ...
  • United States Coast Guard.

Is there an app for local wind conditions? ›

Windfinder gives you accurate global forecasts for wind, weather, tides & waves.

What is the cost of the predict wind app? ›

Lowest Cost Global GPS tracking

At US$19.95/month PredictWind offers the lowest cost GPS tracking on the market, with full global coverage from Iridium. Run your GPS tracking continuously at minimal monthly cost, even if you turn off your main satellite communications.

How do I get a GRIB file? ›

The best way to get GRIB files is using the Offshore App direct download feature. You can get GRIB files on a standard Internet connection, an Iridium GO, Globalstar device, or if you have another Satellite device with an Optimizer.

Why is predict wind not working? ›

Power the device off/on. Upgrade to the latest version, or uninstall the app, and reinstall again. Upgrade to the latest iOS operating system.

How does Windy app work? ›

In Windy. app they are in the nodes of the weather model grid (points on the map) where the weather is predicted. This excludes interpolation (forecast errors) — the forecast is as accurate as possible. It's updated every three hours.

Who are Windy app competitors? ›

Top windy. app Competitors and Alternatives
  • windfinder.com. Discover how your top competitor's audience surfs the web so you can tailor your website experience perfectly at every stage of the customer journey. ...
  • windalert.com. ...
  • windy.com. ...
  • sailflow.com. ...
  • buoyweather.com. ...
  • willyweather.com. ...
  • l-36.com.

What is the difference between Windy and Windy premium? ›

Premium gives you weather forecast updates 4 times a day instead of 2 and access to 1-hour forecast instead of 3-hours. That gives you more precise data. You can also customize the default weather layer and more features will be added in the future.

How do you read wind guru for surfing? ›

Basically, the wind is expressed in knots (1 knot = 1.852 km/h), it is possible to display other speed units by clicking on the “wind speed” line. The color gives a more intuitive speed indication. The more it pulls towards warm colors (Red, Purple,..) the stronger the wind will be.

How do you read the wind icon? ›

Calm wind is indicated by a large circle drawn around the skycover symbol. One long barb is used to indicate each 10 knots with the short barb representing 5 knots. At 50 knots, the barbs changes to a pennant. For wind speeds higher than 50 knots, long and short barbs are used again in combination with the pennant(s).

How do you read wind speed on windy app? ›

The map is colored in different colors — from blue (no wind) to purple (hurricane wind). The colors show you wind speed or gusts (short-term wind increase up to 20–30 seconds). To see the speed or gusts, switch the map layer in the Settings to "Wind" and "Gusts", respectively. In the Windy.

How much is too much wind for surf? ›

As long as the wind doesn't get too strong, say over 20 knots, you'll be fine. Any stronger and it will be hard to take-off. The other winds are either onshore – from the sea to the land, or cross-shore – blowing from either side. If these winds are blowing any stronger than 10 knots it can chop the waves up fast.

What wind mph is good for surfing? ›

You'll notice that a light 5-10mph onshore wind will often produce fairly clean conditions. In contrast, a 30+mph direct offshore wind, will generally be strong enough to create some wind chop moving towards the breaking wave as well as creating a challenge paddling into such strong wind.

How do you read waves better surfing? ›

As a wave approaches pay attention to the angle of the wave from the highest point down to the water level. Look for which side of the peak has the steepest angle down or sloping to the flat water. The side of the peak with the steepest angle down to the flat water is the direction that the wave will break.

What is the easiest way to measure wind speed? ›

Wind speed is normally measured by a cup anemometer consisting of three or four cups, conical or hemispherical in shape, mounted symmetrically about a vertical spindle. The wind blowing into the cups causes the spindle to rotate.

How do you understand the wind speed? ›

Wind speed is measured using an anemometer and is given in miles per hour or knots. Its direction is determined from a weather vane or windsock and is expressed in terms of the direction from which it blows. For example, if winds are blowing from the north to the south they are said to be northerly, or from the north.

What does the arrow on the wind mean? ›

The weather vane is made up of a tail and arrow. The tail fin catches the wind and the arrow points toward the direction the wind is blowing FROM. If the arrow on the weather vane is pointing north then it means there is a north wind. In other words, the wind is blowing from north to south.

What do the colors mean on a wind map? ›

The color overlay on the map allows you to compare different regions using the color scale located on the left side of the Annual Mean Wind Speed tool. "Warm" colors like brown and orange indicate higher wind speeds. "Cool" colors like purple and blue indicate lower wind speeds.

What are the units on windy app? ›

Wind speed

Other units: miles per hour, mph, kilometers per hour (kph), knots (knt: 0.514 m/s, 1.15078 mph, 1.852 kph, 1 nautical mile per hour), beaufort (Beaufort wind force scale).

What is the difference between wind speed and wind gust? ›

The fundamental difference between the two is duration. A sustained wind is defined as the average wind speed over two minutes. A sudden burst in wind speed is called the wind gusts and typically lasts under 20 seconds.

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