| Before leaving home to engage in any water sport
it is almost mandatory to check the weather forecast.
This page attempts to pull together all the best forecasting
sites in th UK. Most sites are biased towards certain
sports and certain geographical areas
Once you know the weather you will be able to prepare
for your trip. One of things you must remember is not
to over estimate your skill level and take the weather
conditions into account. In winter, take plenty of warm
clothes, even an extra set, and a giant thermos flask
of coffee. In summer, take loads of water and sun cream.
And, of course, a first aid kit...I've needed plasters,
pain killers and tubie grips on several occasions! So
be a boy scout and go out prepared......
Surf
As a beginner surf you should be aiming for a 2-3 ft
wave, with life guards on the beach. Only when you are
experienced can you take on an 8 foot wave at Fistral
in winter. So if its March, and you are a beginner,
and the surf forecast says 8ft waves.....don't go out.
Also don't go out on your own. Recently we came across
a great forecasting site called www.magicseaweed.com,
check out their swell
map here. This will give you a start in guaging
wave heights.
There are a plethora of surf forecasting sites on the
web at the bottom of this page we have started to list
a few. On our location/beach pages we have provided
a link to a good forecast for that beach.
Oour favourite start point for surf forecasts
for Devon and Cornwall is - http://www.a1surf.com/surfcheck-sw-forecast.html
- SJ writes these reports and normally is quite accurate
with his wave preditions. Although they are biased more
towards North Cornwall, Newquay. We tend to check both
SJ's report and cross reference it with a report for
the beach we plan to visit before setting off. And of
course take a look at a webcam of your chosen location
to see an up to date image of the waves. Some webcams
are updated every half hour, others are taken first
thing in the morning.
Wind
If you want to go and fly a kite, check the wind conditions,
again don't over estimate your skill level. As a beginner
you are looking for a 8-15 mph wide (this may vary a
little depending on your kite). If the wind is to gentle
the kite won't fly, if it is too strong you stand the
chance of being dragged along the beach (beware of the
rocks if this happens to you). Check out magicseaweed
again for their wind
map.
We also use the weather reports by the
BBC to check wind direction and speed, it is quite a
good idea to cross reference your forecasts.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/ukweather/wind.shtml this
link shows you a map of the UK with the wind direction
over a couple of days. Use it to teach yourself what
you can handle, and when its worth staying in bed.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/ukweather/southwest/wind12.shtml
use this link if you are based in Devon or Cornwall
in addition to the wind speed info from
the BBC, click here for
some local tips and our wind speed table. You can
use the wind speed table to judge whether the wind is
to light or strong for your chosen activity.
Our Fave Sites
Wind Forecasts
www.xcweather.co.uk
Met
Office Current Obs
and the BBC
Surf Forecasts
A1Surf
for Newquay Bay
www.learntosurf.co.uk (surf and wind) |
