Re: [Paddlewise] How Windy Was It (Really)?

dianem_at_sd61.bc.ca wrote:

> I paddled home about the same distance (a mile) this summer off Oak Bay Marina -
> [snip] in a terrific
> headwind, gusting to 45 knots.  I know because soon after we got to land,
> after paddling for a very long time with inches of progress per minute it
> seemed, I called the Environment Canada weather report station for reports
> on Discovery and Trial Islands, which is where we were.

Diane knows her area pretty well, so her use of EnviroCanada data from
islands near her route is probably a good indicator of the actual
winds.  Others have suggested that *forecasts* are good for "measuring"
wind.  I don't think so.  The microenvironments in which we paddle are
frequently different from the "overall" wind regime which forecasts key
on.  Where I live, the forecasts are notoriously poor.  Could be better,
elsewhere, I guess.

> It seemed to me the sea state could best be described as 'variable'; with
> the gusts I really did not know what to expect, except more of it. Wind was
> slamming from all over it seemed and the water was mainly being flattened
> out by downward pressure, as I recall.

This is common in very high wind situations, I believe.  I have
experienced the same thing in 35 knot blows.  In fact, I think at 40
knots I can not maintain, even.  At 30, I know I can make headway.  The
one time I had to paddle into such a wind, my headway, with about the
same paddling effort, was governed completely by the wind force.  When a
gust came through, I went backwards.  When a lull came through, I gained
ground.  I was fortunate the lulls outweighed the gusts.  For reference,
I'm a pretty strong paddler, and push can a Wind Dancer at 4 knots at
cruise all day; however, I used to be able to push it harder, but
tendonitis limits me, now.

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR

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