NPR had a bit on home weather stations and it piqued my curiosity so I googled weather stations and found out what a large fan base they have. All kayakers are IN the weather, but is anyone here INTO the weather? Paul Montgomery paul_at_paddleandoar.com http://paddleandoar.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Fri, Apr 18, 2008 at 4:30 PM, Paul Montgomery <paul_at_paddleandoar.com> wrote: > NPR had a bit on home weather stations and it piqued my curiosity so > I googled weather stations and found out what a large fan base they > have. All kayakers are IN the weather, but is anyone here INTO the > weather? I've found that the weather service does a much better job of predicting weather than I can with even the most elaborate home weather station. And if I'm going to do it then I need to look at the sky and cloud formations as well as the barometric trend and wind direction. So, as far as I'm concerned, all I need is a recording barometer of some sort and my eyes and ears. When we were cruising on our sailboat, Kibitka, we had a little brass barograph that sat in the corner above the chart table and faithfully penned a line corresponding to the barometer onto a piece of graph paper. I didn't even have to change the paper that often until because in the higher latitudes there was never any overlap and in the tropics it was almost all overlap (I just looked for the out-of-normal). Too bad the little device was expensive - and we sold it with the boat. At our latitude (about 48N) whatever you see 200 miles west is probably what you're going to get within 24 hours; at least in the areas west of the Cascade Mountains. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Kestrel 2500. Never leave home without it. http://www.ambientweather.com/ke25powime.html There are cheaper and way more expensive units too. The Skymates aren't really waterproof. Doug L > NPR had a bit on home weather stations and it piqued my curiosity so > I googled weather stations and found out what a large fan base they > have. All kayakers are IN the weather, but is anyone here INTO the > weather? > > Paul Montgomery > paul_at_paddleandoar.com > http://paddleandoar.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Doug and All, Instead of the Kestrel 2500, I just wet my index finger and hold it up in the air. The less gear, the better. Duane www.rollordrown.com --- On Fri, 4/18/08, Doug Lloyd <douglloyd_at_shaw.ca> wrote: > Kestrel 2500. Never leave home without it. > > http://www.ambientweather.com/ke25powime.html *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:46 AM, Duane Strosaker <strosaker_at_yahoo.com> wrote: > Doug and All, > > Instead of the Kestrel 2500, I just wet my index finger and hold it up in > the air. The less gear, the better. > > Duane > www.rollordrown.com > Is the hair-shirt optional? :D Craig *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Craig, The hair shirt is a luxury item. Duane --- On Sat, 4/19/08, Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com> wrote: > Is the hair-shirt optional? :D *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Well yeah, if I lived in beautiful, warm, So Cal, I'd care less about weather monitoring, wind chill, barometric fluctuations, etc. Fill my Platypus bladders with ice cold Gatorade, and off I'd go... > Doug and All, > > Instead of the Kestrel 2500, I just wet my index finger and hold it up in > the air. The less gear, the better. > > Duane > www.rollordrown.com > Doug Lloyd (leaving Pender Island today with Dave K. in the hail) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Doug said, > > Well yeah, if I lived in beautiful, warm, So Cal, I'd care less about > weather monitoring, wind chill, barometric fluctuations, etc. Doug, We really do have to worry about the weather here. After all, it rains in February and it's very hard to forecast the weather when today's weather will be the same as yesterday's and the forecast for tomorrow is the same as today. Steve Holtzman __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 3045 (20080422) __________ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> Doug said, > > Well yeah, if I lived in beautiful, warm, So Cal, I'd care less about > > weather monitoring, wind chill, barometric fluctuations, etc. > > Steve Holtzma said, > We really do have to worry about the weather here. After all, it rains in > February and it's very hard to forecast the weather when today's weather > will be the same as yesterday's and the forecast for tomorrow is the same as > today. And we have 100 consecutive days in the summer without rain. Dave *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> Doug said, > >> >> Well yeah, if I lived in beautiful, warm, So Cal, I'd care less about >> weather monitoring, wind chill, barometric fluctuations, etc. > > Doug, > > We really do have to worry about the weather here. After all, it rains in > February and it's very hard to forecast the weather when today's weather > will be the same as yesterday's and the forecast for tomorrow is the same > as > today. > > Steve Holtzman Well, Duane had a point about over-gearing, but I like my Kestrel 2500 as a back up watch and main watch while underway in the 24 hour mode, as well as verifying wind speeds. I keep meaning to try it out for determining water temps. The altimeter is handy for hiking. I had a "Dick Tracy" pop up anemetor / barometric trend indicator but it was sacrificed to the water gods, and it always felt uncomfortable strapped around the cuff of a drysuit wrist. As for Duane's wet finger methodolgy, I got no problem with that. If he has a problem with my plethora of gear, I figure that's his problem, not mine, thogh we wouldn't want newbies interpreting subliminal messages that safe kayaking requires lots of gear. I'm still alive after 28 years of hard core year round yaking on the coast. I absolutely love to engage the elements in a variety of ocean domains which necessarily brings weather into the mental engagement category - one would hope. All these aspects to kayaking make the activity supremely less mundane and somewhat trumps the purely adrenaline motivated impetus some of us are prone to, at least for me. Though, I haven't got into the GPS stuff yet. Do I use a wet thumb for that? :-) I like to keep a weather log. It's probably the only mature thing I do sea kayaking, other than multiple back up plans for full-on assaults. As for BC weather, or weather in the PNW in general, following pressure slopes, assessing the rapidity of developing systems and understanding directional wind shifts, I'll take the variety over your endless summers any day. Snow in late April aside, at least for camping. I already was involved in one major rescue due to snow in April a few years ago. Funnily enough I bumped into one of the participants in that little misadventure just this morning; he works as a Coast Guard auxiliary pulling yakers out of the drink now. How cool is that? Doug L *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Tue, Apr 22, 2008 at 10:21 PM, Doug Lloyd <douglloyd_at_shaw.ca> wrote: <snippity> . Funnily enough I bumped into one of the participants in that little > misadventure just this morning; he works as a Coast Guard auxiliary pulling > yakers out of the drink now. How cool is that? > > It's way cool. The way things are going it could become a full time job. :( Craig *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Yeah, when I was loading up at the ferry terminal after Dave n' Brusky scootered off for da CoHoHo, I was approached by a couple returning to Pender, awaiting the next ferry as foot passengers. They mentioned they had bought some kayaks at Costco in the fall, and the fellow said he and his wife had gone out on a lake and has a blast. He then tried out the kayaks together in the ocean near home. He fell over. He was shocked at how cold he got and how difficult it was for his wife to help him out in his fully swamped yak. They were perhaps in their mid 50's. I showed them my kayaks bulkheads and rescue gear. Admittedly, I had a lot of gear on me too, keeping it all on for the ferry ride back as I wanted to see how well I dried out after over-exertion hauling my laden kayak up the rocks at Otter Bay. I suggested a few essentials and the importance of keeping to lakes until they figured out what real sea kaying on the ocean was all about. I did mention that as island residents, I thought their ignorance of the cold was rather lamentable. I was diplomatic. They genuinely looked puzzled at my response. My read was that they had bought way-cool kayaks and thought it was going to be as easy as 1-2-3. The lady said they hadn't done much with the kayaks since. It is easy folks. 1. Get kayak. 2. Get in kayak. 3. Paddle kayak. Real easy too: 1. Tip over. 2. Panic. 3. Don't kayak anymore. Seems ashame. My buddy from the Storm Island rescue jaunt said he can tell by simply looking at kayakers now from the CG Zodiac, what level and type of paddler they are. He really feels the kayak industry ought to encourage new and intermediate paddlers to really assess their abilities more rationally and keep their outings commensurate with their skill levels. The waters off Oak Bay are severely tidal and wind-prone. I can see why he feels that way. And as we found out, ship happens. How you deal with it and your ability to stop, assess, and plan, seperates you from those who become crab bait and those who live to paddle our glorious coast again. Which these days, you better get it done. Well, good night and God bless Costco. Heh, heh, if oil prices keep gpoing up, cheap Costco kayaks might be my budgetary option too. :-) On Tue, Apr 22, 2008 at 10:21 PM, Doug Lloyd <douglloyd_at_shaw.ca> wrote: <snippity> . Funnily enough I bumped into one of the participants in that little misadventure just this morning; he works as a Coast Guard auxiliary pulling yakers out of the drink now. How cool is that? It's way cool. The way things are going it could become a full time job. :( Craig *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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