Best spot for windforecasts?

[CarlsbadKiter]

I am considering dropping my ikitesurfing.com membership for the winter months since they stop the written forecasts in the winter months. Is it just me or isn't that one of the main benefits of being a member. Their computer generated model is so inaccurate it is useless. Other sites? Does ikitesurf.com not know its users?

[sammicheater]

try imagining being a meteoroligist and trying to guess what the wind is gonna be like. they are all guesses based on fronts, air masses moving in and out, low pressure and high pressure, humidity levels. it ends up being one big shitty guess that is only right 2 % the time. those people u r paying up at ikitesurf.shmom are just stealing your money man!

[Wallrat]

Ya for SoCal they're wrong 95% of the time anyway. I almost never even look at the forecasts on ikitesurf. I think the guy doing the forecasts is up in the bay area which might explain the error ratio.

This time of the year all you have to do is follow the storms:

Isolated storm cells - wind comes after each one, but be sure to land the kite before the next one gets close or its kitemare time.

One big storm - day it leaves there's almost always tons of wind

Rare fluke days - we get probably 2 of these each year. If you're lucky enough to catch it, go buy a lottery ticket.

[Innis]

Try this:
http://ruc.fsl.noaa.gov/disp2.cgi?/w3/r ... rf_wind+sw
Click the surface wind options and play around in the site (lots of interesting stuff).

Also, get to know your local spots and how they do on different wind directions, what wind directions will benefit from thermals when it's sunny, and if there is a venturi effect.

[neworleansrich]

I have had good luck with this site. For the Northern Gulf it has been dead on.

http://usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code ... t+Forecast

[CarlsbadKiter]

Thanks guys. I like that site neworleansrich
recommends. Easy-to-use and a good selection of locations--has all the small airports. The one from Innis looks like it has potential, but you almost have to be a meteorologist to figure it out.

The thing the ikitesurfing forecast has going for it--when they feel like offering it--is that they forecast for the specific beaches we kite, which generally are more windy than the surrounding area and forecast.

It can be blowing 8-10 in San Diego, but Mission Bay could be blowing 12 mph, which is just enough to kite. The same for Long Beach. Bellmont is blowing 15+ when the Long Beach wind is showing at 10-12.

Ya their forecaster is from the Bay Area, but I found his forecasts better than anything out there because it targets our beaches.

[dube]

You should be using ikitesurf ONLY for the "live" wind speed at your local spot...forecasts are useless...