Windfinder website

Robert Wilson

Robert Wilson

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23 May 2012
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Location
Second Coast, Ross-shire, overlooking Gruinard Bay
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Anybody use this? How do you rate it for accuracy and reliability?

I was advised to look on Windfinder by a local boatman - wish I hadn't as the site is forecasting 5.4m waves in Loch Ewe........................:eek::eek::eek:

Blowing hard here tonight, with 50+ winds for tomorrow. Khamsin is bouncing around a bit (understatement):(
 
First came across it when I was teaching scuba in Thailand, it's pretty good I think. I have Windfinder Pro app on my phone, only a couple of quid, there's a free version of it with ads you can try before you buy. I believe there are other services which use the same underlying data for their forecasts...
 
I have Windfinder on my favourites bar, however it uses the same information as xcweather, windguru et all.

Discussions on the relative merits and limitations of these kind of sites crops up regularly on scuttlebutt

Edit - from an East Coast of UK perspective I have never paid much attention to the forecast wave heights
 
We use their free 'superforecast' as a first port of call for determining whether it will be flyable (paragliders/hang gliders) the next day. Once you get a feel for the fudge-factor which you will need to apply depending on the ground/sea/air temperature profile it is as accurate as the best paid for services.
 
Thanks folks, especially for the "attention to wave heights"!:) I don't think we've ever had waves that big, unless out in The Minch.

I would have trawled through Scuttlebutt, but felt a quick appraisal was needed - just in case we were (are?) to get 5+m. Gulp!!
Probably could not have got out to the boat in seas that big. Double GULP!!!
 
I was first put onto it by Steve Shaw, who was then the Harbourmaster on Alderney - not sure if he is still?
They really rated it, and I must say, I've used it regularly since. I find if I compare Windfinder and XCWeather I get very high accuracy.
 
Been using (and advocating) Windfinder for the last 7-8 years. The superforecast is about as good as it gets. As stated, the normal forecast uses the same data as windguru et al but I prefer the Windfinder presentation.
 
alan_d said:
If you mean that they agree with one another, that is to be expected since (as others have pointed out) they are based on the same model.
Click to expand...

No, I mean that they differ to varying degrees, but by looking at the trend of both you get an accurate picture,
 
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