Kiteboarding & Weather In Florida Presented by Rick Iossi Florida Kitesurfing Association, Inc. Jan. 30, 2008 Copyright FKA, Inc. 2008, All Rights Reserved.

Kiteboarding & WeatherIn Florida

Presented by

Rick Iossi

Florida Kitesurfing Association, Inc.

Jan. 30, 2008Copyright FKA, Inc. 2008, All

Rights Reserved

Introduction

1. Quest for “Useable Weather” 2. Matching wind speed, gust range, direction, wave

height, current, temperature and CONSISTENCY To you, your gear, skills, experience and realistic expectations and that of your buddy.

3. Less “Useable” Weather (Wx) more hassle & Hazard.

4. AVOID Weather Hazards.5. Carefully evaluate in doubt, don’t go out! 6. Deteriorating Conditions Land & Secure Early7. Screw up and get caught out EMERGENCY

DEPOWER NOW, self-rescue !8. No session is worth your health or life

Copyright FKA, Inc. 2008, All Rights Reserved

Introduction (Con’t.)

New to kiting,

AVOID:

- Onshore & Offshore winds

- Winds >18 kts.

- Gusts > 5 kts., less is better- Storms or squalls- Excessive waves (over 2-3 ft.)- Adverse currents- Hypothermic waters

Carefully build experience in reasonable conditions

Taking lessons on the Flats with follow up Sea Taxi rides after the course to accelerate learning in safer environment


Why Is Understanding Weather Important?

1. Less waiting, frustration, faster learning, MORE FUN!2. Reduce odds of hassles, pain, broken gear, incidents,

accidents, even death 3. 2000 To July 2006, 52 kiteboarders were lost worldwide*4. 67% were taken by lofting** with 52% in squalls5. Majority of losses are weather related6. Compare to paragliding, diving7. Thousands of similar non-fatal kiting accidents8. Why didn’t they Emergency Depower???9. Three “A’s” - (Awareness, Appreciation, Avoidance)

* 76 kiters have been lost as of 1.30.08**Lofting = being involuntarily lifted and blown downwind, possibly

at very high speed


Cold Fronts

1. Bring best winds

2. May not come south during warm months

3. May not make it to South Florida in winter

4. October To May!

5. Some better than others

6. Zero to about three fronts per week


Cold Fronts (Con’t.)

7. Frontal wind “clocks”

8. Blow west, go west

9. Blow east, go east

10. Hit the Keys flats for all the above

11. Cold fronts bring best winds with common hazards

12. Time ETA to half hour?


Cold Front Kiting Hazards

1. Wet front squall lines 2. Dry fronts sometimes megaboost wind!3. 90 degree gusty wind shift COMMON, knowing timing can be

critical (change to offshore?) 4. Cold Fronts are COLD, timing change & dealing with

hypothermia5. Estimate ETA via Radar, Satellite loops, real time wind6. DO NOT kite through arrival of squall lines or powerful dry

fronts.7. Land and secure until unstable zone is past8. Rig & dress for actual sustained winds after



Subtropical &Tropical Systems

1. Typical May through October

2. Tropical waves, depressions, storms and hurricanes

3. All COMMONLY have powerful squalls

4. Squalls often predictable via warnings, radar, satellite images and visual observations

5. Squall gusts can be extremely powerful (gusting to 40, 50, 60 and 70 mph+)

6. Don’t wait, faster than reaction

7. Direction changes and dying wind

8. Wind lust vs. Tropical Systems

9. Newer kiters should avoid tropical system winds


800 ft. long, 100 ft. high lofting in 51 kt. gust in Cabarete, D.R.


Subtropical &Tropical Systems (Con’t.)

8. Experienced kiters accepting higher risk of injury may look for LARGE clear holes free of storms, coming in before they hit

9. Monitor satellite, radar and realtime winds upweather at beach

10. Hurricanes bring unique hazards

11. Squall inbound land, secure before change in speed, direction or temperature, ACT EARLY

12. Got caught out (dumb screwup) immediately Emergency Depower & self rescue

13. Lucky 13, ignore squalls at your peril, it’s a numbers game.


Thermal Winds

1. Happen anytime including winter

2. More common on mainland in summer

3. Wind Lust MAX’D & Caution at LOW

4. Hard to predict, patchy

5. Often sideshore 10 to 20 mph

6. Thermal Squalls march to ocean, winds build

7. Lightning, gust hazard, radar is poor predictor

8. Secure early & shelter from lightning


Thermal Winds (Con’t.)

7. See thermal squalls coming8. Wind localized at coast9. Wind starts late am to late afternoon10. Watch out for the wind drop and direction

shift when thermals shut off around sunset11. Kiters & gear adrift!


Weather Planning And Monitoring

VERY important for all kiteboarders.• What conditions to Find & Avoid?• Wind speed, gust range and direction• Waves• Current• Temperature• What are the guys flying and how’s it going?• Visual Wx change?


Weather Planning

I. Marine & hazard forecasts

II. National weather map

III. Color radar & satellite loops

IV. Real time winds here, upweather


I. Hazard & marine forecasthttp://www.srh.noaa.gov/mfl/

• High, gusty wind, lightning, waterspouts predicted, when and where?

• How much and changes predicted?• “Useable weather” match or no?• Better conditions within driving distance?


II. National Forecast Map- http://www.nws.noaa.gov/outlook_tab.php

1. Long view of big picture2. Systems inbound?3. How soon? Loop it


II. National Forecast Map (Con’t.)

4. ETA impacted by other systems5. Tropical systems get lost for weeks.6. Big gradient Big wind7. Wind parallels isobars


III. Check color radar – http://nws.noaa.gov/radar_tab.php

1. Storm cells inbound? (red, orange, yellow, dk. green), est. direction & speed 2. County away or more is better3. Does front have squall line, how wide, fast & nasty?4. Poor predictor of thermal squalls


http://nws.noaa.gov/radar_tab.php

III. Check radar (Con’t.)5. Holes and Risk?!6. Squalls at light speed & reaction

7. Monitor radar, satellite, hazard forecast & realtime wind on beach


III. Check radar (Con’t.)

8. “A dinky radar dot on a vast ocean”

9. NWS doesn’t track everything including small storms a few miles across that can clean your clock

10. Conclusion It is up to “us” to watch out for Wx hazards through proper training, weather planning and monitoring!


4. Realtime winds locally & up weather http://www.ikitesurf.com/



IV. Realtime winds locally and up weather (Con’t.)

1. Useable ? (speed, gusts, direction)

2. Violent spikes, direction changes, 90 degree shift

3. What’s up weather?

4. What is behind the leading edge?



Repeating - Weather Planning & Monitoring

I. Marine & hazard forecasts

II. National weather map

III. Color radar & satellite loops

IV. Real time winds here, up weather

Do this before each session.Copyright FKA, Inc. 2008, All

Rights Reserved

Weather Monitoring At Beach

1. Measure Wind speed & look around

2. What’s flying, how’s it doing?

3. Comparing “C” vs. “Flat” kite sizes

4. Shoot for low to moderate wind range

5. Don’t rig too big!

6. Wind lines, white water, clouds

7. Always be aware act early

8. Change coming? Land and secure BEFORE wind velocity, direction or air temp. change

9. Best deflate & roll kite, or lines off and anchor well


Cloud Identification

Video Time!

Something dark this way comes …

More can be found at:

http://www.weatherscapes.com/gallery.php?cat=clouds

http://spotterguides.us/basic/basic02.htm


http://www.weatherscapes.com/gallery.php?cat=clouds

http://spotterguides.us/basic/basic02.htm

Clouds and Unstable Weather


Waves - http://magicseaweed.com/

- Wind makes waves- Height vs. wind speed, duration, fetch, depth,

etc.- Longer and stronger the bigger the waves- Wave height vs. shallows- Florida Bay, Florida Reef Tract & Waves- Cuba & Bahamian Plateau and waves


Waves (Con’t.)

- Wind offshore to sideshore, waves slow to build nearshore

- Distant storms and ground swells- Regional winds and chop- Blowing down waves- Blowing against current steep waves- Wind against Florida Current Whoppers- Wind against tidal current sudden chop- NW wind and refracted groundswells- Waves and new kiters- Nearshore breaks BREAK, especially onshore!


AVOID Squalls & Rigging Too BIG!

From: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIdmk58KXt


- What did he do wrong? - How could you tell he was rigged too big?- How long did he have to Emergency Depower vs. How long

did it take him to be ripped into land?



REMEMBER …

1. AVOID squalls & unstable weather

2. Have to rig too big? Blow off session!

3. EMERGENCY DEPOWER early BEFORE overpowered!

4. Self-rescue using minor flotation of impact vest

5. Kiteboarding & watermanship

5. Practice, practice, PRACTICE Emergency Depowering physically and mentally

6. Touch QR, think about “what if …” frequently!


Weather & Related Hazards

Excessively strong and gusty winds

Light winds

Offshore & side offshore winds

Wind direction changes

Excessively cold or warm conditions

Lightning

Waves

Current

Darkness

1. UNDERSTAND factors, what brings and changes them

2. KNOW your limits and stay within them

3. If you are new to an area, research and talk to locals FIRST!

4. KNOW how to evaluate these conditions, look up forecasts and the signs of change

5. Be conservative in your planning and allow for error

6. Far more accidents happen in ONSHORE winds!

7. Avoid offshore & side off winds, due to lulls, gusts and drift when kite drops


Weather & Related Hazards (Con’t.)

6. Dress for unexpected

7. Hydrate, use block, in cold take regular warm-up breaks, stay near shore

8. Dry suits in Northern Florida to Central Florida. 4/3 wetsuits are worn even in the Keys in extreme fronts for longer exposures.

9. Exposure clothing function of air/water temp.exposure time, wind speed, preference and your condition that day

10.Flotation important in hypothermic waters

11.Hypothermic conditions, Partner & people onshore need to monitor your status

12.Use safety gear (good helmet, vest, knife(s), ID at a minimum). Signaling and communications gear can help too.



Further Reading

Thunderstorms - http://www.weatherbuff.com/Pages/t-storms.html

Tropical Storm Dennis - http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=637

Lots of photos and weather data of a "Wet" Cold Front that hit the Islamorada Invitational KB Comp. - http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=5643

Thermal Winds - http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=4106

Kiteboarding Fatality Analysis, 2000 - June 2005 - http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=4125

Summer Squall In Pompano - http://www.fksa.org/showthread.php?t=743

Lightning, Static Discharges & Kiting http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=669

Onshore winds, too large a kite, squalls -> 600 ft. lofting in Jupiter - http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=2732

Shannon Best of Best Kiteboarding lofted 80 ft. inland in summer squall - http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=63

(and more serious weather that developed the next day) - http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=62

Summer squalls hit three counties in SE Florida in one afternoon - http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=1944

Dry Cold front Kiting Incident - http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=372

800 ft. "lofting” - http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=667

First "Lofting” - http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=135

Hypothermia & Kiting – http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2298333

And tons more at: http://fksa.org/ and http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=131


http://www.weatherbuff.com/Pages/t-storms.html

http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=637



Nite!


Questions?

Visit http://fksa.org/Email [email protected]

Enjoy the Wind and Ocean, Kite Safe.

Thank you!


Weather Planning Exercise

Questions:

1. How do prospects look for riding off Smathers Beach, Key West tomorrow morning, Thursday, 1.31.08?

2. What sort of system is moving in? What is the predicted wind range, direction, rain potential and apparent squall potential around Key West for tomorrow morning, at this advanced time?

3. What can you conclude from the current wind graph about conditions at Smathers for tomorrow? Is there much meaningful information about up weather wind conditions at this point?

4. Why do you need to look at all these sites again tomorrow morning?






Kiteboarding & Weather In Florida Presented by Rick Iossi Florida Kitesurfing Association, Inc. Jan. 30, 2008 Copyright FKA, Inc. 2008, All Rights Reserved.

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