-
The Easy Kayaks Wind Guide
Posted on June 1, 2012 by Easy Kayaks in Easy Kayaks Kayaking Guides, Easy News, kayak Rentals
At Easy Kayaks, we are regularly asked if the weather has an effect on our kayak rentals – paddling on the Onkaparinga River. During the spring and summer months, we are fortunate to have some fantastic weather; however, there are times when the weather can change – especially in the cooler months.
Heavy rain and adverse atmospheric conditions do have a say in whether we allow paddlers to take to the water so we always keep a 7-day advance look at the coming weeks’ weather forecast. A little rain and cooler temperatures do not usually cause any disruptions and we always encourage our customers to bring warm and dry clothing to change into after their kayak rentals time on the river.The Onkaparinga River provides a fairly safe haven for kayaking with its calm nature and reasonably shallow waters; however, the biggest factor in paddling on the river is the wind. Easy Kayaks will always put the safety of our customers before anything else as we want kayak rental customers to experience a safe and fun day when using our sit-on-top kayaks. If we think that the wind is going to be too much of a challenge or too dangerous to venture onto the water, we will re-schedule our kayak rentals for another day.
The Beaufort Scale measures winds by observing their effects on sailing ships and waves.
In 1805, the British Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort devised an observation scale for measuring winds at sea. The Beaufort Scale measures winds by observing their effects on sailing ships and waves. Beaufort’s scale was later adapted for use on land and is still used today by many weather stations.
Based on Beaufort’s scale, we have put together our own Easy Kayaks wind Guide to give you an idea of how wind affects paddling conditions on the ocean. This guide also relates to river paddling as well. The Onkaparinga River is protected from the ocean waves as it travels inland; however, the Easy Kayaks Wind Guide can be referenced to gauge wind conditions before you take to the water when you purchase one of our kayak rentals in Port Noarlunga.
The Easy Kayaks Wind Guide (Based on the Beaufort Scale)
Beaufort force Descripton Speed in km/h Speed in knots Open sea international code Probable sea waveheights (metres) Sea Paddling0Calm 0 0 mirror like 0.1 Very easy, flat water paddling; beginners will be at ease. 1Light air 1-5 1-3 ripples 0.2 – 0.3 Very easy, still no significant problems for beginners. 2Light breeze 6-11 4-6 Small wavelets 0.6 – 1.0 Easy, comfortable kayaking for everyone. Headwind is cooling and refreshing. Tail wind imperceptible. 3Gentle breeze 12-19 7-10 Large wavelets 1.0 – 1.5 Fairly easy; good kayaking weather. Noticeable work paddling into a headwind. Novices start having trouble in cross winds. Novice paddlers may capsize on exposed beach landings. 4Moderate breeze 20-28 11-16 Small waves 1.0 – 1.5 Moderate; invigorating for most. Comfortable limit for novices. Sustained effort into headwinds, Tail winds start to create following waves. A lost kayak will drift faster than you can swim. Exposed points and beaches may have significant surf making landing difficult. 5Fresh breeze 29-38 17-21 Moderate waves, many white horses 2.0 – 2.5 Moderately difficult; novices find kayak control difficult. No problem for experienced kayakers. Paddles may start to flutter. Crosswinds may become difficult. Seek sheltered beaches for landing. 6Strong breeze 39-49 22-27 Large waves – rough 3.0 – 4.0 Difficult; Hard paddling into the wind – upper limit of practical paddling into the wind. Wind catches paddle blades. Communication difficult. Following seas requires concentration. For experienced paddlers only. Sheltered landing coves and beaches required. 7Near gale 50-61 28-33 Very rough – Sea heaps up 4.0 – 5.5 Very difficult; Strenuous. Little or no progress into the wind. Cross winds very difficult. Following seas exhilarating for experienced paddlers, but includes significant likelihood of capsize. Access to sheltered landings may be difficult. 8Gale 62-74 34-40 Moderately high waves 5.5 – 7.5 Unsafe to kayak. 9Strong gale 75-88 41-47 High waves – crests begin to topple 7.0 – 10 Unsafe to kayak. 10Storm 89-103 48-55 Very high waves, overhanging crests 9.0 – 12.5 Unsafe to kayak. 11Violent storm 104-117 56-63 Exceptionally high waves, foam covered 11.5 – 16.0 Unsafe to kayak. 12+Hurricane 118-133 64+ Air filled with foam driving spray 14.0 Unsafe to kayak.
