Where's da Wind??

[kitehi412]

Isnt this supposed to be S Florida's windy season??? NW winds in the forecast..again..
Any better in the Keys?

[ricki]

Originally Posted by kitehi412

Isnt this supposed to be S Florida's windy season??? NW winds in the forecast..again..
Any better in the Keys?

Just got back from out of town for a while. To your question, it is wind season, unfortunately, the season is several months long. Meaning you will have both good and off days. Usually, the wind clocks with passing fronts. This week things seem more complicated with a couple colliding cold fronts keeping the flow out of the west.

As you say, NW winds forecast for this week. Usually, the forecast across the Keys is similar. Not so this time. Looks like Key West and the lower Keys are forecast to have better winds for the first part of the week. They are side offshore from launchable beaches, so a boat trip to the flats is in order through the Kitehouse or other vendor in the lower to middle Keys.

You could also get in touch with Christophe at http://miamikiteboarding.com/ to see about a run to the Miami Flats to grab some useful west wind time off Miami.

More about forecasts and other useful info at:
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=6734

There are also prospects for SW and west coasts of Florida. I would be sure to carefully check the forecasts as predicts seem to differ for various areas quite a bit over the next several days.

I would check the forecasts, sat images, real time winds frequently to check trends as changes in the forecasts are likely I think. If you stay mobile, you should grab some good sessions but likely out of Palm Beach, Broward Counties and shoreside Miami-Dade counties, UNLESS things change yet again.

[ricki]

Looks like tomorrow will be a strong, real cold day in SE Florida. Winds off Miami are predicted to be around 18 to 23 kts. NW with a high temperature of 55 F. This means a substantial wind chill as well. They are forecasting about 20 kts NW through the Keys at this point. Key West is to have a high of 58 F, still damn nippy. Hypothermia is a concern tomorrow, even more so than in a normal strong front, so be sure to dress appropriately. Being on a boat, you'll need to stay warmer longer than if you were doing a session off a beach and ducking into your car to warmup for a while. For some reason the SW coast has lighter winds forecast, on the order of 10 to 15 kts. in the Naples to Marco Island area. Further north up the west coast, the forecast winds improve.

A boat is still required to haul you out into Florida Bay or Biscayne Bay to use the NW wind. Way to the north, Sebastian Inlet is to have 15 to 20 kts. NW with a high of 55 F. The park has a limited launch for westerly winds on the ICW. Need to watchout for getting lofted into signs and cars there however, things can be tight.

More info on forecasts at:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mfl/