sea Breeeeeeezzzze

[Unimog Bob]

Now that is what I call a sea breeze! Solid 18 to 20 at PAG. It was wierd though it never made it to the SW, barely blowing when I went by on the way home. I rigged my 14 ERA cause I thought I was late and it might die, but oh no. I was Litttt. Should have rigged the 9. Scott was explaining how the out going tide in the afternoon this time of year realy sets it off. I don't quite understand how, but I sure like it.

Bob

[Skyway Scott]

I was loving the Pass today. I rode all the way to Bunces Pass at one point.
The waves out in front of Shell Island were awesome (for our coast). Sweet day, for sure.

[Big G]

It did make it to the BS. 3 riders and myself. Up wind good on my 15m Flexi at a large 230lbs.

Rode over to E.B, no one there. Flats are great.

[BigR]

yep, it was seabreeze central today in ruskin as well, just need to get outta work earlier

[Danimal8199]

Nice down winder from IRB right past the redington pier. fully lit on my 14.5 ion 2, that kite truly rocks, the 12.5 will be here saturday!!!

[bayflite]

"fully lit on my 14.5 ion 2, that kite truly rocks, the 12.5 will be here saturday!!!"


flexi always puts an xtra 1/2 meter on their kites.
it's a cool marketing thing.

[Steve-O]

I don't think you can classify today as a seabreeze. I think it was some solid wind out of the north from late morning to sundown.

Scott, I think you are on to something with the tide thing, but today was just some killer spring wind.....think it would have been there tide or not.

It was hittin 13-15 knots at Fred Howard around 11pm and filled in to around 20knots all afternoon until the sun went down. Very cool that Al was able to join us today. Always nice seeing a new face up there.

[Sam]

pass sure had a decent swell for the west coast especially off shell... I think the outgoing tide adds to the apparent wind by creating more tension in the lines by having the current opposing the wind and that creates additional apparent wind. also, having a low tide later in the day definatly exposes more surface area on land and that would definatly add to the thermal effect that creates the seabreeze....looks like a decent east wind day setting up for tomorrow evening or night riding. currently blowing 24 G 28 NE at the skyway.

[conchxpress]

The effect should be that of a change in apparent wind. Just like apparent wind created with the motion of the kite. If the seabreeze is say, 12 kts, and the outgoing tidal flow is 3 kts, then you have an apparent wind of 15 when riding out. Of course, going the opposite direction, the apparent wind will be 9kts. Any oceanographers out there?

[Skyway Scott]

Steve, maybe that is what happened up north, and some other type of mechanism controls wind up there. I have no idea.
It sounds like the seabreeze kicked it up a notch, if it went from 13 to 20, but I have no idea what happens up there. I just know the area around my house real well.

I believe strongly that PaG is influenced by temperature differentials b/n the Gulf and inland this time of year. The typical spring time pattern of NW winds at PaG fit the definition of sea breeze to a "T".

Today at PaG it went from NE at 5 to NW at 20 in about 5 minutes.
The typical "someone just hit the switch on the wind blower" gig.
This happened right at 12:30 when the heat of the day allowed for inland heating. The water is still only about 73 degrees, so this creates a really nice temperature gradient b/n land and gulf.

Once the land cooled, it switched pretty quickly back to the original direction of NE, but with much more power. It is still nuking at solid 20 plus out of the NE.

In my mind, when wind goes from NE at 5 to NW at 20 plus in the heat of the day, and then back again to NE as the land cools, it's most likely that the NW wind was caused by inland heating (sea breeze).
Either way, I don't care too much what people call it or what causes it.
I just like showing up within minutes or moments before a blow,rigging and riding for as long as possible.

[Skyway Scott]

Damn, you guys still up!! :) I saw you posted before I hit the button.

Yeah, an outgoing (opposing) current of 3 knots will make it feel like it is blowing at least 5 knots more. So, when we are out there in the pass (if the wind is coming straight down the channel and we are tacking back and forth) 15 knots is going to "feel like" about 20. I have seen people ride in 4 knots of wind with 3 knot opposing current.

As you said, Conch, if the tide was going with the wind, (an incoming tide) the opposite effect would hold true.
Now 15 would feel like 10 :(

That only happens when you are directly in the pass. 100 yards north of it feels very little, if any, impact from that pass in terms of current and it's effect on our apparent wind. In the pass though, it's pretty unreal.

The guys in St. Augustine are always keenly aware of this phenomenon, and plan accordingly with the tides. I talked to Daryl today about 20 minutes before he got off work and he was looking at the tide charts and bummed that he had no opposing current in Matanzas Inlet. It was blowing 30 there, but the side shore current was about 6 knots. That makes it tough to hold ground.

What makes the pass so awesome is that when the tide is going out, it also stacks the waves, as Sam said.
So, we get better waves, apparently more wind, AND we are being pulled upwind the whole time in the pass. It rocks.

Just beware, if you have a failure, you are going to drift out to sea, quickly. It's no joke. I have swum back in twice (have to swim perpendicular at first, and then in) and each time took at least 1.5 hours. I feel better out there with my surfboard (buoyancy) I can tell you that.

You are right Sam, tomorrow night should rock. I will be riding for sure. Going to try to get Donna out for her first night ride. :)

[Steve-O]

By no means disagreeing with you Scott....I think you are spot on with everything down there. Your theories have a strong sense of time on the water.

The situation up north vs. down south is very interesting to me as the conditions can be so different yet less than an hour drive apart.

The easterlies in the bay vs. what takes place up north is a no brainer.

But the sometimes huge difference in wind speeds this time of year on the afternoon searbreezes is fascinating.

Check this out....Sunday we left Clearwater to head to 3 rooker. It was white capping pretty good in the intercoastal. As we were heading north the caps got less and less. When we arrived at 3 rooker the wind was pretty much 6-8mph. It was a 4.5 mile ride.

So south got a classic sea breeze yesterday. Up at three rooker felt like a typical cold front day, just not cold. It was no light switch. Windy out of the NE in the AM and just filled in throughout the day with a due North.

I definately think the proximity of the bay as it relates to the southern beaches helps fuel the wind....and I have no doughts the tide has something to do to accelerate things as well.....riding currents aside. Cool water vs. warm land.....yup.

[BigR]

not only that, there are also accentuated seabreeze differences between the east side of tampa bay and the west side of the bay

[Steve-O]

I have noticed that too. I think John Skemp gets some killer sessions at Picnic on the East side where were getting not alot on the gulf.

[Skyway Scott]

It will be interesting to see if it sea breezes here today. It started off WAY stronger out of the NE this morning than yesterday.... AND NOAA predicts a sea breeze (usually a bad thing, not kidding).

If it does, it will have to do one of two things (most likely... always an exception) before it can.

1) Drop to dead zero at the SW... if/when it does, I start driving to PaG.
I don't even care what the other sensors say if the SW goes from strong NE to zero this time of year, it will blow within 20 minutes of me arriving at PaG, 8 out of 10 times.

2) Go due north at SW and drop to about 10 knots. (really means five or less, cuz sensor reads high).



Either way today, I am probably just going to night ride tonight anyway.
That seems like the best bet for some serious wind, and the moon is near full. Should be awesome out there.

I use to spend a lot more time theorizing about winds because our sensor situation is so lame here. The sensors along the beach are way off, and most only update on iKite every two hours. So, I had to start trying to learn what the wind was going to do before hand, if I didn't want to miss it.

Then I lucked out and found a beach cam. Now I don't think about it too much because all I do is look at the beach cam. If I see white caps, I start driving. :)

It still makes me feel better if it's blowing next to nada at the SW, though.

[BigR]

I have noticed that too. I think John Skemp gets some killer sessions at Picnic on the East side where were getting not alot on the gulf.




I meant the neglected overlooked bastard child which is the EAST SIDE OF TAMPA BAY , not the north or middle north of tampa bay.

There are usually big temperature differentials in spring which drive this, esp. at the mouth of the rivers, i.e. alafia and little manatee etc.

[Steve-O]

Can anyone report if there was a seabreeze down south today in the afternoon around 4pm (Thurs). It got pretty good at IRB for a few hours and then shut off in classic sea breeze fashion. For the beaches, that makes four in a row this week.

[Skyway Scott]

Nothing here.
Just the east after sun set.

[Big G]

Rode 3 days in this week! Not bad for a working man.
Got in a couple of hours at SW after 6 p.m. Started out with my Dimitri Pro on a 15m Flexi and could not stay upwind. Watched Tom for about 30 min or so on a 12m and surf board riding back and forth efortlessly. I was than offered am older Anomoly and immediatly rode upwind. Hmmmm interesting, my D-Pro was clearly out performed. Rode untill the sun went down and even did a couple of barrell rolls on the big board.

[Skyway Scott]

I heard all about that one today :)

I haven't taken the Glide out of my truck since Al sold me his directional.

Gary, you might want to try a directional and see if you think it's fun.
I simply can't believe how high upwind I can go on mine and in how little wind. I can easily ride it on a 9m in 10 knots.
In 12 knots, I am pretty much powered up, especially on a bigger kite.
You may not like the directional, but you might. Feel free to ask me to try mine.
Donna really liked it, a few others did too, and some people found it lame.

Last night it went from about 10/11 knots straight to about 17/18. I came in from about a 1/4 mile out at Lassing and hit the glass flat water for some speed runs on the directional, unstrapped. That was a first for me (riding a directional litt in butter). MAN, it was a blast. I was doing powered jibes and hauling butt. I reminded me of windsurfing. I know a bunch of guys have been doing this for quite some time now, especially guys into racing, but it was a first for me. All I was thinking is how much fun it would have been to race another guy on a strapless board, being forced to jibe about every 30 seconds. It would have been a battle of the the high speed jibes (if forced to not be allowed to ride toe-side).

I told Tom today I feel sort of stupid for waiting this long to try the directionals out. I have been really enjoying it for the past couple months.

Anyway, many like Dennis, Raul, Al and others have been riding a dirctl for a while now, just saying you might like it. :)

Many of the boards have unreal low end (the one Al sold me does), that's why I brought it up here.

[bigairal]

glad you are enjoying the board so much. almost made it to lassing could not quite get away. i am surprised with toms surfing background he did not jump on a directional very early on...seems like he would have really liked it. hope to kite with everyone soon.....allen

[Skyway Scott]

I know Tom is really enjoying his surfboard right now.

Check out this pic of Toast's. Directional with inverted h/p.

http://www.reflexologyusa.com/img/Picture8.png

[Big G]

Scott,
I would love to take you up on trying the directional. When and where? This afternoon maybe @SW? Nope,
just looked at the wind....probably noy today.

[Skyway Scott]

Very possible sea breeze today, it's already doing it up North.
You don't even need wind sensors, check out the http://www.baynews9.com/Doppler9000.html

go to far right, 3 down, look at Pinellas. You can see the breeze pushing in (blue line).
It might be at PaG in 20 minutes.

http://www.reflexologyusa.com/img/Picture10.png

[Skyway Scott]

Holy ka shmoley.

I am waiting for the camera to update, but seems like a strong sea breeze just hit PaG.

http://reflexologyusa.com/img/Picture11.png

[Skyway Scott]

Gary, I will be at PaG. Cam shows whitecaps.

I will be at least a mile downwind. Just put up your kite and start riding. I will be back up to you within 10 minutes, if you decide to ride out there.

[Whitey]

It was really nice up north (3r) today. Sensors do not represent what we rode in today. 14m fully juiced just having a blast. Sea breeze kicked in at 2:15 strong out going tide at 2:30 till dark perfect combo.

[Skyway Scott]

Yeah,

Roberto and I rode in the Pass (PaG). Very strong outgoing tide and more wind in the channel meant we were litt and couldn't go downwind if we wanted to while riding the waves. I was getting a little confused. Many of the waves were standing waves. I looked down at the bottom at one point, and I covered zero real distance while on a wave for at least 5 seconds. That was pretty weird.

The water is more clear now than ever (I have been here 40 years).
Keeps getting better every year.
When I grew up, you couldn't see anything. It was pretty much peagreen/brownish soup. Now, it's 20 foot viz.

I had a dolphin surfing a wave with me today. He was right underneath me and turning on his back looking up at me. That was probably the most memorable water experience I have had in quite some time. He rode with me for maybe 10 seconds. Then he got ahead of me and was jumping over and over while surfing a wave, as if to say "Hey as.s munch, I don't need a board, kite, or anything to surf and jump... you are a joke... lol"

[Tom Stock]

The water is more clear now than ever (I have been here 40 years).
Keeps getting better every year.
When I grew up, you couldn't see anything. It was pretty much peagreen/brownish soup. Now, it's 20 foot viz.


Thank surf riders for protesting the use of fertilizer by standing in your front yard at 3am in a clown suit. That'll scare anyone into being clean.

[Skyway Scott]

Yeah, right.

[Steve-O]

We must have just missed you guys last night. Chad, Gabe, and myself did a nice downwinder from Sand Key to PaG. We were packing kites at sundown. We estimated we must have kited for 50+miles. Am I sore.

Last week was official seabreeze week. NICE! Does it get any better.