Wind Text Messaging Service
 

To register, go to this link.
http://www.textmarks.com/WINDY

I just discovered a feature to this service. You can text message directly to a user by using their username.

Just text to 41-411

MSG username then your message.

Example

41-411
MSG PaulFox this is a great feature so we can communicate directly if needed.

I would like to request that everyone go on the textmarks webpage and change their username from the one that is randomly assigned. I think it also would be better to use real names.

List of abbreviations for kite beaches

SB - Sunset Beach
SW - Skyway NE
BSSW - Skyway NW
SSW - Skyway southside
EB - East Beach
NB - North Beach - Ft Desoto
BB - Big Beach - Ft Desoto
PAG - Pass a Grille
BF - Blue Flag - St. Pete Beach
TI - Treasure Island
LS - Lassing Park - St. Pete
NS - North Shore Park - St Pete
CY - Cypress Park - Tampa
PI - Picnic Island - Tampa
IRB - Indian Rocks Beach
HI - Honeymoon Island

would like to add
HI- honeymoon island (not hawaii)
IRB - indian rocks beach

also, might be good to state mph or knots if possible...

please make use of the "," (comma)
some one posted the following on tuesday

"SW 13-15 kites in the air"

so i went thinking there were 13-15 kites in the air when he meant to say it was blowing 13-15 mph and there were two kites in the air.... so i sat on the beach in 9-10mph for and hour on my lunch break... :(

thanx
-Danny

Danny, u weren't the only one. Thought that was slot of kites for a weekday

And please, don't text that "you are going to SB and will report when you get there", or to ask "how the conditions are over there?", or such.

guys , lets keep it strictly about the conditions at a specific time and place :cool:

What Big G says is key. This site should be for on the spot reporting by a fellow kiter. We don't need a text saying "ikites says......." Some of us do not have unlimited texting. I have a deal for 200 per month, never got even remotley close to that number over the years, I signed up for this windy and had to unsubscribe because it looked like I was going to go over this month already. Not because there has been a lot of wind to report on.

I'm stoked on this and think this is a great tool, that benifit everyone, let's keep fine tuning it. Thanks

Tips
 

TIPS

1. From phone send text to 41411;

SUB WINDY (turns it on)
UNSUB WINDY (turns it off)

2. Log onto the website and choose UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE.

3. Send text to a specific user using MSG feature;

Ie "MSG PaulFox this is a great feature so we can communicate directly if needed"

4. Block texts from a specific user using BLOCK feature. Could be useful if you know that a rider only reports from one spot that you don't go to.

Ie "BLOCK JOHNDOE"

Other useful tips found here. http://www.textmarks.com/info/help/

Funny stuff. I agree with Whitey and BigR. The whole idea was to share on the ground observations to increase the info pool.
Saying "hi" is hardly an observation. Neither is might be there in an hour.
Anyway, like with all sources of info, usually less than 30% proves useful.
Problem is, some pay for it piece-meal (not me, I avoid texting like the plague) :D

I agree with on site reporting only. I unsubscribed this weekend due to all of the "extra" texts. I would recommend adding the time of day to your text because when I sent a text while unsubscribed the time was off by the 3 hours as described in a previous post. It takes another text to resubscribe as described before - probably easier and more reliable to add the time.

I can't even express how great this is!! I have to drive from Sarasota so it's little bit of a commitment. Thanks for all the info this week. Problem is when you are working it makes me jones to kite so bad.

I too had to unsubscribe or I will def go over!!

this is a good point.... but for those who want to post they are on there way somewhere (hoping someone will join them) or ask about conditions somewhere... then we should use the WINDYMEET section.....


so lets keep the WINDY section to onsite reports only....
anything else post to WINDYMEET

-D

Another key point to make this service a success. My main use of it is for days where it is marginal and it may blow but not sure. Great example is sea breezes. When a major front is coming and we know it will be blasting all day - there is not much need to text all day long. I am talking about the fronts where it will be 20 plus knots. One or 2 texts on those type of days is fine - but not 20 texts. Again - this service is of value on days like today. It is showing 10 Knots out of the West. So - I would want to know if the sea breeze kicks in on top of this to produce 12 or so knots. Another example is the Easterly winds. Sometimes they blow - sometimes not. Another great use.

Tony

This service is flat out awesome and most of us think so.
We are just trying to fine tune it and make it a success. :) , not bitching, just fine tuning. I know I feel that way, as do others, with criticisms on here.
Just trying to fine tune it. It will take a few weeks.

WINDYMEET http://www.textmarks.com/WINDYMEET
is a great place to say "heading out", etc., as Tony mentioned. People that want to hear that, can hear it on there.

To repeat/summarize that which has been said by others.
A time stamp on each text is a must, imo, to avoid possible confusion.
Same as posting clear data, with punctuation, and being descriptive.

Such as --
14:12 @ EB. ENE 15 knots. 12 kites in sky. Skies somewhat overcast.


All in all, I can't see a better service than TextMarks for kiters for getting out real time REAL (not iMight) info.
I anticipate that this approach will spread quite quickly through kiting communites across the entire country once word gets out (much like Kevin Kearney's video... just not as fast and with more positive effect). :D :confused:

I think our little community may be one of the first working with it (maybe not.. but I think so), so we are the guinea pigs. Oinkey.

Scott-

Completely agree. Once fine tuned - I think it will be great. I appreciate you researching and finding it. Sucks the cold front stalled that was headed our way. Looks like some more humid weather and no wind next week :(.

Tony

Yeah, wtf! It was saying 15 a few days ago for Sunday now 5.
Now I remember why looking at FC is more pain than it's worth.
:rolleyes: UGHHH>...

OH... WTH. I went ahead and reserved this mark too, for when we start doing downwinders :) (hey.. it's free).

http://www.textmarks.com/DOWNWINDER

So, when downwinders start coming, we can use that one too... LOL....

Pretty easy to put all the outputs on one page (hyperlinked when clicked) like this example on the right. http://www.scottfears.com/

I got bored and decided to show how you could have everything (outputs from TextMark pages and forum discussions dedicated to same categories) on one page. This took less than 30 minutes.

I am sure someone will do something like this in the near future. I have zero desire to have a local forum myself, but could help someone out pretty easily.

http://www.scottfears.com/index.php?...ena&Itemid=100

Hey Scottie time to put up or shut up! I want a bling bling Iphone app with live cameras and real time wind speed data like the dudes on the left coast

http://bayareakiteboarding.com/index...php&f=1&t=7723

Text message aggregators are so yesterday

Actually I'd settle for a fresh breeze and a dampened index finger


The real Slim unimog Bob Shady

LOL. If the sponsored "pros" at FT didn't suck out on me so much yesterday, maybe I could afford it. :rolleyes:
Not that I would spend money on techno geekie stuff.
I just stick my finger out the window and watch the birds (like BF). :)

Not a big fan of technology, as you know.
Here's my two favorite takes on it.

Skyway Abbreviations
 

Due to the confusion over whether the SW abbreviation means either a SW wind direction or the Skyway location would like to suggest that for Windy posts we use SKW for the Skyway NE and SSKW for the Skyway South. We would continue to use SW to indicate a Southwest wind direction.....

Regards,
Tim

Now you are just being unreasonable,Tim. ;)

Does it even matter? ... never going to ever get wind again anyway.
At least it feels that way now, doesn't it?! :confused:

Seriously though, sounds reasonable. I will try to write it out like this-

8:35 @SKW. Winds are SW @ 2.3 knots gusting to 3. Skies clear. 4 kites pumped up and waiting. 2 kiters praying, 1 crying, 1 smoking crack.

Could be a good idea...

I know not many are using this, but just got this email.